Seat
      Sale:
      Battlefield
      Tours
      (or
      Just
      say
      NO
      to
      Contiki)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Dave
      NEATBY
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
      you're
      thinking
      of
      taking
      a
     
     
      trip
      to
      Europe
      sometime,
      and
      you
      think
     
     
      it
      might
      be
      neat
      to
      go
      see
      Vimy
      Ridge,
     
     
      just
      to
      add
      a
      tinge
      of
      history
      as
      you
     
     
      bus
      along
      from
      Amsterdam
      down
      to
     
     
      Paris
      on
      your
      Contiki
      tour.
      You
      see
      the
     
     
      twin
      pylons
      of
      the
      Canadian
      Memorial
     
     
      and
      the
      giant
      obelisk
      of
      Notre-Dame-
     
     
      de-Lorette,
      the
      French
      national
      memo-
     
     
      rial
      the
      next
      ridge
      over,
      from
      almost
      as
     
     
      far
      away
      as
      the
      Belgian
      border.
      As
      you
     
     
      get
      closer,
      the
      monument
      only
     
     
      becomes
      more
      impressive
      and
      tugs
      at
     
     
      your
      heart.
      When
      you
      arrive
      at
      the
     
     
      parking
      lot
      next
      to
      the
      small
      museum
     
     
      at
      the
      top
      of
      Hill
      145,
      the
      highest
      point
     
     
      of
      Vimy
      Ridge
      (which
      is
      actually
      about
     
     
      10-14
      km
      long)
      where.
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      monument
      now
      stands,
      your
      tour
      guide
     
     
      informs
      you
      that
      you
      have
      10
      minutes
     
     
      before
      departure.
      You
      have
      enough
     
     
      time
      to
      walk
      up
      to
      the
      memorial,
      look
     
     
      at
      the
      statues
      and
      read
      a
      few
      of
      the
     
     
      11,285
      names
      of
      Canadians
      who
      died
     
     
      in
      France
      during
      WWI
      but
      have
      no
     
     
      known
      graves.
      OR
      you
      have
      time
      to
      go
     
     
      to
      the
      small
      interpretive
      centre
      and
     
     
      learn
      a
      bit
      about
      why
      the
      battle
      was
     
     
      fought,
      why
      it
      is
      important
      to
     
     
      Canadians,
      and
      maybe
      talk
      to
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      guide
      who
      is
      working
      there
     
     
      to
      explain
      anything
      that
      wasn't
      covered
     
     
      in
      the
      displays
      or
      anything
      that
      crosses
     
     
      your
      mind
      to
      ask.
      OR
      you
      have
      time
      to
     
     
      go
      to
      the
      bathroom.
      You
      can
      only
      do
     
     
      one.
      Which
      will
      it
      be?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Talk
      to
      a
      veteran
      before
     
     
      you
      go
      and
      visit
      some
      of
     
     
      the
      places
      they
      talked
     
     
      about,
      ask
      them
      if
      there
     
     
      is
      anything
      that
      they
     
     
      would
      like
      a
      photo
      of,
      or
      if
     
     
      they
      would
      like
      you
      to
     
     
      visit
      a
      friend
      that
      didn't
     
     
      come
      back.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Maybe
      being
      able
      to
      do
      only
     
     
      one
      will
      satisfy
      you.
      That's
      fine,
      noth-
     
     
      ing
      wrong
      with
      that,
      but
      if
      you
      wanted
     
     
      to
      do
      all
      three
      plus
      look
      at
      the
      two
     
     
      cemeteries
      on
      the
      site,
      walk
      along
      the
     
     
      path
      between
      the
      huge-holes
      in
      the
     
     
      landscape
      caused
      by
      underground
     
     
      mines,
      and
      get
      a
      guided
      tour
      from
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [8]
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      5
     
     
      ;
      "
     
     
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Except
      for
      April/May,
      crops
      hide
      things
      like
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      machinegun
      nest
      on
      the
      Somme
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Canadian
      students
      of
      the
      underground
     
     
      tunnel
      open
      to
      the
      public,
      Contiki
      or
     
     
      another
      large
      bus
      tour
      company
      is
      not
     
     
      going
      to
      be
      your
      best
      option.
     
    

    
     
      "Alright
      Mr.
      Disembodied-
     
     
      Cadre-contributing-guy,"
      you
      say,
      "so
     
     
      how
      DOI
      go
      about
      seeing
      all
      this
     
     
      stuff?
      What
      should
      I
      know?
      Where
     
     
      should
      I
      go?
      How
      do
      I
      do
      it?"
     
    

    
     
      You
      will
      need
      a
      pair
      of
      good
     
     
      boots,
      preferably
      waterproof
      (there
      are
     
     
      still
      pointy
      things
      sticking
      up
      in
      some
     
     
      places
      like
      rusty
      bayonets
      and
      barbed
     
     
      wire
      pickets),
      a
      tetanus
      shot
      would
      do
     
     
      you
      good
      (just
      in
      case),
      a
      waterproof
     
     
      shell
      (when
      it
      rains
      in
      northern
      France,
     
     
      you
      don't
      get
      much
      warning),
      and
      a
     
     
      camera
      (gotta
      get
      those
      memories!).
     
    

    
     
      First
      things
      first,
      do
      some
     
     
      research.
      I'm
      not
      saying
      that
      you
      have
     
     
      to
      become
      an
      expert
      on
      both
      world
     
     
      wars,
      but
      the
      more
      you
      know
      about
     
     
      them,
      the
      less
      that
      any
      tour
      guides
      you
     
     
      might
      meet
      are
      going
      to
      have
      to
      tell
     
     
      you
      as
      background,
      and
      the
      less
      back-
     
     
      ground
      they
      have
      to
      give
      you,
      the
      more
     
     
      stuff
      they
      can
      tell
      you
      that
      is
      REALLY
     
     
      interesting
      and
      relevant
      to
      what
      you're
     
     
      seeing.
      Also,
      try
      to
      make
      the
      war
      a
      lit-
     
     
      tle
      more
      personal
      to
      yourself.
      Talk
      to
      a
     
     
      veteran
      before
      you
      go
      and
      visit
      some
     
     
      of
      the
      places
      they
      talked
      about,
      ask
     
     
      them
      if
      there
      is
      anything
      that
      they
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      would
      like
      a
      photo
      of,
      or
      if
      they
      would
     
    
   
   
    
     
      like
      you
      to
      visit
      a
      friend
      that
      didn't
     
     
      come
      back.
      Find
      a
      relative
      of
      yours,
      a
     
     
      friend,
      or
      someone
      who
      went
      to
      your
     
     
      church,
      was
      from
      your
      town,
      etc.
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      visit
      their
      grave.
     
    

    
     
      Resting
      places
      are
      not
      hard
      to
     
     
      find.
      The
      agency
      that
      oversees
      the
     
     
      commemoration
      of
      Canada's
      war
      dead
     
     
      is
      the
      Commonwealth
      War
      Graves
     
     
      Commission.
      They
      care
      for
      the
      resting
     
     
      places
      of
      soldiers
      and
      nursing
      sisters
     
     
      from
      Britain,
      Canada,
      Australia,
      South
     
     
      Africa,
      New
      Zealand,
      India,
      Pakistan,
     
     
      the
      West
      Indies
      and
      all
      the
      other
      -
     
     
      colonies
      of
      the
      former
      British
      Empire,
     
     
      and
      also
      Polish,
      Dutch,
      Belgian,
     
     
      Russian,
      German,
      and
      soldiers
      from
     
     
      any
      other
      country
      who
      is
      buried
      in
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      Commonwealth
      cemeteries.
     
     
      Every
      soldier
      who
      lost
      their
      life
      serv-
     
     
      ing
      with
      Commonwealth
      forces
      is
     
     
      commemorated
      by
      name.
      Even
      if
      a
      sol-
     
     
      dier's
      body
      was
      never
      found,
      there
      is
      a
     
     
      memorial
      with
      his
      or
      her
      name
      on
      it
     
     
      somewhere.
      You
      can
      find
      out
      where
      by
     
     
      going
      to
      their
      website,
      www.cwgc.org
      .
     
     
      Type
      in
      the
      name,
      war,
      and
      any
      other
     
     
      information
      you
      have,
      and
      that
      sol-
     
     
      dier's
      record
      will
      pop
      up,
      along
      with
     
     
      the
      location
      of
      their
      burial
      or
      com-
     
     
      memoration,
      and
      directions
      on
      how
      to
     
     
      get
      there.
      You
      can
      even
      get
      road
      maps
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _with
      the
      locations
      of
      war
      cemeteries
     
    
   
   
    
     
      overlaid
      so
      that
      you
      can
      more
      easily
     
     
      find
      them.
     
    

    
     
      You
      have
      to
      plan
      your
      own
     
     
      trip.
      There
      is
      no
      company
      that
      is
      going
     
     
      to
      go
      to
      all
      the
      important
      places
      you
     
     
      want
      to
      or
      should
      see
      at
      a
      price
      you
     
     
      can
      afford.
      If
      you're
      Canadian,
      there
     
     
      are
      number
      of
      areas
      that
      are
      going
      to
     
     
      be
      of
      interest
      to
      you.
      For
      the
      First
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      World
      War,
      you
      might
      like
      to
      visit
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ypres
      Salient
      (in
      Belgium),
      the
      area
     
     
      around
      Vimy
      Ridge,
      and
      the
      Somme
     
     
      (both
      in
      France).
      There
      are
      a
      lot
      more
     
     
      Second
      World
      War
      sites
      to
      visit,
      most-
     
     
      ly
      because
      the
      fighting
      ranged
      over
      a
     
     
      much
      wider
      area,
      but
      Dieppe,
      the
     
     
      Normandy
      beaches,
      and
      the
      eastern
     
     
      Netherlands
      near
      Nijmegen
      and
     
     
      Arnhem
      are
      sites
      I
      visited
      and
      found
     
     
      them
      doable.
     
    

    
     
      First
      World
      War
      sites
      are
      a
      lot
     
     
      easier
      to
      visit
      without
      a
      car.
      The
     
     
      memorials,
      cemeteries,
      and
      points
      of
     
     
      interest
      are
      very
      close
      together
      and
     
     
      there
      are
      usually
      small
      companies
      like
     
     
      Salient
      Tours
      that
      offer
      short
      van
      tours
     
     
      of
      places
      like
      the
      Somme
      and
      the
     
     
      Ypres
      Salient
      for
      people
      on
      a
      budget
      or
     
     
      who
      don't
      have
      a
      car.
      Just
      for
      an
      exam-
     
     
      ple,
      Salient
      Tours
      offers
      daily
      van
      tours
     
     
      of
      the
      Ypres
      Salient,
      the
      Somme,
      and
     
     
      the
      Normandy
      beaches.
      They
      offer
     
     
      tours
      of
      different
      lengths
      and
      different
     
     
      prices
      starting
      at
      easy
      to
      reach
      loca-
     
     
      tions,
      you
      can
      pay
      in
      various
      curren-
     
     
      cies,
      at
      prices
      that
      vary
      between
      about
     
     
      20
      and
      45
      $CDN.
      Though
      the
      majority
     
     
      of
      sites
      they
      visit
      are
      British,
      they
      do
     
     
      make
      a
      point
      of
      stopping
      at
      some
     
     
      Canadian
      sites.
     
    

    
     
      For
      the
      Ypres
      Salient,
      go
      the
     
     
      town
      of
      Ieper
      (formally
      Ypres)
      in
     
     
      Belgium.
      The
      town
      is
      mostly
      Flemish,
     
     
      most
      of
      whom
      speak
      English,
      so
      if
     
     
      your
      French
      skills
      are
      a
      bit
      rusty,
      no
     
     
      problem.
      Here
      you'll
      want
      to
      see
      the
      In
     
     
      Flanders
      Fields
      Museum,
      buy
      some
     
     
      chocolate,
      sample
      the
      beer,
      take
      a
      bat-
     
     
      tlefield
      tour,
      hopefully
      seeing
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      memorials
      at
      St.
      Julien,
      Hill
     
     
      62,
      and
      Passchendaele.
      Be
      back
      in
     
     
      town
      for
      8
      pm,
      when
      the
      local
      fire
     
     
      department
      plays
      the
      last
      post
      under
     
     
      the
      Menin
      Gate,
      a
      Commonwealth
     
     
      memorial
      commemorating
      over
      54,000
     
     
      missing
      soldiers,
      6,940
      of
      whom
      were
     
     
      Canadians.
      This
      area
      was
      the
      scene
      of
     
     
      fighting
      from
      the
      beginning
      of
      the
      war
     
     
      almost
      to
      the
      end.
     
    

    
     
      s
      To
      visit
      the
      Somme,
      the
      best
      ©
     
     
      place
      to
      start
      is
      the
      French
      city
      of
     
     
      Albert,
      about
      an
      hour
      and
      a
      half
      north
     
     
      of
      Paris.
      The
      Somme
      was
      where
      the
     
     
      British
      forces
      suffered
      very
      heavy
      loss-