Vimy Ridge and Arras
Trip Start
May 02, 2010
1
64
74
Trip End
Aug 10, 2011
Where I stayed
Arras, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
Monday, April 11, 2011
The memorial itself is awesome in the true sense. I was here before, years ago with Dixie...but it affected me the same way..so moving. It is a beautiful testament to our soldiers.
That night we went into the center of Arras. Dad had told me about 'this little town' he visited on leave when he was in France during the war. Six men were allowed to go in to town in a jeep, and he drew one of the lucky straws. He recalls buying bread at a boulangerie across from the Banque du France. He needed a ration card which he didn't have but he was given a ration token on the sly by local so be could. He also recalls enjoying an ice cream here...and later drinking some potent apple cider. We tried to find the bakery...but the little town is really quite a big city now. In any case, we searched out a friendly outdoor restaurant in one of the main squares, and had a meal as we watched the world go by. There was live entertainment at the establishment beside us, which was nice, but just watching the crowd is entertainment enough.
