Three Countries in 17 Days: Part 5 - France and the End

We took the train to the Portsmouth Harbour stop and had to take a bus to the ferry. We got on the right bus, but we didn't know which stop we were supposed to get off at. As we were trying to figure it out this man turned to us and said "Push the button now!" We reacted quickly and pushed the stop button and got off at the right stop. We were lucky that that man was listening and helped us or who knows where we would have ended up! The ferry ride from Portsmouth to a small town outside of Caen took 5 hours! It was after 9pm once we got there. There weren't any buses running so we had to get a taxi into town and to our hotel.

The next day we got up bright and early, packed our stuff and caught a small local bus to Courseulles-Sur-Mer, to small sea side town where Juno Beach is. We got off the bus and could see the Juno Beach Centre across this area for boats to dock. It took us a long time to find our way all the way around to the centre. At one point it looked like there was a shorter way to go, but there was a sign saying no entrance, and Kaleen and I being the good people we are obeyed the sign. The Juno Beach Centre is on a piece of land detached from the rest of the area. We signed up to have a tour of the area, but first we explored the centre which told the history of Canadians during the Second World War, not just in Europe fighting, but also on the home front. It was quite interesting and moving. They had a short film using archival footage filmed at the Battle of Juno Beach and it almost brought both Kaleen and I to tears. The whole experience was really moving and impactful. I would highly recommend anyone who can to go experience the Canadian Battle fields in Europe if they have the chance. After the centre we went on the tour where they took us down into the German bunkers that had fortified the area. Also the tour guide pointed out how large the area was that had to be taken. It was much bigger then I thought. At one point the German bunkers were able to see the water, but now the sand dune has shifted so much that it is pretty much completely buried. It's hard to know how much the landscape will keep changing. They are trying to preserve as much as they can at the centre, but there's only so much you can do. Wind is pretty strong and can easily move sand.

After Juno Beach we got back on the bus to Caen and got on a train to Paris where we spent two nights. Paris was our fun happy thing in the France part of our trip, because the main goal of going to France was to see some Canadian Battle fields. We couldn't see that much because we were there for such a short time and neither of us can drive. For our day in Paris we got a ticket for a hop-on hop-off tour bus again and it was very much worth it. We got off at Notre-Dame Cathedral and went inside. I've been to Paris once before, but that was many years ago, and the size of Notre-Dame still took me by surprise. However, since I last went to Paris I took a history of Paris class which I think gave me more appreciation for the look and layout of the city then before. We also got off the bus at the Arc-de-Triumph and of course, the Eiffel Tower. At the Eiffel Tower we also got some really tasty soft ice cream and enjoyed the really sunny warm day and just sat and enjoyed our surroundings. One thing on the bus tour which we both found hilarious, was there was this one monument with Napoleon on top that was getting restored and the city had put scaffolding up around it with an image of the statue on paper attached to the outside almost like they were trying to hide the fact that the monument was covered up. For some reason we thought this was super funny. At the end of the day we did try to go find where the Bastille once stood. We found streets and a square with its name, but no plaque or anything, so we just assumed that is where it was. Then we decided to walk back to the Metro and I will admit I got us lost. We walked for an hour before we arrived at our destination. At least we were in a nicer part of Paris, so it wasn't too bad, but by that time we were both getting tired. We did make it safely back to the hotel where we stayed the night and got ready to go to Arras the following day. I have to say, one odd thing about Paris is all the soldiers with guns about. The first morning we left our hotel there was a soldier standing across the street holding a big machine gun or something. Being Canadian it really scared us and made us worry, but everyone else seemed to be acting like it was an everyday occurrence, so I guess it was fine. Anyway, the next day we went to catch the train to Arras and let me tell you it was not easy or straightforward to figure out which train to catch and where in Paris. We kept asking people at desks, but none of them were helpful and seemed vaguely annoyed that we asked them. There was a nice man who helped us when we went to buy our tickets at the machine which was nice, but he wasn't an employee, just some stranger.

Once we made it to Arras we dropped our stuff off and took a taxi to Vimy Ridge. Vimy Ridge was just as moving, if almost more, then Juno Beach. The rows and rows of tombstones along with all the names on the monument left us at a loss for words. We again took a tour. This time it was of the underground tunnels the Allies had dug out in preparation for the battle. It was quite damp and cold down there and you got the sense of how frightful it must have been to be working down there. It was a bright and sunny day that day which in a lot of ways felt wrong. The tour guide was really good and he told us some really interesting facts and stories about Vimy Ridge, such as how they bombarded the Germans to move troops forward, or how one lone general took 20 Germans prisoner by making them think he had backup outside of the tunnel. While both sites were very moving and impactful, there was something about Vimy Ridge and its experience that I think touched me a little more then that of Juno Beach. Maybe it has to do with these surrounding years being the commemoration of the 100 years since the First World War. Whatever it was I know that I'll never forget the experience. 

After Vimy Ridge we spent the night in Arras before catching the train the next day to the ferry to Dover. Once in Dover the train to London was down, so we had to take a replacement bus to a nearby town. There we got on the train to London and then another to Oxford where Kaleen spent her last night in Europe before she headed home the next day. 

I really enjoyed having Kaleen come and visit and exploring Ireland, England and France with her. We've been friends for a while, but we've never spent more then a day together! This was a test of our friendship which we survived, made memories, and had fun throughout. I know that I haven't included all the stories or memories we made. It's just as I write this blog I put down the first thing that comes to mind and sometimes later remember stories, but then it's too late. I do hope you've enjoyed this adventure. There are still more to come, but that was the wonderful time I had with Kaleen.