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Vimy Ridge

As usual I am behind on my blogging. Have to make a better effort of blogging on a regular basis. I still haven't finished my entries from the Thailand trip and now I have gone off again.

I just got back yesterday from Lille, France where I was honored enough to be part of the Canadian contingent for the 90th Anniversary ceremonies of the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the re-dedication of the monument there. It was a last minute thing as both Regular Forces Air Force bands were participating but were down personel. They put a call into my reserve band (the only Air Force reserve band in Canada) and 6 of us went along.

I took two weeks of vacation to partake. We left to go to Trenton, Ontario on 28 March for a few days of practice with the two bands and the pipe band. On Sunday, April 1st we flew by Canadian Forces Airbus to Lille, France and settled into a hotel next to the airport for the next two weeks. After a day free to aclimatize and explore Lille we started a weeks worth of rehearsals culminating in a military funeral to interre a WWI soldiers whose remains had recently been found and identified, a Sunset Ceremony at the monumnet on Saturday night, a Freedom of the City parade through the streets of Arras on Sunday and the main ceremonies on Easter Monday, April 9th.

Vimy Sunset Ceremony



438 ETAH Band members at Vimy

After that we had the rest of the week off and Tessa and I went to Paris by TGV on Tuesday Afternoon. We spent two nights there exploring as much as we could then came back to Lille on Thursday afternoon. On Friday we made a quick day trip to Bruges, Belgium with a group of others. On Saturday we lazed about, did a bit shopping, packed a bit then went into Lille for one last mussel feast at Aux Moules.

Weather could not have been better. There was sunshine throughout and it got gradually warmer as the days progressed. By Saturday it was up to 26c in Lille and we sitting on a terrace in the afternoon wearing shorts and sipping beer.

It was an incredible experience, one I would not trade. We worked hard but we were treated well. Many anecdotes but have no idea when I will get those out knowing my procrastination with this blog. Also took lots of photos. Have to sort through those, I haven't even finished up my Thailand photos yet.

Posted by chezbasson at April 16, 2007 11:58 AM