THE NORMANDY & WESTERN FRONT SERIES REFLECTION POST
FRANCE & BELGIUM
The Normandy & Western Front series reflection post. Currently, I am at home writing up the last few days of my diary, and I wouldn’t change a thing. However, if you take me back to a week before I was due to fly out, I would be lying if I said I didn’t have concerns about the length of this trip. With 18 nights, 14 hotels, a 2-hour detour, numerous in-car sandwiches and cups of tea, 3000 km, and countless museums and memorials, it was fair to say it was going to take its toll.
I have been all over France and yet to see where all those rude french people are
Towards the end, I was looking forward to chilling out. Yet, with what I learned and gained from the trip, I wouldn’t have changed any of it. Additionally, I cherished the quality time with the two rents.
WHERE IS BELGIUM?
Belgium
FRENCH PEOPLE
Let’s be honest here, French people do not have the best reputation. All around the world, people know them as an unfriendly, arrogant bunch. However, in reality, the truth was far from this perception. You get the odd one (the worst actually being Belgian on our trip), but I found nearly all of them hospitable and friendly, even though I couldn’t speak a word of English. This was also true during both of my other trips in the southern regions.
Another misconception was about the roads and drivers. The roads around France were some of the best I have driven on. Although they might cost a fortune and the toll machines aren’t the easiest thing to figure out, it’s well worth it when you nearly have them all to yourself.
The Normandy & Western Front series reflection post
CEMETERIES
One thing that will always stay with me is the number of cemeteries we passed. We made an effort to stop at as many as possible to pay our respects, but it actually became too much. Cemeteries appeared every few kilometers or less, especially in areas where major battles took place, such as the Somme or Normandy. Even worse, they never found or buried the majority of soldiers. Heartbreaking!
The Normandy & Western Front series reflection post
TRIP STATS….
- Days – 19
- Countries – 2
- New Countries – 0
- Revisits – 2
- Flights – 2
- Steps – 252,727
- Kilometers Travelled – 3,000 kilometers
HARD TO COMPREHEND
As I’ve said, it wasn’t the most relaxing of trips; in fact, it was probably one of my most intense ones. Nevertheless, it wasn’t about relaxation; it was about learning, being thankful, and paying our respects. I will never fully comprehend the number of lives that were lost; it’s just numbers, especially when you get to the millions and millions. However, a penny dropped in two places: when I visited Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium and when I walked around the Ring of Remembrance.
Lijssenthoek has 10,000 graves, which, although hard to visualize, was half of the number killed in the Somme during only the first few hours. Imagining each of those headstones as a dead body really gave me an idea of the devastation, and that’s not even considering the friends and family affected. It made me start thinking deeply about that.
The Normandy & Western Front series reflection post
RELATED READ: ICE CAVING IN ICELAND
A LIFE LESSON
There are 600,000 names engraved into the Ring of Remembrance; again, a figure so big you can’t imagine. However, focusing on how small one name is compared to the size of the memorial helps put it into perspective. If you were to say every name without taking a break, it would take you over a week. Now, consider 10 of these, and you have the number of Jewish people killed by the Nazis. Then, multiply that by 10, and you now have the number of people killed during both World Wars! It was a great life lesson for us, but one that didn’t need to happen.
RATINGS….
- PEOPLE – 8/10, warm, polite, helpful and generous
- BACKPACKING – 4/10 Not cheap or possible without a car and limited accommodation
- WEATHER – 7/10 Not always warm but generally dry
- THINGS TO DO – 9/10 Heaps!
- FOOD – 7/10 – Credit to mum for choosing the restos
- VALUE – 7/10 Dear but worth every penny
- PHOTOGRAPHY – 7/10
- GETTING ABOUT 4/10 You will need a car!
- HISTORY – 9.5//10 unbeatable
The Normandy & Western Front series reflection post
SUMMED UP….
- HIGHLIGHT – Being able to pay our respects and now being more appreciative of the sacrifices made.
- LOWLIGHT – The lady at the hotel but also zero free time or work
- MVP – Hotel receptionist in Kuwait
- LVP – The person who started the Coronavirus
- BIGGEST CHALLENGE – Finding lunch!
- BEST SURPRISE – The Australian memorial
- VISIT AGAIN – Yes, I’d visit the Somme region and get a guide
- RATING – 8.5/10
FINAL THOUGHTS
I have always been thankful, but this trip has undoubtedly changed me. Whenever I read or watch something about the war, or when VE or Remembrance Day comes around, I will look back at what these people have done for us with much more appreciation and gratitude than before. I now take these days more seriously and am more intentional about my thoughts.
Lest we forget.
NEXT UP
Who knows!
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
152/229
This post was part of The Normandy & Western Front Series. For episode 1 click here or to see the entire series click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
Question Time
- Would you like to do this trip?
Are you interested in war history?
Which places would most interest you?
Let me know in the comments below . . .
