After a good night’s rest we were up and at it for our final day in this region. We thought we might spend some time in Lille to explore this lovely city in the North of France.

Before we headed off to Lille, I wanted to return to The Vimy Memorial. When we got back from our visit yesterday, there were clearly things that we had missed. Neither of us realized that when you walk up the grand approach to this memorial, you are actually approaching it from the back. Today we had time for a brief revisit and truly see the front of the monument it was meant to be seen. I also took my telephoto lens so that I could capture the sculptures at the top of the memorial. There is just so much symbolism poured into this that I had to capture it all.

First the elevated statues on the back side of the monument. (As you approach from the car park)

We then explored the front of the monument.

On each side of the front steps are the defenders.

Facing the front on your left corner is The Breaking of the Sword . The sword symbolizes sacrifice and is being broken to end its connection with death. The two figure standing together suggest that Canada and France will work together in a new post-war world.

On the opposite corner we find Sympathy of the Canadians for the Helpless This symbolizes Canadians’ compassion, strength, protection and assistance to vulnerable people in times of conflict. Above each group are cannons, now silent and covered in laurel and olive branches, representing victory and peace.

Standing atop the pillars some 100 plus feet high are figures representing the universal values for which soldiers fought and died. The Pillars, one with the maple leaves and the other with the Fleur-de-lys of France symbolize the sacrifices of both countries.

And here is the north column’s figures that face the front.

This photo shows Canada Bereft once again as she looks down on the tomb. The statue itself is approx 20’ tall. Almost 4 times life size. (Yes, I barely come up to her knee!)

We then headed over to the visitors centre once again for a quick stop.

Dan and I could have stayed here another full day. Just walking the immense grounds and absorbing the history that took place here filled us both with sorrow and deep pride in our country.

We finally hit the road for Lille, only a short 45 minute drive away. Today was a big market day in Lille. Unlike other places in France where Saturday is the big market day, here in Lille the city centre is buzzing with activity on Sunday!

We parked the car and headed off to the Marche de Wazemmmes. We had almost 2 km to walk to find it, but when we got close, the streets a were buzzing and people were coming at us loaded down with goodies. They sold EVERYTHING there! And the crowds were intense!

From there we tucked into a little cafe for a quick lunch and then headed off to the Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille. This museum is said to have one of the largest and richest art collections in France. When we got there and went to buy our tickets, we were told that the galleries housing collection from 1600 to 2000 were closed for renovations, but we could visit the sculptures for free.

Having had a nice taste of what the museum had to offer we headed back to our car, enjoying the buildings and scenery over the 1.2 km walk. Across from the gallery we saw the Place de la Republique, and beyond this the Prefecture du Nord

On our way back home we decided to get the car fully charged for our trip tomorrow. We are off to Waterloo for a couple of days. Perhaps explore the famous battlefield and maybe take a day trip into Brussels. Hope you stay tuned. Until then.