Pictures From Days 5-10

Pictures From Day 1-4

Day #10: Saturday, March 18

Today was our travel day home with our last French breakfast, followed by a bus ride at 7:30 AM to the Charles se Gaulle Airport in Paris in order to depart by 11:27 AM for Canada. A good flight with time to sleep, read, watch movies, eat two meals and get excited about seeing our loved ones!

Day #9: Friday, March 17 (France)

Today we started with a three hour bus tour of the city! It was amazing to drive to all the major highlights and learn the historical details of this extraordinary metropolis.....Effie Tower, Arch de Triumph, Louvre, Pont Neuf, Champs Elysees, Jarden Luxemburg, Notre Dame. These were just a few of the major highlights that we could see and even step off the bus to take pictures. From our tour, we all went into Notre Dame and then had fresh crepes in the Latin District. Most students went to the Louvre which is free for those under 18! This was remarkable to see. Some students took a trek to Montmartre and Sacre Coeur to see the sights. We then ate dinner in Paris and headed to the Eiffel Tower!  Having this night to enjoy the city on foot and while being on the Eiffel Tower was amazing! An evening of fresh crepes , city walk, a final metro ride and back to the hotel to pack.

Day #8: Thursday, March 16 (France)

Our day started in Caen. It was a very foggy morning with the changing temperatures which made the first Canadian cemetery, Beny-Sur-Mer, that we visited quite solemn. We had the chance to locate a specific soldier from Hamilton, Ontario. Many were just 17 years old. Then we drove to Bernieres-Sur-Mer to visit the Canada House which was the first residence the Canadian soldiers liberated during the Normandy invasion, June 6, 1944. This was something to celebrate so we enjoyed a bit of time by the ocean and even collected some shells. From here we drove to Juno Beach to tour a German bunker and tunnel. We learned a lot about D day along the coast of France with the five beach landing attacks. Juno beach was a devastating attack but pivotal for the Allied forces. Even with the losses, the Canadian + other Allied forces were successful which assisted in the final outcome of the war. The museum was very informative and an important learning experience. From here we drove to the next village for lunch. We saw the floating roads, sunken bunkers and military equipment along the coast of this town. Plus enjoyed various treats from an amazing French patisserie! This was followed by 4 hour bus ride into Paris!! The metro ride to dinner was exciting and brought us closer to the restaurant where we had dinner; the basement was actually a medieval dungeon! This construction was remarkable and added quite the atmosphere for our meal. The acoustics were something else which enhanced the volume of our group! What an amazing place to have dinner. The French flams were amazing. We then walked to the River Seine to enjoy a boat cruise; this was beautiful at night! Tim's birthday was our main focus all day and was topped off with French cake, candles and birthday cheer at the hotel. Hip!

Day #7: Wednesday, March 15 (France)

Today we left Belgium and travelled to France by bus. It was a beautiful day that started at Vim Ridge where we toured the trenches and massive memorial for the 11, 280+ unknown soldiers who died in the region WWI. From here we travelled onto the medieval, quaint town of Arras for lunch. We explored the city square, market and city hall. This town is known for their family of giants centuries ago! It was a beautiful place to spend time in the market and cafes to get lunch. We then we drove onto Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial to learn about the battle of Somme which greatly affected our Newfoundland soldiers. Onto Caen, we had a traditional French meal and the chance to check into another unique hotel. An evening walking tour included an 11th century castle with moat that continued to be enhanced over the centuries to eventually house William the Conquer during his reign.

Day #6: Tuesday, March 14

Today we left Hartewijk before 8 AM to drive through the Netherlands en route to the beautiful country of Belgium! It was overwhelming to see so many war cemeteries throughout the countryside. We stopped at the cemetery where John McCrae worked as a physician in a hospital bunker built into the sloped side of the creek bank. From there went to Bruges which is a remarkable historical city which you can see from the photos. Fresh waffles, truffles, pastries and more chocolate!!! Delightful! Back on the bus we drove onto Ypres. This city has the Flanders Field Museum which included a lot of detailed information, artifacts and memoires of World War I. After dinner we went to the Mennen Gate for the Last Post, which was another unique experience! This ceremony takes place every night of the year at 8 PM with the opportunity to honour those who gave their lives. Two students laid a wreath on behalf of HDCH. After this ceremony we loaded our bus and drove into the village of Mennen to rest until tomorrow.

Day #5: Monday, March 13

After a delicious Dutch breakfast we took a bus to Amsterdam where we picked up our new guide. Our Amsterdam guide rode on the bus with us for the next 3 hours to give us an informative tour of Amsterdam. We stopped along the Amstel River to see and learn more about the mercantile industry of Amsterdam. This merchant sector at the mouth of the North Sea has been a focal point of this nation for centuries. As we drove through the city we saw crocuses, daffodils and pansies. With the sun shining we drove along Museum Street, Central station, City Hall, learned about the constant pressure of living on water while observing this from our tour, learned about the present culture, and took time to learn the tradition steps of making Gouda cheese and kloompen. The cheese and klompen factory was a traditional Dutch interactive experience that we all enjoyed. From here we drove to the centre of the city, Dam Square for lunch and then went to the Anne Frank museum for a tour.  This museum was a very moving experience as the group gained so much about the life of the Jewish people at this time with a focus on the Frank family.  After this, the group took a canal boat tour of Amsterdam! Dining together on Stompot with sausage at an amazing restaurant, we all enjoyed a great evening. It was really fun to connect with a past colleague from HDCH that night along with some family too!  After dinner was the perfect time for buying dropies, Dutch treats and mementos. Back at the Apollo hotel, there was time for card games and fun! A fabulous day with perfect weather, amazing scenery and Dutch culture that seemed to be a highlight for many!

Day #4: Sunday, March 12

Today was our day of rest as we took the chance to slow the pace down on a train from Berlin to Apeldoorn. We had six hours to enjoy the countryside, relax, chat and enjoy time with our group. The students commented on how relaxing this form of travel was compared to a plane for this length of time and found this much easier. It was a chance to absorb the countryside and reflect on our own country, culture and heritage in comparison to the regions we were seeing in Europe. From here we rode a bus to Groesbeek to the National Bevrijdings Liberation Museum and then to the Canadian War Cemetery just a few miles down the road. This museum stayed open an extra hour for us to learn about the influence that the Canadian soldiers had on this region specifically during the war. The museum guide was an elderly man who shared  stories, insight and reflections on the connections they have made to Canadians returning to find out what actually happened to the their sons, fathers, uncles or grandfathers in the war. His passion for this work was evident in his presentation. Our guide travelled with us to the cemetery and continued to share his personal insight, reflections and stories about some of the soldiers who were buried in that cemetery. We then drove onto Hartewijk where we checked into the Apollo Hotel. Highlights from this day included Alyssa Gerrit’s Tante Erna and my cousin Rianne joining us at various points today!

Day #3- Saturday, March 11

Today we began our day with a tour of the Sachsenhausen museum which is a heart wrenching tour of a WWII concentration camp. From here we toured around Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. A guided tour of the city enabled us to learn and see so much. We had the chance to stop and briefly tour various locations including the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, Head of the German Military, Berlin Victory Column and ended at a section of the Berlin Wall that is still standing today to remind people of what should never happen again. The section we were at was unique in the sense that it showed the view from both sides of the wall. So we could see how both the Western and Eastern Berliners viewed the wall for 28 years. It is definitely hard to conceptualize but we had the opportunity that evening to meet with three Berlin adults who experienced this from both sides because one grew up in East Berlin while the other two grew up in West Berlin. Prior to this panel discussion, we had the opportunity to dine together in central Berlin at a restaurant that served pork schnitzel. Our evening ended riding the S baun subway system back to the area of West Berlin where we spent our final night at the Estrella Hotel.

Day 2 - Berlin

Today we began our day with a tour of the Sachsenhausen museum which is a heartwrenching tour of a concentration camp. From here we toured around Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. A guided tour of the city enabled us to learn and see so much. We got out at various locations including the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, Head of the German Military, Berlin Victory Column and ended at a section of the Berlin Wall that is still standing today to remind people of what should never happen again. The section we were at was unique in the sense that it showed the view from both sides of the wall. So we could see how both the Western and Eastern Berliners viewed the wall for 28 years. It is definitely hard to conceptualize but we had the opportunity that evening to meet with three Berlin adults who experienced this from both sides because one grew up in East Berlin while the other two grew up in West Berlin. Prior to this panel discussion, we had the opportunity to dine together in central Berlin at a restaurant that served pork schnitzel. Our evening ended riding the S baun subway system back to the area of West Berlin where we spent our final night at the Estrella Hotel..

Departing from HDCH, our first leg from Toronto to Frankfort was seamless! For many students this was their first flight! A grounds crew rotating strike at the Berlin airport meant NO flights through this airport today. So we were re-routed to Hanover with a 2 hour lay over and than took a 3.5 hour bus ride to Berlin. So the marathon included a vast # of kms over 22 hours BUT that didn't slow us down. Twenty minutes to unload our bags and we ready to GO! A typical German meal at the Oranium Circle Restaurant followed by a walking tour of the city, ample man shopping square, holocaust memorials, Jewish marking stones, Tolerance Street, Jewish Synagogue, road the S barn several times and end the night at the German Bundestag which is the parliament buildings. We toured the Reighstag, which gave us a clear view of Berlin at night. Just settled at the hotel at 11pm. Full day!!!!

Preparing to Depart

We will soon be flying into Germany to begin our travels. This map provides a visual of most of the cities we will be travelling to during this 10-day excursion. Over the course, of the trip this blog will be updated with our daily experiences.