Lest We Forget and Lots To Learn

Our morning started out like every other since we landed, cool and drizzly but as we made our way to Juno Beach, the sky just seemed to get darker and darker. Sure enough we got stuck in a massive downpour but then the clouds lifted and the sun came out shining. We have been very lucky this way...I like to think that the sun is following us, or perhaps it is us singing every song we know with sun in the title...we will never make it to Canadian Idol.

The Juno Beach Centre is situated right on the beach where Canadians landed on D-Day. The building itself that houses the information centre is a very moving tribute to the veterans who fought in the war. Outside is a gorgeous statue commemorating the soldiers and it looks like they are rising out of the water. Once inside you sit in a little room that feels like the prow of a ship and are surrounded on all sides with various videos of what it was like to actually land on the beaches. Further in the museum you self tour and see what it was like in Canada prior to the war and move through the various war years. Informative and well displayed, we learned quite a bit about Canada's role in the war and chose to take the beach tour with a guide. The centre is staffed by Canadians and we met two guides from Vancouver and Alberta. The tour took us to the bunker on the beach and down the sand to see the various landing spots of the many different regiments. We listened to strategies that the Canadians put in place to save as many men as possible after the disastrous landing at Dieppe. This beach is over 8kms long and is not at all like Saving Private Ryan in its intensity of landing. Ships we spread out and soldiers reported feeling very alone, afraid and unsure of where the Germans lay. The area that we were in saw few casualties on the beaches themselves but as the combat moved into the town it became more fatal and saw prisoners taken. A story of 150 Canadians soldiers taken prisoner and executed and their bodies run over repeatedly and the French townspeople forced to watch was particularly upsetting. I was not taught anything about the war during my school years, even though I lived in Germany at the time and other than movies and reading up before this trip was very uninformed. I am glad that we had the chance to visit and though it was a more sombre part of the trip I am happy that we were able to educate ourselves and pay our respects to the veterans. We left Courcelles Sur Mer, and headed back to Maison Du Vert with a quick detour to our new favourite restaurant Luca Pizza, a whole hour before opening...please read things we have learned below....and had another enjoyable meal and called it a night! Bubble bath and a book are very much in order.

Here are some tidbits about France that we have learned

Tolls make no sense – the roads are beautiful and well kept but just because you seem to be on a long route don't assume the toll will be huge. We have paid everything from 10 centimes to 7.50 euros.

Curious lack of squishies on the road...roadkill.....what we have seen so far is strange and sad....badger, bunnies..mostly babies...hedgehogs and R.O.U.S's ....rodents of unusual size.

There are hedges everywhere making the scenic drive sometimes lacking and other times so clean and perfect, they are kept by the farmers and that would be its own job I think.

You don't tip here! Your bill includes the tax and tip...about 15%...and what you see is what you pay. I have not had a single problem with food or service and quite happily paid 50 euros for a meal that included a botte of wine, pate starter....for Donald....bottle of water, tomato mozza basil salad...huge and for two....2 massive 14 inch pizzas, basket of bread, banana split with homemade chocolate, strawberry and vanilla ice cream and a calzone stuffed with half a jar of nutella. FOR 50 EUROS......

There are roundabouts...stupid British Emily on the GPS....or rotaries as we call them....every 2 kms. On the highway you may get about every 15 kms but they are everywhere and very confusing on the GPS. She also calls exits SLIP road....I thin my real beef here is with the GPS or lack of proper wording for non British drivers.

There is very little open on a Sunday, especially rurally but true in the bigger cities too, not a grocery store, patisserie or even a restaurant. If a restaurant is open it isn't until 7pm.

It is Monday today and there are also very few things open....if a restaurant does open it will probably only be for lunch. Shops and grocery stores are closed too.

Gas stations close at 9pm. There may be a few open but on our way out of Paris...a 1.5 hour drive we didn't see a single one, toll stations are still open but not a money exchanger person, so make sure you have correct change or a credit card.....a few of the bigger toll stations may give change but not the little ones!

Roads are tiny and it is best to keep to the hard right in the back country if you aren't an aggressive driver. Trust me, they know what they are doing so let them.

French radio sucks. If you are up near Calais you can get some Brit stations but they love to hear themselves talk on the radio, they interrupt songs or sing along and have a play list from American that includes the top 5 only. If I hear one more Adele song I will scream.

The French have a very unfair stereotype. We have not yet met a single rude person. They do however smell the English in you right away and will begin to speak English to you even though you are trying. Perhaps it's best this way and nothing gets lost in translation.\\

There are fields of mustard everywhere....why? We still don't know.

About 95% of homes here have shutters, which are super cute when they are open and flowers are on the sills but at night, the towns look like they are having a blackout and it feels really creepy.

France is full of rabbits. At night they come out and hang on the sides of the highways....be super careful.

Apple trees are pruned upwards rather than the open hand look we go for in the valley...hate to have to pick those puppies.