After the caves of Arras, we moved on to Vimy, a crowning achievement for Canada. It was cold and rainy, which only added to the austerity and starkness of the monument. Before the monument are of course the many hills and craters of the bombing and shelling - areas that are still off limits for the reason that unexploded bombs may still exist - except for the sheep - who are allowed to roam freely.
I was prepared to be impressed but I was overwhelmed by the simplicity and power of the structure. It is truly something to behold - with its twin towers - symbolizing France and Canada standing together - and with its numerous statues - including that of Canada, standing alone in its sorrow. And of course, the statue of peace, at the top, reaching for the sky.
The towering monument is humbling. In an attempt to relate to the pride and sacrifice of the many men who gave their lives in the War, including the 10,285 who were missing in action and never found - and whose names are engraved on the monument - we found our own names - Fitzpatrick and Owens. As if some distant relationship could bridge the distance between us. But it doesn't really matter, because our love of Canada is common to us - and if nothing else comes of it - it is pride of being a Canadian.
We also visited the Canadian Cemetery No. 2 on the Vimy grounds - one of many - below are pictures of Conor and Ben - young men who are much older than many of the men buried in this cemetery - and who gave their lives so that they could have a better one.
