Day 10: The pilgrimage continues

We finally got to France today.  After a very early morning bike ride and packing the car, we were off.  We had a journey from Flanders down to Disneyland Paris.  Instead of wasting the journey by going straight there we made a few detours of "pilgrim" type importance.  The first stop was at The Forest of Arenberg. For the uninitiated this is the most famous section of cobbled road in the Paris-Roubaix cycle race.  Dad wished he had been able to ride it, but the kids would not have been happy with that, just visiting was a stretch of a friendship.

The next stop was Villers-Brettenoux.  This is yet a another town decimated during World War 1 but with special significance to Australians. The school and area were rebuilt with the help of Australians.  The school yard has a large sign telling the children to remember Australia.  There was yet again another large cemetery and memorial particularly dedicated to Australian troops.  It is simply amazing how many war graves are scattered across the country side.  Such a tragic wast of life at a scale beyond comprehension. The war memorial was peppered with bullet holes from World war 2. It seems they forgot the atrocities of war all too quickly.

We finally arrived at our hotel near Disneyland.  Sally got some much needed shopping time in at the enormous shopping outlet across the road from our hotel.  While Dad cycles Sally and the kids paint their toenails, while Mummy shops dad and the kids eat gelato!!

As I write it is 9:30pm local time. The girls are still shopping and one little boy is crashed out on the bed next to me. It was a massive day and tomorrow will be all about Disneyland.  The kids are keen!