Day 4 – Goodbye London and the UK, Bonjour la France…..watching the sunrise

Wakey wakey everyone... 5:00 AM wake up call... for some and for 4 others they received the executive treatment as they got to sleep in about 50 minutes past the rest of us... you can ask amongst yourselves in this case I am not dropping names for fear of persecution!!!  All is good, but bottom line is they didn't heed our warning and set alarms to back up the scheduled wake up call.  However, after training as a detective last night on the Jack the Ripper tour I can conclusively deduce that based on evidence presented to me at the time of entering the room that the key piece of convicting evidence was the phone off the hook lying in the floor...just sayin' that is a key piece of evidence when you say you never received a wake up call.  Haha…Sherlock Holmes I am not…..but evidence is evidence!  We are on the road and making good time on the 25, which can be a disaster in the morning, commute at times.

I will write the majority of the blog today around our travel day (boring I know but it is what we will do today).  Today’s blog will feature a piece from a student, a practice that began last year, and I think adds a major piece of reflection to this process.  Up first is Dylan Corbett…..

We began our journey into our Canada’s military past in the historic city of London, England. London is an amazing city full of history and excitement of all kinds. One of the most special moments about being in London was being able to represent Canada at the remembrance ceremony in Green Park. Words can not describe the feeling of pride and sadness felt, being able to come to another country and stand together with the people of England in remembrance of those who fought and gave the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom, truth and the end of tyranny against the oppressed people of Europe.

Arriving and being in France is an extremely powerful thing to experience. Looking over the rolling green hills and flat farm lands of Western France, and learning of the heavy fighting that took place in these very areas, areas now at peace with its surroundings, brings a lot of emotion to the forefront of our minds.

As the Vimy ceremony draws near, our hearts turn to the fallen soldiers and the people of France. Vimy represents more than just a turning point in the First World War. It represents the birth of a beautiful and strong nation, the rise of Canadian identity, and the triumph of the small against the forces of the many.

Just as the battle of Vimy Ridge was the birth of our nation, Canada’s return to the ridge 100 years later will be a defining moment in our history. Canada has not forgotten the sacrifice and importance of the battle at Vimy, and as we stand on that day on the hollowed ground that is Vimy Ridge, the fallen of Vimy stand beside us, the ones that gave their today, so we could see our tomorrow.

                                                                                    Dylan Corbett grade 11 TOSH

Travel days are always the hardest ones…..they are actually the easiest ones on the feet but cramped into the busses for quite a few hours can be just as tough.  The bussing has been great but it is still a bus.  We arrived at the terminal with a bit of time to spare although we were 30 minutes late leaving this AM.  The process here is that we go through

customs, then a baggage check as they take about 6 bags off the bus to scan and check and then we move on.  Once we depart from the our English bus we are on our own, with bags checked onto trolleys we make our way by foot(not very far as there legs are sore for some reason today!) to the terminal where we wait for the announcement of the 10:15 crossing.  Twenty years ago I would say that many of these travellers would have been very experienced “ferry” passengers, but in the day and age of the “Bridge”, this is a trip not unlike travelling via plane for the first time.  We have more air travellers than ferry passengers, as I said a sign of the times on little ole PEI.

Dover is a very beautiful place and I would certainly love to spend some time in this area.  Spectacular cliffs and breathtaking beaches, this area 75 years ago would have been a hub of action for both planes and marine transports of wartime Europe.  Time to sign off from the wonderful UK and thanks again to EF for another memorable trip to this wonderful country.  A very diverse and eclectic urban area combined with a very traditional rural area that I always love to visit.   Sailing away from the white cliffs of Dover, until the next time Elizabeth, you better be at work next time……

The ferry ride was wonderfully smooth and the sun was shining, wind was light but out of the north so that the temps were kept down, but all in all a beautiful day on the water.  We have picked up our bus for the duration of tour and our driver Luka is from Slovenia.  Very nice man and he is skipping us through this beautiful country side of France.  Some are laughing, some sleeping and most are somewhere in between.  It is 3:22 French time and we have about another 2-3 hours of driving time ahead until we reach our destination tonight at Omaha beach.  For the most part we will see very little today other than the beautiful French countryside and the sun……feels great saying that because of my many experiences in the northwest of France typically have not been filled with sunbathing and warmth…but today for this first time,  other than my summer tours with teachers, I am wearing shorts!!!  White and pasty I am at the moment, but hey I’ve (we’ve) been vitamin D deprived for about 5 months it seems.  As we depart from our first bathroom roadside break….not really roadside people, but at a truck stop to allow the kids some time to eat , stretch and use the washroom, we are nearing the city of Rouen , the site of a beautiful gothic cathedral that the kids can see from the highway and is also near the site of where Jeanne D’arc(Joan of Arc) was burned at the stake for heresy during the Hundred Years War . 

With our new wonderful coach accommodations I hope to maximize my sleeping time as I am able to write while we are driving, quite convenient, now if only I had the internet I could even post and maybe upload some pics for a change…hoping for a better connection in Omaha Beach tonight.

Arriving in Omaha Beach and my favorite part of the tour is just beginning.  We have arrived at our hotel and it is beautiful….thanks again EF!  I wish we had more than one night here because I am in heaven!!!  Imagine my eyes when I see what is directly adjacent to our

hotel, actually connected, and I can see the first tee from my room!!!  Not only are the rooms great, but the meal was excellent, pork chops and local potatoes was a welcomed treat.  Kids are off to their rooms and we are heading to bed as well.  Was a long but very productive day as we transferred to France and are about to participate in history…such a great opportunity for these kids and I am glad to be along for the ride.