Friday, September 2, 2011

Vimy Ridge - the Canadian Memorial

Up early so we could make the train for Arras. The websites said if you didn't rent a car a taxi was about €25 and they were right, including a tip. We are experienced travelers when talking about trains in Europe so we had mo trouble. We went to the visits center and bought postcards and pins and signed up for the tour of the tunnels and trenches. Very interesting guide from Ottawa university. After the tour we walked four kilometers to the Memorial which is on a height of land. It is very pristine and beautiful and we had it almost to ourselves, but it is very emotional and sad to see the thousands of names of the dead. I. Found a Leonard and a Warriner (my grandparents names) probably not related but same name. Our taxi came back when we had the guide call him and we bought our return ticket and had a sandwich in the bar at the station. When we arrived back in Paris we decided to go downtown (near the river) for dinner. Didn't have dinner but found great area to explore and found the Center Pompidou - really ugly from up above but very colorful. Looks like a parking garage full of blue cars from Montparnasse tower. We had a beer at what I think was a strip joint but we were sitting outside. There was a jazz club opposite it.
Decided to go home and eat in the neighborhood. Found a really nice restaurant down the street hiding behind a hotel and food market. The man offered us the house specialty and we said ok. Big mistake another CroqueMonseiur! If I see more ham and cheese I will croak! It is all Parisian restaurants serve. We are getting packed to go to London tomorrow so au revoir.

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