May 12th in words

We slept for 11 hours! Which meant a late start to the day but there were no real plans aside from Vimy Ridge so that was okay. We lucked out with the weather, rain was in the forecast but it turned out to be a beautiful day.

It was about a 45 minute drive to Vimy Ridge. (Have I mentioned that the speed limit can be as high as 130km/hr.)

The memorial and the visitor centre are both very impressive. It is all very well done. It is hard to describe. We walked around the area for about 3 hours. The forests are so tranquil, the birds were singing, the views were great and it was just a lovely day. We also went on a guided tour that takes you through a preserved tunnel and the trenches. The tour guide did a great job of trying to convey what it was like for the soldiers and the events surrounding the battle of Vimy Ridge.

From there we headed towards Arras, stopping to take photos on the way. Arras was much larger than I expected and very busy. We didn’t do much more than explore the “Grand Place” and eat fries!