Tag Archives: Retirement abroad

France

The Palace of Versailles

While we were in France we decided to go and visit the Palace of Versailles. We arrived early and joined the large crowd of people already in line to enter the palace.

People lined up to enter the Palace of Versailles

We had a tour guide which made it easier for us to get into the Palace. We went into the Palace and were immediately impressed by the ornate decorations and the size of the building.

The inside of the entrance into the Palace of Versailles

Hanging from the ceiling in the entrance was a beautiful Gabriel crystal chandelier. It was designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec this stunning chandelier is 12 meters in height and weighs  1000 pounds.

Gabriel Crystal chandelier in Versailles Palace

We walked through the palace admiring all the stunning architecture and art on display.

Ray in the Palace of Versailles

There were ceilings with beautiful hand painted scenes which were stunning to see.

Painting on the ceiling in the Palace of Versailles
Paintings in the Palace of Versailles

The Palace was massive and we walked through the palace for over two hours looking at the different rooms.

Shelley and Ray in the Palace of Versailles

The history of the Palace was interesting. The Palace was first built by Louis XIII in 1623 as a hunting lodge and over the years different wings and phases were added to the palace.

Different wing of the Palace of Versailles

We could see the changes in the building architecture as we traveled through the palace. It was a very interesting place to visit. There were sculptures and artifacts from the 16th century and up through the centuries.

Statues and sculptures along the hallways in the Palace of Versailles
One of the marble statues at the Palace of Versailles

There were full-size statues of the different Monarchy of France over the centuries.

Statue of Henry IV king of France from 1572 to 1610

After exploring the Palace for over two hours, we went outside and walked through the palace gardens. It was a very hot day and there was very little shade in the garden. We walked around looking at the different shrubberies and flowers.

Flowers and shrubs in the Palace of Versailles Gardens

There were some different features and statues scattered throughout the palace gardens.

The Palace was an amazing place. There are so many paintings and ornate decorations it is hard to describe the massive beauty of the building. The Palace gardens were also very enjoyable with many water features, statues, and beautiful flowers. We enjoyed our time visiting the Palace of Versailles, it was a very memorable experience.

“Au revoir et bonne journée”

France

A Few Days in Paris

We enjoyed a nice relaxing day in Paris exploring some of the sites. It was a beautiful day and we took a nice stroll through some of the streets of Paris. Shortly after leaving our hotel we came to a small statue of Liberty near a shopping center.

Shelley standing with the Statue of Liberty near the shopping center.

We didn’t realize why the statue was located there but found out a short time later when we arrived at the Grenelle Bridge.  We walked across the Grenelle bridge which crosses the Seine River. Near the center of the bridge on the Ile aux Cygnes is a Statue of Liberty. It is 11.5 meters high. (37 feet 9 inches) and is a scaled replica of the Statue of Liberty in the United States of America.

Statue of Liberty on the Île aux Cygnes, River Seine in Paris.

This Statue of Liberty was given to France in 1889 as a gift from the United States to celebrate the French Revolution.

We then walked along the Seine River enjoying the views and we could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We walked towards the Eiffel Tower and found a beautiful location to admire the Tower and wait for the sun to set in order to see the Eiffel Tower under the lights.

We waited until the sun set and saw the sparkling lights on the Eiffel Tower. The tower was a gold colour and was beautiful to see lit up.

Eiffel Tower lit up at night
Ray and Shelley in Paris

The following day we went back to the Eiffel Tower and took the elevator to the second level. From there we could see almost all of Paris.

View of the Champ de Mars from the Eiffel Tower

The views were truly spectacular and breathtaking. We walked around the entire Tower looking at the 360-degree view of Paris.

View of Paris from the second level of the Eiffel Tower
View of Paris from the second level of the Eiffel Tower

We felt secure the entire time we were in Paris. It was common to see police or military walking around the areas.

Military presence at the Eiffel Tower

We enjoyed our time and finished our time in Paris with a selfie photo in front of the Military Museum before heading on to our next adventure.

Shelley and Ray in front of the Military Museum in Paris

“Au revoir et passe une bonne journée”

 

France

Amiens, France

We went to a beautiful medieval city in Northern France called Amiens. We were dropped off by our tour bus near the Gothic Cathedral.

Gothic 13th-century Cathedral in Amiens, France

The Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens is a 13th-century Gothic style Cathedral. It is the largest Cathedral in France and is a world heritage site.

Ornate arch above the main entrance to the Cathedral
Ornate design on Cathedral

We went to the main entrance and were amazed at the number of figures on the arch. Each one was unique and was made in great detail.

We went inside and check out the massive interior of the Cathedral.

Inside the Amiens Cathedral

The Cathedral was very impressive not only because of the size but also the beautiful decorations and stained glass windows.

The Altar in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens
Stained glass inside the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Amiens

After seeing the cathedral, we went for a walk in the old quarter of Amiens. What is an interesting feature is the city is divided by the Somme River. Shops and cafes line the narrow street along the Somme River.

Cafes and shops along the Somme River in Amiens, France

We walked along the Somme river for a while and then stopped to enjoy a relaxing drink before exploring more of the city.

Ray, Shelley, Jim, and Anne enjoying a drink in Amiens, France

We walked along the narrow streets in the old quarter admiring the unique features of buildings.

View across the Somme River in Amiens.

While walking through the streets of Amiens we came across a group of Canadian cyclist wearing Canadian markings on their shirts.  We decided to stop and ask them about their shirts.

Cyclist wearing Canadian shirts in Amiens

They explained that they were cycling “the 2017 Vimy 100 Battlefield Bike Ride” which goes across a section of Europe touring WWII sites. They were raising money for the Wounded Warriors Canada charity. We had a nice chat with some of the cyclist, which were retired military personnel or spouses of Military personnel.

It made us very proud to be Canadian and to have the opportunity to speak to these veterans of our Canadian Military.

We then walked back to the park near the Cathedral before ending our time in Amiens.

Ray and Shelley in the park near the Cathedral in Amiens

We enjoyed our time in Amiens and chatting with some Canadian Veterans.

“Au revoir et bonne journée”

France

Bayeux, France

We stopped in the small historic city of Bayeux France. This city was the first to be liberated by the Allies on June 16, 1944, after the invasion of Normandy.  This is also where General Charles de Gaulle made the first speech in Bayeux in which he made it clear that France sided with the Allies.

Bayeux France

We walked through the center of the old medieval town looking at the cobblestone streets and timbered buildings. There was a quaint watermill which was still working.

A working waterwheel in Bayeux, France

We came to a medieval plaza which was also the location of the local Museum.

Plaza in medieval center of Bayeux, France
18th-century seminary converted into Museum

The museum was converted from an 18th-century seminary. We decided to enter the museum and view the famous 68-meter “Tapisserie de Bayeux”. It is an 11th-century tapestry depicting the 1066 Norman invasion of England. It was very interesting and each section of the tapestry depicted a scene of the invasion of England.

Scene 22 of Bayeux Tapestry.
Bayeux Tapestry depicting Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, rallying Duke William’s troops during the Battle of Hastings in 1066

Although we only spent a few hours in Bayeux, it was a very enjoyable and interesting city.

“Au revoir et bonne journée”

France

The Bény-Sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery

After viewing the American cemetery, we went to the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.

The parking lot of the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.

We walked onto the grounds of the cemetery which were immaculately kept.

There were red flowers between each tombstone. The sight of all the Canadian soldiers who died to protect freedom was a very moving event for us.

Flowers among the grave markers in the Canadian War Cemetery.
The Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.

We walked through the cemetery looking at the individual tombstones and saw something quite interesting. Placed on some of the tombstones, were coins or other small tokens. These small tokens or coins are left by visitors to indicate that someone has visited that particular grave.

Coin and Canadian Flag pin left on grave marker of Canadian soldier

We saw lots of the grave markers with coins or other small tokens. That was something that drew out raw emotions from us and touched our hearts deeply.

In the center of the cemetery, there was the cross of sacrifice monument.

The cross of sacrifice at the Canadian War Cemetery France

We walked through the cemetery and read some of the names of fallen soldiers. The age of the soldier was inscribed on the grave marker.

We were saddened by the number of soldiers who were in their late teens or early twenties. So many young soldiers sacrificed their lives for freedom.

Going to the Canadian War Cemetery was very moving and emotional. It was something that will stay with us throughout our lives.

“Au revoir et bonne journée”