February | 2015 | MidLife Traveller

Monthly Archives: February 2015

February 8, 2015 · 10:48 am

Woohoo a haircut in France!!

21st July 2013

Well you learn something new every day, and today I learnt that getting foils in France is different to getting foils in Australia. For those of you not familiar with what some of us go through in the name of trying to look a little decent, “foils” is a term for having small pieces of hair coloured to add highlights/lowlights to your crowning glory. Mostly I have it done to blend/cover all my grey hair!! Anyhow, among other things today I had my hair cut and coloured at a very upmarket salon in Arras, it cost me a fortune but it’s been the only place since arriving in France that could fit me in on the same day; and my last hair cut was almost 5 months ago, shock horror!

Arras, France

So, with my improving French and some actions I was all caped up and off we went. Back to the difference in technique for foiling, in Australia the little sections of coloured hair are wrapped in alfoil but here they just lay big strips of cotton wool between the sections. Not terribly earth shattering news I know, but I was sort of intrigued because cotton wool seems so old-school and France is always looked up to as very fashion forward. Granted this wasn’t Paris but it’s not the back blocks either. Anyhow, I had a lovely couple of hours feeling pampered and left there feeling more like my normal self that I had for quite a while. Sometimes I find it hard to believe I’ve been without a hairdryer or straightener for almost 4 months now, and other times when I look in a mirror I’m horrified that I’m doing it – but, sad to say, what the hair looks like can’t be high on the priority list for the duration of this trip.

Place des Heros, Arras, France

One of the frustrations on international travel is still phone costs and internet access, most people I’ve spoken to while travelling say free wi-fi is very high on the wish list when booking accommodation and I’ve got to agree with them. I have a sim card for my phone that allows people at home to call me for the cost of a standard Australian call, it cost just $7 a month and I get reasonable call rates all over Europe. Data is not a real bargain but it’s not hugely expensive, however it seems to be pretty hit and miss for overage. I bought a Vodafone sim in England for my ipad but have been relying on wi-fi since coming across to France though I’m finding it more difficult since leaving Paris. Who’d have thought just buying a new sim card could be such fun! Took me 4 shops to find one that had the right size for my ipad mini but the young guy there was an absolute joy. Not sure if he’d have been so helpful to a French speaking person, I think he was extra helpful so he could practice his English. Mind you, I din’t mind in the slightest, it’s difficult to always be wracking my brain during even the simplest exchanges, let alone things out of the ordinary – still wouldn’t miss it for quids though!

I really loved exploring this little town, but my favourite spot had to be the cafes around the Place des Héros, I spent hours there sipping a coffee or wine watching the world go by or having a go at sketching the gorgeous facades. A lovely place to wind down after the hustle and bustle of Paris.

Museum in Arras

Hose & buggy ride in the square

Town Hall, Arras, France

Tower of the Town Hall, Arras, France

Amiens and the World War 1 Battlefields

20th July 2013

Amiens Cathederal, France

Visiting the WW1 battlefields and memorials was the reason for heading to this region, but trying to book a day tour on reasonably short notice wasn’t exactly easy. I could advise the arrogant man in the tourist office in Paris it was more difficult than booking an ascent of the Eiffel Tower! I also thought the tours were rather expensive but ended up booking a day with True Blue Digger Tours leaving from Amiens.

Of course I arrived way too early, as usual, although that meant I wasn’t worried about missing the bus. I was a tad disappointed when the mini bus arrived to find I was the only passenger for the day, half the enjoyment for me of a bus tour at the moment is the company of the other passengers. Well, at least I had no fear of not being able to see everything, I was up the front with Barbara, the lovely owner of True Blue Digger Tours.

We started with a visit to the cathedral of Amiens, it’s a lovely building – as cathedrals go – built during the 13th century. As a lot of cathedrals do, this one reminds me of the Notre Dame in Paris, maybe it’s the big rose window or the square towers – but apparently, this one is the tallest completed cathedral in France. It has some lovely stained glass windows, a multitude of statues and as usual it’s totally mind-blowing to think it was built during the 13th century. Thee are quite a few plaques dedicated to the Australian, New Zealand and other nationalities of soldiers who defended the town and surrounding areas during the Great War. While the cathedral was lovely I was more interested in heading out to the WW! battlefields so was happy to move on after just a short while.

Adelaide Cemetery, Villers-Bretonneux, France

“On 24 April 1918 the Germans seized Villers-Bretonneux. That night, Australian soldiers counter-attacked to the north and south of the town and encircled it, and by the evening of 25 April – Anzac Day – the enemy had been driven out.” Australian Rememberance Trail

First stop was Adelaide Cemetery just outside Villers-Bretonneux. With Barbara’s help I found the grave of my Mum’s uncle, William Milward, who died on the battlefields in April 1918 and is buried here. The cemetery is set on the side of one of the roads leading into the town, behind a few trees and surrounded by paddocks of wheat, a lovely quiet peaceful setting. I took a few pics, sat and had a chat to an uncle I was too young to ever know and told him I’d be back with a little wooden cross, a poppy and a message later in the day.

On to Villers Bretonneux and the Victoria School where I was fighting back tears all the way through, it’s just so sad to think of all the lives lost and the horrors people endure during wars. Before we left I bought 3 little wooden crosses with paper poppy attached to leave at a few special graves.

From the tower of the Australian Memorial outside Villers-Bretonneux, France

“The setting is now one of tranquil peace. It is impossible for those who did not serve to imagine that the carnage here was great and the conflict terrible.” [From speech by Sir Earle Page, Australian Government official representative at the unveiling of the Australian National Memorial in France, 22 July 1938.]

The quote above is very apt to describe the Australian National Memorial on the other side of Villers Bretonneux. Again we searched the records kept at the memorial to find the names of another two soldiers who didn’t leave France in 1918. I wrote little messages on the crosses,left them as near as I could to their names and took a few photos for people at home who had asked me to look up their relatives.

Poppies among the wheat fields

Everything about these visits was so very informative, Barbara has an absolute encyclopedic knowledge of everything connected to World War 1 and the Australian’s involvement. On the other hand the avalanche of emotion was harrowing; I was drained by lunch-time.

After a great lunch at a local café we continued visiting cemeteries and memorials; a large new Australian one, The Australian Corps Memorial Park at le Hamel, in the middle of wheat fields that I hadn’t heard about, the Windmill on Pozières ridge, Mouquet Farm, old trenches within the Newfoundland Memorial Park, and the Lochinvar crater,

I hate to say it, but without other people to mix it up a bit, I was quite happy to head back to Amiens for a wander around another lovely French town, a little window shopping and an afternoon wine before heading back to Arras.