Europe
      -
      A
      student's
      playground:
      Belgium
      -
      Northern
      France
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Scotland
      had
      been
      a
      dream,
     
     
      but
      it
      was
      time
      to
      move
      on.
      My
      trip
     
     
      would
      be
      three
      months
      of
      travel
      and
     
     
      adventure,
      taking
      in
      as
      much
      of
     
     
      Europe
      as
      possible.
      Scotland
      had
     
     
      shown
      me
      a
      side
      of
      this
      world
      which
     
     
      I
      had
      only
      dreamed
      of,
      but
      I
      know
     
     
      that
      so
      much
      more
      laid
      in-front
      of
     
     
      me.
      Off
      to
      Belgium
      I
      flew,
      again
      for
     
     
      only
      7.99
      pounds
      as
      discount
      airlines
     
     
      offer
      the
      unique
      opportunity
      for
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      to
      hop
      the
      continent
      on
      very
     
     
      limited
      resources.
     
    

    
     
      Arriving
      in
      Belgium
      was
      a
     
     
      return
      to
      a
      world
      somewhat
      familiar.
     
     
      Cars
      now
      drove
      on
      the
      right
      hand
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      side
      of
      the
      road
      and
      the
      currency
      is
     
     
      the
      Euro,
      converted
      at
      roughly
      the
     
     
      same
      as
      the
      US
      dollar
      -
      simple
     
     
      enough.
      I
      jumped
      on
      a
      bus
      for
      the
     
     
      capital
      of
      Brussels,
      where
      else
      would
     
     
      I
      want
      to
      go
      -
      of
      course
      to
      the
      land
     
     
      of
      waffles
      and
      sprouts.
     
    

    
     
      Brussels
      was
      cheap,
      very
     
     
      cheap.
      The
      city
      is
      lined
      with
      afford-
     
     
      able
      and
      classy
      hostels
      and
      unique
     
     
      roadside
      kebab
      shops
      perfect
      for
      the
     
     
      budget
      traveler.
      Belgium
      is
      arguably
     
     
      the
      home
      of
      beer,
      or
      at
      least
      strong
     
     
      beer,
      the
      kind
      that
      blinds
      you.
      For
      a
     
     
      beer
      to
      be
      over
      12%
      is
      quite
      com-
     
     
      mon
      and
      somewhat
      expected.
      I
     
     
      remember
      a
      local
      teasing
      me
      about
     
     
      the
      5%
      Canadian
      beer
      we
      had
      back
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Omaha
      Beach
      Cemetery,
      a
      picture
      says
      a
      thousand
      words
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Vimy
      Ridge
      Memorial
      with
      the
      names
      of
      11,285
      missing
      Canadians
     
     
      .:page
      [10]
      October
      29,
      2003:.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      home,
      although
      I
      quickly
      reminded
     
     
      him
      about
      our
      neighbors
      to
      the
     
     
      south.
      The
      hour
      long
      discussion
     
     
      began
      to
      slur
      and
      become
      incompre-
     
     
      hensible
      after
      only
      three
      pints.
      Aside
     
     
      from
      the
      awful
      taste
      and
      it
      wasn't
     
     
      that
      bad.
      Those
      crazy
      Belgians
      may
     
     
      be
      on
      to
      something.
     
    

    
     
      The
      country
      of
      Belgium
      is
     
     
      quite
      small,
      at
      roughly
      half
      the
      size
     
     
      of
      Nova
      Scotia
      which
      a
      population
     
     
      of
      10
      million.
      For
      those
      of
      you
      who
     
     
      did
      well
      in
      french
      immersion
      -
      no
     
     
      problem
      as
      half
      the
      country
      speaks
     
     
      French.
      But
      after
      one
      day
      in
      the
      cap-
     
     
      ital
      I
      quickly
      learned
      something
      very
     
     
      important:
      do
      not
      come
      to
      Brussels.
     
     
      Brussels
      has
      city
      hall
      buildings,
     
     
      national
      government
      buildings
      and
      is
     
     
      now
      the
      capital
      of
      the
      European
     
     
      Union.
      Trust
      me,
      this
      city
      is
      boring.
     
     
      Get
      out
      to
      the
      smaller
      towns
      like
     
     
      Bruge,
      or
      better
      yet,
      as
      a
      Canadian
     
     
      head
      west
      to
      learn
      the
      most
      impor-
     
     
      tant
      lesson
      of
      your
      life.
      One
      I
      most
     
     
      certainly
      did.
     
    

    
     
      Just
      west
      of
      Belgium
      in
     
     
      France
      is
      the
      town
      of
      Arras,
      in
      the
     
     
      region
      broadly
      known
      as
      Flanders
     
     
      Fields.
      Arras
      had
      the
      misfortune
      of
     
     
      being
      positioned
      near
      the
      focal
      point
     
     
      of
      the
      Allied-German
      front
      line
      dur-
     
     
      ing
      WWI
      and
      was
      completely
     
     
      destroyed
      during
      both
      world
      wars.
     
     
      The
      one
      hostel
      in
      Arras
      plays
      wel-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      come
      to
      many
      Canadians
      for
      one
     
     
      reason
      -
      Vimy
      Ridge.
      A
      five
      minute
     
     
      train
      ride
      from
      Arras
      is
      the
      single
     
     
      greatest
      battle
      site
      for
      Canadians
     
     
      during
      WWI.
      Most
      of
      the
      site
      was
     
     
      left
      as
      it
      was
      after
      the
      end
      of
      the
      war.
     
     
      Shell
      holes
      and
      mine
      holes
      fill
      the
     
     
      site
      causing
      most
      of
      the
      land
      to
      be
     
     
      off
      limits
      as
      there
      is
      one
      unexploded
     
     
      shell
      per
      square
      meter.
      Many
      trench-
     
     
      es
      and
      tunnels
      remain
      -
      but
      are
      all
     
     
      overshadowed
      by
      the
      ridge's
      centre
     
     
      piece
      -
      the
      largest
      and
      most
      impres-
     
     
      sive
      monument
      of
      the
      First
      World
     
     
      War.
     
    

    
     
      Take
      your
      time
      to
      walk
     
     
      around
      the
      memorial
      -
      it
      is
      worth
      it.
     
     
      The
      view
      from
      the
      top
      of
      the
      ridge
     
     
      explains
      why
      this
      was
      a
      key
      position
     
     
      in
      the
      war
      and
      necessary
      to
      hold.
     
     
      Take
      a
      moment
      to
      read
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      11,285
      names
      of
      Canadians
      missing
     
     
      and
      presumed
      dead.
     
    

    
     
      _
      From
      Vimy,
      one's
      natural
     
     
      path
      would
      lead
      you
      to
      Dieppe
      -
      a
     
     
      sacred
      destination
      for
      Canadians
      on
     
     
      a
      journey
      through
      northern
      France.
     
     
      Canadians
      tried
      valiantly
      to
      free
      the
     
     
      coastal
      town
      during
      WWIL,
      only
      to
     
     
      suffer
      extreme
      casualties
      -
      but
      we
     
     
      came
      back
      in
      1944
      to
      free
      it
      once
     
     
      and
      for
      all.
      And
      the
      town
      remembers
     
     
      as
      many
      streets
      and
      squares
      are
     
     
      named
      after
      Canadian
      cities,
      towns,
     
     
      and
      soldiers
      who
      fought
      to
      free
      it.
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Trenches
      and
      shell
      holes
      fill
      the
      landscape
      at
      Vimy
      90
      years
      later