The Mission

Trip Start Jun 21, 2006
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Trip End Aug 22, 2006


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Flag of France  ,
Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Mission accomplished....Matt and I have found the resting place of my relative, A.S. Donald in Bruay from 1917 where he passed on from his injuried on March 2nd of that year. It was the most emotional experience to date as both Matt and I experienced quite the adventure after leaving Epernay. All good experiences though! We first saw the cathedral in the city of Reims where all the French kings have been coronated since Clovis (thats right Mom, Clovis!) which in the 900s A.D. The original site was a Roman structure so that is how old it is. Joan of Arc also stood in the same cathedral to see Charles VII crowned. After a night there, off to Amiens and then Arras. Hotness, tiredness, etc. kept us from adventuring too far out of Arras, but we discovered Vimy Ridge the next day (missed the Prime Minister of Canada there by 30min). When we got off the train in Vimy there was not a soul in sight until a little old man drove up infront of us and asked if we were Canadian and told us to get in the the car Bruay Cemetary, France
Bruay Cemetary, France
 . He drove us the LONG distance to Vimy! Speaking only French too! Then he picked us up and took us to his house for lunch and drove us back to the station. Apparently he does this for all Canadians that he can find at the station! We got his mailing address for when we get home.
After that (more about Vimy later there are impatient Dutch people behind me right now)...we took a train, two buses, and got SO much help from the locals its unreal... that we discovered the cemetary. One guy walked us right there and two others drove us back to the station after we missed our bus!!!!
Wow, a big thank you to the French!
Must run, everyone is waiting for me to hurry up....
Kaylea and Matt
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Comments

saye
saye on Jul 19, 2006 at 02:44PM

Booya!
Hey guys,

Just got your postcard from Luxembourg. Camping sounds very luxurious there. There are no bakeries or chocolate croissants where we go camping. Your adventure in France sounds amazing. Say hi to Johnny Depp for me.

Ed and I will be in Algonquin Park next Tuesday for 6 nights, then to the cottage for 3! We've been organizing this trip for ages so we're pretty excited. Nothin' beats the stars and the deafning silence of the park. You're coming with us next year, now that you're experienced backpackers.

Matt - keep those random text messages coming! Love em!' I always seem to get them when I'm not at home and when i'm least expecting it. Cracks me up.

I will be sending phone number/addresses for Nana's sisters in Vinkeveen. It would be great to meet them and I'm sure Nana would be thrilled too.

Hope your surviving the heat. Its killer hot here too.

Love Saye

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