France

Vimy Ridge

We went to see the Vimy Ridge Canadian Memorial, in France. As we approached the memorial we could see the outline and the massive size of the memorial.

Canadian Memorial Vimy Ridge

We arrived at the parking lot and could see the monument in the distance. We walked slowly along the path towards the monument and imagined what it was like at the battle of Vimy.

The view of Vimy Ridge Monument from the parking lot

Along the path towards the Monument, we saw a metal line which ran across the pathway and divided the landscape. It signified the Canadian front line during the battle of Vimy Ridge.

Line showing the front line of the battle of Vimy Ridge

The monument itself was very large and impressive with a beautiful white stone. It is made with limestone from an ancient Roman quarry located near Seget, Croatia.

Path leading to the Vimy Ridge Memorial

When we reached the base of the monument we could see the details in the statues carved in the limestone. The monument was carved from a single block of stone weighing 30-tonne. The massive height of the monument which is approximately 110 meters makes it an impressive sight. The two pillars of 27 meters ( 88.5 Feet ) looms high above the Douai Plain to the east.

Base of the two pillars of the Vimy Ridge monument

We walked around the monument looking at the carvings and statues. The colour of the limestone was a beautiful white and almost looked like marble. The statues were also carved in the white limestone which was beautiful. There were wreaths and flowers laid at different points of the monument.

Wreaths and flowers at the base of the Vimy Ridge Monument
Canadian flags and photos of soldiers of WW I on base of Vimy Ridge Monument
Statue on the Vimy Ridge monument

It was a humbling feeling to be able to physically touch the monument.

Ray, Shelley, Anne, and Jim at the base of the Vimy Ridge Monument

The feelings and emotions we felt while walking around the monument was a mix of pride and of sadness. It was a surreal experience for us to be at the Vimy Ridge Monument and a memory that will stay with us forever.

“Au revoir et bonne journée”

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”

Spain

Flotilla of the Virgin del Carmen

We were fortunate to have friends with a sailboat and they learned about a flotilla event at the marina.  The flotilla is a traditional maritime procession in honor of the “Virgen del Carmen”, the patron saint of sailors. We headed down to the marina to meet Mike and Liz and then go and check it out.

View from the harbor Mike and Liz Sailboat

We headed out on the boat and went towards the exit of the harbor to be ready for the flotilla. On the way out of the harbor, we came across a unique luxury cruise ship.

Star Clipper luxury cruise ship docked at the harbor in Alicante

The luxury cruise ship is 134 meters long and is considered the largest sailing ship in the world.

We found a good location at the mouth of the harbor along with other boaters to wait for the flotilla to start.

At the mouth of the Harbor ready to start the flotilla, with Shelley, Ray, Mike, and Liz.

Once the flotilla procession started, there were even, more boats that joined in.

Some of the boats in the flotilla

We navigated out of the harbor following along side the main boat of the flotilla.

Main boat in the flotilla which carries the Statue of Virgin del Carmen

On the main boat, was a statue of the Virgin del Carmen proudly displayed on the roof of the cabin. The boat also was also playing a song over loudspeakers. The boaters would sound their air horns from time to time. The whole experience was very interesting and enjoyable.

Statue of Virgin Del Carmen, the patron saint of Sailors.

We followed the flotilla for about an hour along the coastline of the Mediterranean before the flotilla stopped. At that point, the lead boat cited two prayers. The first prayer was for the protection of sailors and fisherman who are dependant on the sea for their living.  The second prayer was for the lost souls who died in the sea.

When the prayers were finished, the flotilla headed back to the harbor. It was a very interesting and enjoyable experience.

“Adios y que tenga un grand dia”

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

Thiepval Monument

We went to see the Thiepval Memorial which is located near Thiepval France. The memorial commemorates the missing British and South African soldiers who died in the Battle of the Somme during the First World War.

Thiepval Memorial in France

The memorial was a large arched monument that was quite impressive.

Shelley at the Thiepval Monument

The monument was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and was built between 1928 and 1932. It is the largest Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing in the world.

Each the stone columns are inscribed with the names of missing soldiers during the Battle of Somme. There are 72,246 officers and soldiers names engraved on the columns.

Names inscribed on the column of the Thiepval Memorial

We read some of the names engraved on the wall and came across a few names which had a poppy beside them. When a soldier’s remains were recovered that was previously listed as missing a poppy is attached beside their name on the monument.

Poppy beside the soldier’s name, whose remains have been located.

Behind the monument is the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery.  The Thiepval Memorial also serves as an Anglo-French battle memorial.

View of the Thiepval Anglo-French Cemetery from the monument

We walked through the cemetery looking at some of the graves of the soldiers.  What we found very sad was the number of gravestones of unknown soldiers.

View of the Thiepval cemetery with French crosses on the left and British gravestones on the right

There were two different types of gravestones. One was rectangular and were for the British and the other one was a stone cross for the French. The British gravestones were simply marked with “A Soldier of the Great War/ Known unto God”. The French Cross gravestones were marked with “Inconnu”  which means “unknown”

It was a moving experience seeing the monument and the number of names listed as missing.

“Au revoir et passe une bonne journée”

Life is too short to wait for adventure!