WWI and WWII Battlefields Adventure: Day 04, Part 3

After Juno Beach we made our way to Gold.  There we would have some time to look around the village and grab a quick lunch.  In stark contrast to Juno, Gold Beach is built up with the D-Day Museum and with the village of Arromanches-les-Bains around it. There were signs, flags, military vehicles and posters indicating the regions’ past, but thankfully the scars of the war have longed been removed.  Looking very much like a seaside resort town, shops adorn the streets with little souvenir, clothing and other retail stores to entice any tourist visiting the area. But as abundant as these shops may be, there were many more little cafés with an assortment of foods for anyone to indulge one’s pallets.  

Our immediate need was to find a place to get something to eat.  With an abundant selection of little cafés, the choice was a difficult one.  A couple of my fellow travellers and I settled on a little take out cafe.  You might think it would be a simple meal, but the food was filled with flavour and the bread did not disappoint.   So far every food experience in France was living up to my expectations.

With lunch and dessert taken care of, I took in the area as I walked along the stone walkways along the beach.   A rather picturesque area, I did notice a couple of Mulberry Harbours’ pillars still in the water offshore.  

Mulberry harbours were temporary portable harbours developed in WWII.  They were designed to expedite  the rapid deployment of troops, equipment and supplies onto the beaches of Normandy during the D-day invasion.  These harbours were prefabricated harbours towed across the English Channel and placed offshore at Saint-Laurent, Mulberry “A” (Omaha) and Arromanches Mulberry “B” (Gold).  This ingenious  system of floating roadways/bridges allowed the rapid unloading of transport ships with easy deployment of equipment to the front lines. 

After the Dieppe raid, the allies knew that they needed a deep water harbour to help speed up the deployment of men and equipment to the front.  Such ports are few along the French coast, therefore these locations would be heavily defended by the Germans.  Furthermore, if such a harbour was about to fall into the Allies’ hands, the Germans would no doubt destroy or heavily damage the harbours to prevent there use by the allied forces, thereby limiting the amount of reinforcements and supplies to the landing troops.  The Mulberries solved many of the Allies needs.   

From https://cdn.britannica.com/90/47990-004-CBCDB794/side-view-Plan-Mulberry-B-Arromanches-France.jpg

The Mulberry “A” harbour at Omaha was damaged on June 19, 1944 after a violent storm pummelled it before the sections were secured into place.  After three days the storm let up and the Americans found that the harbour was so severely damaged that they had to abandon it and land troops and materials onto the open beaches. Conversely, Mulberry “B” harbour at Gold beach was used for over 10 months after the invasion of D-day.  Over 2.5 million men, 500,000 vehicles and 4 tonnes of supplies went through the harbour before it was decommissioned.   

Our stay in Gold Beach was short and but enjoyable.   Our next destination would take us to a place I have seen in movies and read about in countless books, then to a rather uncelebrated part of the D-day landing many people are not too familiar with.  

WWI and WWII Battlefields Adventure: Day 04, Part 2

After the museum we went on the coach for our trip to the beaches.  However, on our way we would be making a stop at the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery.  It is 15 kilometres (km) north west of Caen and on the north side of the main road, 1 km east of Reviers. 

Many of the Canadians buried here are from the 3rd Canadian Division that landed at Juno beach, and the subsequent Battle of Normandy, the days and months after the D-day landings of June 6th, 1944.  During the early days of the invasion, the Canadians advanced towards Caen where they met fierce resistance from the German battle group; formed by the 715th division and the 21st Panzar Division.  

I learned that the cemetery was designed by P.D. Hepworth.  It contains 2,028 burials from WWII, mostly Canadians from the D-day invasions; 19 of them unidentified.  

It was a sunny morning when we arrived at the cemetery with only a few wisps of clouds over head.   We are greeted by the Canadian flag waving above the main entrance, but also a flag painted on the parking lot pavement.  Once I made my way into the cemetery I was overwhelmed by the simplicity of the layout and the tranquillity of the place.  I have seen Canadian war cemeteries on TV and the internet, but there is nothing like walking in one for yourself. 

As I walked along the graves, I stopped occasionally to read the names on the tombstones.  You see their names, which brigade they were from and the date they passed away.  But the most powerful statement was the age of these brave Canadians.  Many of them were between 19 to 21, yet one was 18 years old.  

I continued to walk around the graves and I constantly reflected on the names and  their ages.  My thoughts went back to when I was 18 or 19 and to what I was doing.   I was a typical adolescent, yes I did my service but I was probably driving around with my friends, dancing with girls and playing music; basically enjoying life.  However, these amazing Canadians enlisted about two years before the D-day landings (probably lying about their age) and came to Europe because their country needed them.  That level of responsibility and dedication astounds me.  Maybe because I see how people are acting today, and I wonder if we as a society have lost that dedication to our country or at worst, become complacent about the freedoms we enjoy today.  A somber reminder to not take our freedoms for granted.  

After the cemetery we made our way to the coast of Normandy for our first beach, Juno.   Juno Beach is the landing zone for the Canadian 3rd Division in-between the British landing zones of Sword and Gold.  Our tour guide mentioned a couple of interesting facts about the naming of the beaches.  The two American landing zones were named by General Bradley, probably after the U.S. states of Omaha and Utah, but the British and Canadian zones were named by General Montgomery after fish.  The British zones were Goldfish and Swordfish and the Canadian zone was supposed to be Jellyfish.  However, because of the nature of the invasion and the expected loss of life, they thought that calling the zone Jelly may appear inappropriate.  Churchill reminded his staff to not use inappropriate names for operations that may have a large number of casualties attached to them.  

D-Day Map Canadian and British Sectors

Therefore, the Canadian Wing commander Dawn came with a counter proposal; he offered the name Juno instead of Jelly.  Juno being his wife’s first name.  After verifying it with the cipher services, the code name was accepted.  Amazing, Juno Beach was almost called Jelly Beach.  

As a student of history, the D-Day landings have always held a special place for me.  So much so, that I began researching the different units that took part.   My research continued to the point where I started collecting the regimental badges of the 3rd Canadian Division.  Out of the 14 regiments that landed on D-day, I have ten.  Below you can see each regiment’s logo/cap badge.  

We drove to the town of Courseulles-sur-Mer where the Juno Beach Centre is, but that was not our destination. We would be going right to the beach itself.   When we arrived I was very excited.  I literally jumped off the coach to see the place.  It has been a dream of mine since high school to come visit Juno Beach and finally here I am.  

I made my way to the beach, taking pictures along the way.  As I stood there on the sand, I took a moment to reflect back to the veteran accounts of the battle I read.  I stood at the waters edge looking inland and wondered; how could they have done it. Explosions all around you, bullets wizzing past and the constant noise of battle.  How could they have summoned up the courage to move forward.  But they did, and by the end of the first 24hrs of the invasion, the Canadians were the closest to achieving their first 24hr objectives than any other nation.  

The tour guide mentioned another interesting fact to us on the coach ride.  Canadians are allowed to keep a hand full of sand from Juno beach to take back to Canada.  However, Americans are not allowed to bring back sand from Omaha or Utah beach.  I’m not sure why, but I took the opportunity to collect a handful of sand in a ziplock bag, thanks to a fellow Canadian traveller.  I knelt down on the beach and gathered up some sand.  Once I sealed the bag I took a moment to look around and take in everything around me.  The sights, the smells.  I stood and made my way across the beach, looking and listening to everything around me, occasionally imagining and remembering the accounts I read about from the battle.

After taking in all I could, I made my way back to the Juno Beach Centre.  Before I left the beach area I paused and turned around to take another look.  With a grateful sigh I turned and continued to the centre to take a quick look and maybe grab a souvenir or two.  

Today we have been to the Mémorial de Caen, the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery and now Juno Beach.  Already the day was a roller coaster full of emotions; from empathy and grief to pride and excitement.  However, this was only the morning itinerary; this afternoon we will be visiting Gold and Omaha beach, with a visit to a rarely understood or mentioned chapter of the D-day Invasion.  

WWI and WWII Battlefields Adventure: Day 04, Part 1

We had an early start to our day in Normandy, and our first stop would be the Mémorial de Caen. The Mémorial de Caen is a war museum and memorial in the city of Caen, dedicated to the history of warfare from the early twentieth century, including the cold war.  But of course they have an extensive exhibit covering the D-Day Landings and the subsequent battle of Normandy.  

I have been to many museums and they all seem to be built on the basis of trying to inform and educate.  The main difference is usually the way in which they go about doing it or would have a special angle from which to present the information.  Here they would cover the war through the lens of the German occupation of France and life under the Nazis.  Many examples of propaganda from both sides were shown; from print media to cartoons in cinemas.  Each demonstrated a unique way of getting their point across.  Other areas included the contribution by the French resistance and the holocaust in France.

British rifle found in the English Channel since D-day

D-Day and the Battle for Normandy is extensively covered with large displays, movies and artifacts.  One particular artifact was of a British rifle found in the English Channel just off shore from the beaches.  Left there since the time of the invasion, you can see the growth of sea life around the weapon built up over the decades.  A great example of how nature takes man’s creation and adapts it to serve a purpose in the natural world.  

Originally set for June 5th 1944, the D-Day landings were postponed due to bad weather conditions.  But in the pre-dawn hours of June 6th, air units filled with paratroopers and gliders, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion included, took off from their bases.  The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division along side the British 3rd, 50th and the U.S. 1st, 4th and 29th Infantry divisions, made their way to the Normandy Coast. 

The fate of the free world would hang in the balance.  We know now that the battle was victorious for the Allies but on that fateful day, nothing was certain.  No one, not even Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme Allied commander knew which way the battle would go.  Even after he gave the order for the invasion, he quickly wrote a note incase the invasion failed.  In it he praised the men under his command and any fault or failure with this endeavour, in his words, ’is mine alone’. 

Over 150,000 troops landed or parachuted into France during the D-day invasion, about 14,000 of them were Canadians at Juno Beach.  But that was not all of Canada’s contribution that day.  The Royal Canadian Navy had some 110 ships with over 10,000 sailors, as well the Royal Canadian Airforce (RCAF) contributed 15 fighter and fight-bomber squadrons to the assault. 

At the end of the first day there were over 10,000 Allied casualties; 1,074 Canadians, 359 were killed in action.  By the end of the Battle of Normandy, the Allies suffered over 209,000 casualties; 18,700 Canadians, and more than 5,000 dead.  

After a quick trip to the gift shop, our time to the Mémorial de Caen was coming to an end; but our day’s adventure had only begun.  Our next stop would put us face to face with the true cost of that day.  

WWI and WWII Battlefields Adventure: Day 03

Today we would be saying goodbye to England and making our way to Normandy, France.  Leaving London was bittersweet as I found it comfortable and familiar walking around the streets.  Going to France is a new experience but an exciting one.  

Our coach trip through the English countryside was picturesque and reminded me of  the country side on the east coast of Canada or rural Ontario.  Large fields of farm land with the occasional group of trees springing up here and there.  During this journey to Portsmouth, our tour guide talked about how the British and Canadian troops left from this port for their journey to the Normandy beaches.  

I took a moment to imagine how I would feel making my way towards the coast, knowing I’d be going into combat.  For four long years Canadian soldiers were in England preparing, training for the moment they would cross the channel and liberate Europe.  They probably heard the stories of raids and other attacks on the coast in the past years, most notably the Dieppe raid of 1942, fresh in their minds. 

The Dieppe Raid, code named “Operation Jubilee”, saw 5000 Canadians participate on a raid at Dieppe, but it was repelled by the German forces. The Canadian casualties numbered over 3,350, 916 of them lost their lives, and approximately 1,950 were taken prisoner.   At the time everyone thought this was a failed invasion attempt and a colossal and costly waste of precious lives and equipment.  However, after years of research and a host of declassified documents, “Operation Jubilee” was actually part of an operation/raid to capture a top secret Enigma code machine, the accompanying code books, as well as gather information on German defences and radar technology.  Those brave soldiers laid the ground work for the invasion of Europe on D-day. 

Back on the coach, our conversations drifted from one topic to another but the big story of the day was the Women’s World Cup final game between Spain and England.  I have been an England supporter since I was little and I was interested on what was happening with the game, as were a few others.  Of course when we arrived at the ferry terminal, the game was on every screen.  It seemed like the entire country had  stopped and everyone was glued to the screens hoping the England team would raise the cup.  Unfortunately Spain was winning 1-0 with only a few minutes left to play.  Once the final whistle blew, everyone gave a sad little sigh and the terminal went back to the normal hustle and bustle.  

The seaport of Portsmouth is still an active Royal Navy port, and I was  hoping to see a few naval vessels mored here.  We had a rare treat of going onto the ferry first with the coach, then we were able to go up to the observation deck to take in the full view of the area.

As fortune would have it, there were a few Royal Navy ships in port today.  Several support ships, frigates and the new British Aegis (Type 45 destroyers).  The type 45 destroyers, also known as the D or Daring class, were mored near the ferry.  As the ferry moved out of the port an amazing site came into view.  Not one but both Royal Navy aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales were mored nearby.  Smaller than their American counterparts they were no less impressive.  With a large flat deck for aircraft to land and take off, the ships sport a unique two island configuration.  

The crossing to France was enjoyable with beautiful blue skies and calm seas.  A contrast to what the Canadians probably experienced on their crossing back in 1944.  My thoughts went back to those Canadians making their way to Normandy that fateful day.  The seas were rougher and the thought of going into combat all to present on their minds.  I often wonder how I would have faired under those conditions.  You have been training for 3+ years knowing you will eventually face the enemy, but now you are traveling to Europe.  Not on a pleasure tour like I am, but to fight and kill the enemy.  What were their hopes, their dreams for the future?  Were they different than mine?  My thoughts kept going back and forth on this subject as I watched ships pass by.   Fortunately we would be landing near Sword beach under more pleasant circumstances.  I came back to the present and joined my fellow tour companions on the lower decks for a drink or two.  

As I enjoyed some pleasant conversations, dinner time quickly came upon us and we had reservations at the ship’s restaurant.  I was looking forward to sampling some  French cuisine and I was not disappointed.  

We started at the antipasto buffet; they had pickled peppers stuffed with ricotta, different charcuterie boards with a variety of meats, several different salads, one made of oats, vegetables and olives as well as a variety of French cheeses.  As we ate our appetizer, the servers came around with wine and took our main course orders.  I tried using my limited French with the servers and I think I would have made my French speaking friends proud.  I guess I must have picked up something in those French immersion classes I taught.  

There were no bad choices on the menu and settled for the beef skewers.  When the main courses arrived, they all looked like pieces of art and it was almost a shame to eat them.  Mine tasted delicious as did everyone else’s meal at my table.  However, after such a delicious meal you had to have room for dessert.  As with the antipasto buffet, we were treated with a dessert buffet; crepes, macaroons, apple and lemon pies and a host of different fruits and sweets.   I can speak for almost everyone there that it was a wonderful introduction to French food.  A sign on what we would be treated too for the next few days.  

Crossing the English Channel at Sunset.

The rest of our trip across the English Channel was uneventful except for a wonderful sunset of yellow, orange, red and blue.  We landed at the ferry docks beside Sword beach late, and after going through customs we made our way to the hotel.  Even though the day was filled with traveling on a coach and ship many of us were exhausted.  We all needed our strength for tomorrow as we would be going into Caen and later, to the Normandy beaches.  

Crossing the English Channel at Sunset.

WWI and WWII Battlefields Adventure: Day 02: Part 2

With the morning filled with trips to Buckingham palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral, our afternoon would be focusing on a trip to the Imperial War Museum.  However, we would be stopping at Covent Gardens for a quick lunch and a look through the market place.  For some reason, I was drawn to one particular café; there was something in the name that caught my eye.  

After a relaxing lunch with my fellow companions we made our way through the market on our way to the coach.  It was very similar to a flea market or other artisan markets in Canada.  The people were friendly and there were a few items that tempted me, but I thought better of it.  Once on the coach it was a quick drive through London and over the famous Tower Bridge to our destination.  

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The Imperial War Museum (IWM) was founded during the First World War (WWI) to try to speak about the extraordinary experiences of ordinary people during times of conflict.  There were many exhibits from WWI, WWII as will as more modern conflicts , but the one object that caught my eye was an actual V-2 rocket they had on display. The V-2 rockets were the first ballistic missiles used in warfare.  Captured in 1945 it was brought to England from Germany and put on display at the Royal Aircraft establishment in Farnborough; it was later transferred in 1946 to the IWM.  

After two years of testing and development, the first attack by a V-2 rocket was on September 2 where two rockets were launched on Paris.  In the next few months about 3,172 V-2 rockets were launched at the following targets.  

Belgium, 1,664: Antwerp (1,610), Liège (27), Hasselt (13), Tournai (9), Mons (3), Diest (2)

United Kingdom, 1,402: London (1,358), Norwich (43),Ipswich (1)

France, 76: Lille (25), Paris (22), Tourcoing (19), Arras (6), Cambrai (4)

Netherlands, 19: Maastricht (19)

Germany, 11: Remagen (11)

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-2_rocket

I read and studied some of the history of the V-2 weapon system, mostly its development and the scientific principles; however I failed to realize that this was used as a weapon of war and how many rockets were launched over the two years.  Understandably Antwerp was a main target because it was a major naval port for the Allies offloading troops and supplies; however I had not realized how many were launched at London.  Over 1300 rockets rained down on the city.  Unlike the V-1 rockets that you can hear coming, the V-2 were traveling at the speed of sound with no warning.  Memories and images of the gulf wars, as well as more recent stories of missile attacks, sprang to my mind.  I wonder if these people in modern war zones, felt the same as the ones in London all those years before.  

Following a full day of site seeing and museum walking and reading, we made our way back to the hotel for an evening to ourselves.  I was going to meet up with a couple of my fellow tour companions for dinner, but before that I decided to go for a further walk about towards Parliament Square and beyond.  Our coach drove by a few interesting sites on our London travels, so I thought I’d go and get a closer look.  

My first stop would be Westminster, an area within London.  I started with  Parliament Square, Westminster Abbey and the different statues within.  I was amazed by the number of statues around the city, but within the square there was a concentration of famous figures in world history.  Notable British people include Winston Churchill, David Lloyd George and Montgomery, but also Ghandi, Nelson Mandela and Abraham Lincoln. 

My trek around the area continued towards 10 Downing Street where I said hello to the Prime minister;  the Horse Guards Palace to inspect the grounds and guards; Trafalgar Square to see Lord Nelson who was just standing around, and to Canada House just to say, “Eh! how you doin’.”

Upon my return from my hike, I met up with my travel companions and we decided to go to an English pub to try out some authentic fish-n’-chips and some local English beer.  The beer was good but the fish-n’-chips were amazing.  Not your ordinary fare, the chips were large potato wedges and the fish was over 40cm long.  Every bite melted in my mouth, but the kicker was the in-house tartare sauce.  

With all the sites I saw today, going to an English pub and having traditional English fish-n’-chips and a pint, was like putting a cherry on top of a sundae.  It was a great way to spend the day in London, but tomorrow we make our way to France and the battlefields that shaped a world at war.

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WWI and WWI Battlefields Adventure: Day 02: Part 1

WWI and WWI Battlefields Adventure: Day 02: Part 1

The one benefit of the tour is that we get breakfast every morning.  However this morning was extra special.   Big Ben, the Parliament Buildings and Westminster Abby all within view as I eat my traditional English breakfast.  

The morning will be filled with traveling around London, visiting different points of interest and getting a feel of London.  Once on the coach our guide continued to point out interesting facts and places as we drove through the city.  We stopped within walking distance of our first destination, Buckingham Palace.  I have seen this place on television on many occasions, most recently the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III, but seeing it in person is a whole new experience.  The sheer size of the palace was impressive as well as the grounds around it.  The guide mentioned the history of the palace and how it was also bombed during the Blitz in 1940.  

In front of Buckingham Palace.

The German term ‘Blitzkrieg’ (lightning war) was then shorted to the word “Blitz” to refer to the sustained areal attack on Britain by the Luftwaffe (the German Air Force) during September 1940 – May 1941.  It began on September 7, 1940, also known as “Bloody Saturday” when bombers attacked London resulting in 430 dead and some 1,600 injured.  London was then bombed for a consecutive 57 nights and sometimes during the day.  London was the main target and experienced regular bombing raids, but on May 10-11 German bombers dropped some 711 tonnes of high explosives and 2,393 incendiary (combustable/fire) bombs. This was the largest raid which resulted in 1,436 civilians dead.   

Buckingham Palace is the residence of the royal family, the King, when they are in London.  The royal family stayed in the palace during the Blitz.  Then King George VI and Queen Elizabeth would tour bombed out sections of the city to help with civilian morale.  During these visits, the Queen would take a keen interest on what was being done to help the people who had lost their homes. I learned that most of the damage to London was in the east end of the city.   On September 13, 1940 the palace was bombed; the Queen said that she could look the East Enders in the face after that raid.   

Right in front of the palace is The Queen Victoria Memorial which dominates over the area while looking down The Mall.  Looking around I saw St. James’ Park, Memorial Park and the very impressive Canada Gate,  a beautifully ornate gate that leads into the Green Park.  Everything in the area was beautifully decorated and worthy of being in a place of such grander.  

Once back onto the coach our next stop would be St. Paul Cathedral.  There I learned of a bombing raid where a large 8ft long bomb landed next to the cathedral but did not explode.  Many thought it a miracle that it did not go off, saving the building and the people nearby.  The army bomb disposal team removed it after three days of digging.  It was lodged in a crater 26 ft down in the London streets.  The commander of the army bomb disposal team at the time was Lieutenant Robert Davies, who defused the bomb.  I later found out that he lived in Cornwall, Ont., a Canadian.    

My Father, little sister and myself posing with the Mosta bomb when I was 12yrs old.

This story reminded me of a similar one in the town of Mosta, Malta during WWII.  Mosta is famous for its large domed church, which is the fourth largest in Europe.  A bombing raid came over the island and a bomb did not land beside the church but crashed through the domed roof during a church service.  Miraculously it did not explode.  Many say it was through the faith of the Maltese that God prevented the bomb from going off, saving all those souls in the church.  I learned that story when I went to Malta when I was 12 (photo), and now I hear a similar story about St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Connections thousands of kilometres apart, but despite the hardship and adversity, the people prevailed.   

WWI and WWII Battlefields Adventure: Day 01

Imagine a young boy sitting at the dinner table with his parents and their friends, listening to the stories of back home in Malta.  Between dinner and desert the subject turns to what my father experienced during the second world war (WWII).  He talked about the bombing raids over the island and his participation in the RAF militia.  Story after story this young boy’s interest grows to the point where he took out books from the library and immersed himself in the epic stories of WWII Malta.  

His interest is further enhanced during history and social studies at school.  The more he learned about the first and second World Wars (WWI and WWII) the more he wanted to know.  His focus went onto the Canada’s contribution during wars and the great feats the Canadians did.  To quote James Holland, a famous war historian, ‘Canada was constantly punching above its weight.’ And the results were nothing next to astounding.   

His interest increased as the years went by and he read everything he could on Canada’s contributions.  Through his service years, music, art and teaching career his love for his country and the desire to learn more grew.  Until one day the opportunity came to him to visit these sacred and hallowed places.  

If you haven’t already guessed the young boy in the story above is me and from those stories from my father or from other veterans and every book I read, my interest grew.  Every Remembrance Day is sacred to me, a time to remember and reflect on those who sacrificed so much so that I have the freedom I enjoy today.   It has always been a dream of mine to go and visit those famous places where Canadians ‘punched above their weight’ and made the world stop and say “Wow those amazing Canadians’.  

Well that dream finally came true.  This year I went on a WWI and WWII Battlefields tour in Northern Europe and the experience was every bit of the adventure into the past as I had hoped.  Just as in every adventure I go on, I journaled every night and reflected upon the day’s experiences.  

The trip was 11 amazing days but to put the entire trip in one blog post would be impossible because there was so much to see and write about.  Therefore, in the next few weeks I will be posting my WWI and WWII Battlefields trip/tour, one post for every day/experience.  Think of it as a journal entry for each day of the trip.  Alright let us begin …

WWI and WWI Battlefields Adventure: Day 01

The flight to London was about 7hrs, but about 1.5 hrs going through customs and retrieving my luggage truly tested my patience.  However, I had booked through a travel agency and they informed me that a driver and car would be waiting for me.  All I had to do was look for a person with a placard with my name on it.  So I went out the arrivals gate and there I saw a man in a suit holding a sign with my name on it.  Just like in the movies I introduced myself and he returned my greeting and said he was here to take me to my hotel.  The looks for the other people around made me feel important and for that moment I gave myself permission to feel good about myself.  Just for that moment, I didn’t want it to go to my head. 

The ride into the city was interesting.  I was expecting an older city but wherever I looked there were new buildings.  The one thing that got me were the car dealerships.  They were multileveled building with cars on each floor.  At the end of the building there was a car sized elevator so the car can be lowered to street level.  My driver said its because land is scarce and it was better to build up instead of having large parking lots.  

Once we got into the inner city there I did see a lot of older buildings.  My London home for the next two nights would be the Park Plaza London Riverbank hotel and to my joy and surprise it was across the river and about a .5 km walk from the Parliament buildings and Big Ben.  

 After checking in, I met one of my roommates and fellow travel companions for this tour.  I  learned that we would all be meeting the other tour guests that evening for a “Get to Know You” dinner at an English pub.  I had a few hours to kill so I decided to go on a bit of a walk-about to get a feel for the area.  

The more I walked around the area, the more it felt like I was walking in a city in Canada.  The multicultural feel of the place with the similar architecture made me feel at home.  Even the parliament building seemed familiar to me.  Yet there was one building that I saw on the drive to the hotel that looked familiar and I had to go for a closer look.  Fortunately it too was only a few of blocks away and when I saw it I knew exactly what it was.  It is the SIS (Secret intelligence services) MI6 building, the same place where the famous James Bond would have gotten his mission briefings, gadgets and of course his spectacular cars from.  A rather impressive building brimming with cameras at every corner and 12ft fences with barbed wire surrounding it.  

After my walk about London I returned to the hotel for a quick shower before I meet the other members of our tour group.  Not surprisingly many of the people are from Canada, the United Sates and Australia.  Many had the same reasons for coming on this tour as I did. Many heard stories told to them from their parents and grandparents about the wars; others had a love of history but everyone seemed as excited for this new experience as I did. 

Our tour guide introduced himself and invited us all to the coach (bus) for our ride into the old city of London.  On the ride he spoke over the speaker to explain and comment on the sites we were seeing.  In-between the comments he talked about the London Blitz during the Battle of Britain and how it affected the east side of London, where we would be going tonight and tomorrow.  However tonight I learned an interesting fact; London is many cities in one, however whenever you are entering the old/original Roman settlement there is a dragon indicating the boundaries of London or what they call The City.  Whenever we drove around London we saw these dragons with shields and swords.  The shield has the colours of the cross of St. George and the sword represents the sword that beheaded St. Paul, both are patron saints of England and London.

We stopped at a pub for dinner and there we continued to get know each other over a nice dinner.  Once the dessert was being passed around we got to know what our itinerary would be for tomorrow and the next few days of the tour.  Tomorrow would be the start for a whirlwind adventure into a world of conflict, carnage and courage.   

Art Inspiration: Flying Paper Drone

With the Covid-19 pandemic I, like many others, am at home.  I have been trying to keep myself active with exercise and of course indulging in my many hobbies.  Recently I took out my Green Army Men from storage and I have been enjoying posting their daily adventures to social media.  But I decided to add some imagination and creativity to this experience.  

When I was younger I would always create different vehicles for my Green Army Men. A friend loved the helicopters I made and then mentioned “What’s next. Drones?”  Then I though, what a great idea. Therefor taking my inspiration from the military I decided to create a new drone for my Green Army Men.  

Growing up I loved folding paper to make all sorts of things.  From origami mice to swans and of course different varieties of paper airplanes.  There were times in class I would make airplanes and fly them out my third floor classroom window, to the chagrin of my teachers.   

Using the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) as my inspiration I began creating my own version.  Yet I did not want to make one out of cardboard, I wanted it to actually fly on its own.  Similar to a paper airplane.  Therefor using my knowledge of making paper airplanes I set about to create a paper flying drone.  I folded some paper to make the wings, then I folded and cut out a shape for the fuselage and tail.  I then glued the two together.  The prototype worked so I set out to make the drones using some green paper I had.  After folding, gluing and testing, the two new a paper drones were ready.  

Making these paper airplanes may not be saving the world but for me it provided two important things to my life.  The first, a simple distraction from the pandemic that is ravaging the world. The second and most important, this provided a challenge for me to overcome.  Once my friend suggested the idea I had to think of a design, how to make it and the challenge of making it fly.  The challenge was exhilarating. I have to remember what Arthur Ashe once said … 

‘Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.’ Arthur Ashe

Art Inspiration: Cardboard Helicopter

With the Covid 19 pandemic I, like many others, am at home.  I have been trying to keep myself active with exercise and of course indulging in my many hobbies.  Recently I took out my Green Army Men from storage and I have been enjoying posting their daily adventures to social media.  But I decided to add some imagination and creativity to this experience.  

When I was younger I would always create different vehicles for my Green Army Men and I thought it time to create a new mood of transportion for them.  Therefor taking my inspiration from the military I decided to create a new helicopter transport for them.  

Sikorsky MH-53 Sea Dragon

Using the Sikorsky MH-53 Sea Dragon as my inspiration I set about making my own version out of cardboard.  I measured out a basic shape and them using a hobby knife I cut and scored the cardboard.  I then cut out a tail, rotors, and side wings.  I found some plastic containers for the wing storage areas and using a glue gun, I glued everything together.  I then painted the helicopter to give it the final touch.  And there you have it.  

I have always loved creating things and as a teacher I encourage the students to do the same thing.  I guess in my isolation I revert back to the things that make me happy.  To bring out my inner child.  

This pandemic is rather scary and at times overwhelming, but making these helicopters and setting up my Green Army Men has brought a bit of comfort to my days.  Maybe these things will help others to get inspired and create their own creations and bring the impossible to life.  

My Sea Dragon Made from Cardboard

Art Inspiration: The Scottish Crew

For the past few months I have been posting my adventures in Scotland. The biggest reason I had such a wonderful time was due to the amazing people I went with.  They help make the Scotland Adventure a time to remember. They encouraged me to test my limits and seek out new adventures and experiences.  They in short inspired me.  Therefore it is not surprising that I was inspired to draw and creature some art based around what I have affectionately called The Scottish Crew.  

I therefore took on the task to create Steampunk caricatures of the Scottish Crew.  I have already created two caricatures out of the group of four on previous occasions. One being myself, The Captain and the other as a Steampunk Scott’s woman. Below are all four in a final picture entitled “The Scottish Crew”.  Each caricature is similar and inspired by the same symbols I created for the Scotland Adventure logo.  

The person to the far left has been called Viking and he quite looks the part. Therefore I drew him as a Viking with the helmet I drew for the logo.  The next person I drew as a Steampunk Scott’s woman.  She rather fits the part and she loved the caricature. The third person is tall and of French background, so I drew her as a Femme Fatale. The dress and two pistols seemed to fit her personality.  And the final person is my caricature as a Steampunk Captain. I then placed everyone in front of a famous landmark in Scotland, Eilean Donan Castle.   

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There you have it; The Scottish Crew. I hope you enjoy this inspiring piece as much as I enjoyed drawing it for the people who inspired me to create it.