CANADIAN BATTLEFIEDS OF EUROPE - including D-Day & Vimy Ridge
May 27th - June 10th 2016
2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the iconic event in Canada’s military history. It is also the 73rd anniversary of Canadian participation in the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy. This tour observes both anniversaries with visits to Canada’s battlefields and memorials of the First and Second World Wars, and features participation in ceremonies commemorating the landings on Juno Beach on June 6th.
TOP RATED HIGHLIGHTS
-Explore Canada’s rich military heritage in the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France with Dr. Jody Perrun as he takes you on an in-depth journey tracing Canada’s participation in the great wars and paying homage to our
contribution.
-D-Day Normandy Beaches: Attend the Celebration of the 73rd Anniversary. Visit the Juno Beach Centre and the Canadian War Cemetery at Beny-Sur-Mer.
-Amsterdam: Enjoy a canal cruise, and gently glide past traditional Dutch-gabled houses built right on the water’s edge and under picturesque bridges. Follow the tragic story of the Jews in occupied Amsterdam with a visit to the
Anne Frank House.
-Brussels: Visit the Waterloo battlefield where Napoleon met his final defeat in 1815. Visit the Grand Place, the exquisite market square, see the cheeky Manneken statue.
-Ypres Battlefields: Visit the Flanders Fields Museum in Cloth Hall as well as Sanctuary Wood (Hill 62) Museum. Visit the Tyne Cot Cemetery, and the Passchendaele Canadian Memorial (Crest Farm).
-Vimy Ridge Battlefields: Visit the Vimy Ridge National Historic Site of Canada for a guided tour and walk through the preserved trenches.
-Somme: Visit the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel and the Franco-British Memorial at Thiepval., Canadian Memorial in Courcelette, Somme Museum in Albert and Australian memorial at Villers - Bretonneux.
-Dieppe: Visit the Canadian War Cemetery and see the Canadian landing sites of the ill-fated raid. Visit the Memorial Museum, housed in the Municipal Theatre.
-Honfleur: Visit in the charming fishing town of Honfleur to see where Samuel de Champlain set sail and founded Quebec.
-Abbaye Ardenne: Visit the memorials to Canadian POWS murdered by the SS.
-The Road to Falaise & Falaise Gap: Visit, Bretteville-sur-Laize, Falaise, St.Lambert-sur-Dives, and Mont Ormel.
-Paris: See the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.
INCLUDED 5 STAR SERVICES
• 13 nights hotel accommodation as indicated.
• An expert Insight Tour Director throughout your journey.
• Luxury air-conditioned 40 seat coach with extended leg room and
on-board restroom.
• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights without missing any of your Local Expert’s fascinating insights and commentaries.
• Baggage handling with delivery to your door at every hotel.
• Hotel and restaurant tips included - Plus we include all taxes and porterage
charges at hotels.
• Complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi.
• Insight Flourishes - from time to time, your Tour Director will enchant you with local tidbits, each representing authentic food or beverages unique to the destination.
• Airport arrival and departure transfers on Day 2 and Day 15.
INCLUDED QUALITY DINING
13 Buffet Breakfasts, Welcome Dinner and Reception, 3 three-course
Evening Meals, 1 Boxed Lunch, & Celebration Dinner.
HOSTED BY CANADIAN MILITARY HISTORIAN DR. JODY PERRUN
DR. JODY PERRUN
Canadian Military Historian Dr. Jody Perrun teaches at the University of Winnipeg, the University of Manitoba, and the Royal Military College of Canada, specializing in military history, post-Confederation Canada, and the Holocaust.
He has toured Canada’s European battlefields extensively, with particular focus on the Battle of Normandy. His research has produced articles and book reviews on Canada’s military and air force history.
He also contributed research for the Juno Beach Centre, the official history of the Royal Canadian Navy, and a variety of historical documentary films. His first book, “The Patriotic Consensus; Unity, Morale, and the Second World War in Winnipeg”, was published in 2014.
Contact us at vacations@oceanbreezeholidays.com or call 1-604-746-0406 and speak to our vacation experts.
