A Trip Down the Garden Path

Calais - Villers Bretonneux - Giverny - Mont St Michel

Well I finally find myself in a non-anglophone country where I can understand some of what is going on.  My French is getting a bit of a work out, as I tediously find my way through conversations. I'm managing ok,  and my accent seems to be fine, I think everything I've said has been understood the first time round, even though I'm grasping for certain vocabulary at times. it's been good listening and practising afterall, and this is the toughest skill to master in a second language.

I do a map activity with the year 8s at school where they colour and label the regions across France then I teach them about a significant aspect of that region. Take the region of Lorraine for instance...not so hard to guess it's most famour product?....  So it's been my goal to see and experience these quintessential regional things, so I can speak more about them when it comes down to it.

Starting in the region of Picardy, we stopped off at Villers Bretonneux.  This place is famous for Aussies.  Yep, that's right, there's even a school called Victoria school.  And have a look at this sign:

I made it giant so you can see it better...

Yes Aussies, though while I peered through the school room windows, there seemed to be no kids at school, or at least in the classroom or playground (as you can see). I just wondered if more of the Aussie spirit had been adopted in this school than was immediately obvious... 'take it easy, she'll be right mate' (yes, I am saying laziness) were the kids doing exactly that?

Anyway, this area was part of the Western Front in France during WW1 (remember my earlier post about Belgium and Hill 60?). Basically the Aussies have a really great name over here, having bravely fought to support the Allies during the war.  The school (above), aptly named 'Victoria School' was rebuilt with the help of funds raised by Victorian school children at the time.

The top floor of the school is a war museum.  It's small, but there's heaps in there, we spent a good hour looking at all the artefacts. reading descriptions and marvelling at the array of authentic photos capturing day-to-day life of the soldiers at war.

Never forget the Aussies

Sit down and have a read about Australia

The museum

We also got to the war memorial in Villers Bretonneux. It has the graves of a heap of allied soliders (including Brits and Canadians too) but most seem to be Australian.  It's also where the unknown soldier was exhumed and then ceremoniously transported to Australia to be put into the very famous 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. 

There's a pretty big ANZAC day service at this memorial each year too.

ooh , love this photo. It took my ages to capture the flag fully proud in the wind

After here we headed on to Giverny, which is the little town famous for being Monet's place of inspriation (and residence).  He's famous for having painted the water lilles (amongst other things of course) hang on, let me see if if I can hunt down a photo of his work...




And here's another...



Still to this day, his residence and the gardens that inspired his work is maintained well. Have a look at the pictures, you might recognise some scens from his paintings...

View of much of the garden

His house. No photos of the paintings inside allowed...

Walking though the garden

The last part of this leg was to see the Mont St Michel. A postcard perfect island just off the coast of Normandy.  Its illustrious history dates back to as early as the 7th century.  It's been a significant military location and also features a monestry, which we did not pay to enter.

Just gazing upon this pretty little island was enough.  We did go in and walk through the streets, fighting our way through other tourists doing exactly the same thing.

It was freezing cold here.  The Mont looks like some sort of evil castle with those clouds

Beautiful!

Pretty little streets

Last glimpse

Well that brings our first leg of the trip to an end.  I have been trying to write these posts as I go but have not had much luck with zippy internet connection. Mind you, even the dodgiest camping grounds had internet, and we've see some interesting ones. Next up will be Bordeaux post, in a few days.

:) S