Villers-Bretonneux

Snapshot
Where - Normandy Region of France
Weather - mixture, some showers, some sun

Leaving Belgium we headed to France and have spent the next few days in Brad's element - visiting the area where significant war time battles were held. It is not really high on my list of interests but I must admit I have a greater understanding of what happened here during WWII.

Before we went to Normandy, we drove to Villers Bretonneux - a village in northern France that was totally devastated during WWI - and has special ties to Australia because Australian soldiers stopped a counter attack by the Germans (with significant loss of life.) Apparently, most of the soldiers came from Victoria and when the returned they asked all the schoolchildren to donate a penny to go towards rebuilding the school in Villers Bretonneux. They raised around £12,000 (a lot of money back then) and to this day the school is called The Victoria School and the sign above the school says " Never Forget Australia". There is a Franco-Australian Museum in the town (where the school is ) and just outside the town is the war memorial located on the site where the battle was fought. It is hard to believe that 100 years ago (next year, coincidentally on 25th April), the surrounding land was battle scarred when to look at it today it is peaceful farmland.

We are staying for 3 nights in a little old fisherman's cottage in the town of Ouisterham (pronounced Wee Strum). We have the place to ourselves which is good for a change, even if it is a rather odd little place on three levels with narrow spiral stairs to the 2nd level and a kind of step ladder stair to the bedroom. Very quirky but it was fine for exploring the Normandy area.Read more