From the owner: A la lumière de la Baie Récemment restaurés, les quais de la cité valéricaine permettent une longue…read moreet magnifique promenade le long de la Baie de Somme. Classée parmi les plus belles du monde elle est si attachante aux yeux des peintres et des photographes. La vue est changeante, un nouveau kaléidoscope de couleurs et de lumières se succèdent chaque jour. Sur le chemin, on rencontre le port de plaisance qui s'étale vers l'entrée de la ville.

From the owner: Les grands hommes de Calais Récemment restauré, ce bronze, commandé par la ville en 1885 à…read morel'artiste Auguste Rodin, rend hommage au courage des six notables calaisiens qui se dévouèrent pour livrer les clés de la cité assiégée par les Anglais en 1347. Depuis peu, le Musée des Beaux Arts propose des visites autour de cette oeuvre ainsi que de sa restauration.

In an early proof that technology trumps numbers, the longbows of Edward III routed Philip VI's…read moremuch larger force of crossbowmen and cavalry on this hillside in the late afternoon of August 26, 1346. The English victory, early in the Hundred Years War, has been celebrated ever since as one of the great military engagements of all time. With Poitiers, it marked the high point of English supremacy over their French lands. It also introduced the Black Prince, who commanded the English center and took the brunt of the French attack. Today, there is an observation deck on the right of the Wadicourt Road (D11), just north of Crécy itself, from which you can view the battlefield. You can also drive out on farmer's tracks across the French line of advance. The site requires some imagination (and perhaps a little Googling beforehand), since nothing much remains from that distant afternoon of savagery, except for a peaceful breeze rustling through the cornfields.

I didn't know about Canadian National Vimy Memorial until this visit. My bad. Canada lost many…read morelives in Vimy, on this site, in World War One. The memorial is beautiful. The various statues symbolize our emotions. The guided tour is the best part of the visit. It includes a short section of a tunnel dug during the war. Our guide explained how the war in Vimy was like, and the conditions the soldiers had to endure above and below ground: Cold and muddy; digging the tunnel by hand then hand carrying the rocks in bags for whatever long distance to get out of the tunnel and bury the bags in mud; mines blowing up just past the trench; hearing the noises of war. As she talked, I felt creeps running down my back. I wouldn't have last a week here, let alone the 3 months the soldiers endured during their rotation. Many Canadians died or suffered here to defend an ideal, to defend freedom. I feel grateful for the freedom and comfort we have nowadays. I have immerse respect for Canadian veterans and soldiers. Please pay a visit when you are near. It is only 1.5 hour drive from Brussels.