French Reconnaissance Part Deux

 

Finding Normandy

While in Lille, I bought a French SIM card for my phone, planning to use it for directions while I was driving. I picked up my car, and once again depended on a kind stranger to help me find the rental car in the underground garage, exited, and discovered that my new SIM card didn't work. I was driving in Lille traffic, so I just hoped for the best and got myself on the highway heading to Paris. At least I know I was sort of heading in the correct direction (south). 

Before long, I was desperate for a coffee. I knew I didn't want to stay on the road to Paris for too long, because I was heading towards the coast. I pulled off to find a little town, and thank God I found the town hall. I rushed inside and explained to the lady behind the desk that I was lost, and I was trying to find the Vimy memorial. She sweetly printed out some maps for me. 

When you visit the Vimy Ridge Memorial, you are technically standing on Canadian ground. The land was given to Canada by France in 1922 as a gift. During World War I, 66,000 young Canadian men (many of them boys really) died in Europe. 

The Battle of Vimy Ridge happened in April 1917. The Canadian Corps captured heavily fortified German positions, and possibly turned the tide of the war. However, more than 3,600 young Canadian men lost their lives in this one four-day engagement. 

Inscribed on all four sides of the memorial are the names of over 11,000 young Canadians who died in the war, but whose bodies were never recovered. 

After a somber visit, I needed coffee, food, and a toilet, STAT. And I was lost again. I found a gas station/market combo and rushed in. No toilet, no coffee, no wifi. A customer gave me some rough directions. As I was following those directions, I saw some very interesting ruins up on a hill. So I detoured. And thank God I did, because I saw a restaurant, and I heard voices inside!

I rushed in, and blurted out to the waitress that I needed to use the toilet. After that emergency was taken care of, I sat at a table. There would be no food (French rules about when and what you eat) and no wifi, but there was tea. And the waitress brought over her ipad to help me plot my trip to Veules-les-Roses. She assured me that it was a beautiful village, but far. I fiddled with the SIM card on my phone, and discovered that there was step I hadn't taken when I put it in. I got it working!!!!!

When I set off again, I had directions. Hallelujah. When I finally made it Veules-les-Roses, it was dark, and I was tired and hungry. I had rented an Air bnb for the next 7 nights. When I got into the building, I couldn't find the apartment I was renting. I also had to drag my suitcases up several flights of stairs. I sent a message to the owners of the Air bnb saying that I needed help. Daniel, one of the owners, came right away, helped me carry my bags upstairs, and got me into the apartment. Daniel called his wife Annie because she speaks really good English. I didn't want to chat, I just wanted to crash, and hopefully find some food. I wasn't rude, but I certainly wasn't sociable. 

I went for a little walk, but the only restaurant open was a no-go for me. Being vegetarian while travelling can be a pain sometimes. Luckily, I had brought some dried noodle packages from Cambodia that just need boiled water to make a 'meal.' When I skyped with my sisters I wailed, 'Where do these people buy their groceries? There are no supermarkets!'