We had written to Easter Bunny prior to our holiday and requested he hold off a week on any egg deliveries so we treated ourselves to a lie in and breakfast at the 9:15 sitting. Oh boy, were the Euro Chav on display this morning! The dining hall was absolute chaos. It was simply a matter of letting it all wash over you or I think it would have done our heads in today. After surviving breakfast we strolled past the hotel volcano (don’t ask) and over to Cheyenne where the kids had a play at the Apache fort. Despite the play area being ‘graciously’ offered by the hotel, there was not much to it – I suppose being so close to Disneyland you don’t need to try too hard.
We changed trains at Châtelet heading for Gare du Nord and it was a lovely feeling entering a ‘proper’ railway station again with the destination boards flickering away and people rushing to board their trains. There is just something far more romantic about travelling by rail. We sat down for baguettes for lunch at a small café before going for a quick wander around the Parisian streets and also found a small supermarket so stocked up on supplies for the trip ahead. The kids were thrilled when we bought each of them their first Easter egg and these were quickly demolished whilst we waited for our train to be called.
Our train bound for Arras arrived on time and it was 1st Class all the way for the Robbs – actually not that flash but it did give us a little more space around the table. We were alighting in Arras at 1547 and walking into our hotel foyer by 1550 – yep, just across the road. By all reports Arras is meant to be a beautiful old town but we had been booked into the far newer Holiday Inn Express. Poor Nathan had no rest as he was confronted with ironing all our ANZAC day clothes in preparation for our next two whirlwind days. We were conscious of the fact that we would now be travelling with a group and perhaps our 9 day old traveling attire needed a bit of a freshen up! We found time for a quick shower, glass of wine (well, we are in France!) and we were out the door in search of dinner.
Given that we were staying in Arras as a base of our ANZAC day activities it is perhaps fitting to focus on the town’s history during modern times. During the First World War, Arras was near the front and a long series of battles fought nearby are known as the Battle of Arras. A series of medieval tunnels beneath the city, linked and greatly expanded by the New Zealand Tunneling Company, became a decisive factor in the British forces holding the city. The city, however, was heavily damaged and had to be rebuilt after the war. In the Second World War, during the invasion of France in May 1940, the town was the focus of a major British counter attack. The town was occupied by the Germans and 240 suspected French Resistance members were executed in the Arras citadel.
Today Arras is a pretty town with its buildings lining enormous open squares. The sidewalks were crammed with cafes and bars with plenty of outdoor eating space. With so many Australians in town it was a bit surreal but also gave the whole place a rather festive air. We stopped for a pre-dinner drink at an Irish pub as we had ventured forth before 7pm. Once restaurants started to open we moved on to Le Palerme Pizzeria which was more Italian than French but delicious nonetheless. We were back at the hotel and in bed by 8pm very aware that tomorrow we needed to be up and moving by 230am!
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