That's all folks!
After nearly five months away from Canada, only two empires lay ahead: France and Great Britain. We shaped our journey around some generous offers to couch surf at the homes of family and friends in Brittany, Brighton, London and, finally, Ashover in the Peak District of England. Here are the shout outs to prove it:
To Barb, Olivier and Seb in Concarneau. Thanks for sharing your beautiful stone home with us. We loved touring around with you, sharing crépes at your local spot and surfing at La Torche. Merci beaucoup!
To Granny Sue and the whole Coe crew in Brighton. When we showed up, weary from an overnight ferry, you made us feel at home right away. From rock pooling to cliffside hikes to big family suppers to nights on the town, your hospitality was 'top shelf.' We'd love to return the favour when you visit us in Nova Scotia.
To Melanie and Chas in Hampstead, London. By letting us 'look after' your flat while you were away, you helped us do London right. Every time we came back on the tube from some hectic adventure, the leafy calm of Hamstead felt like a nice warm bath. Oh ya, your bathtub is awesome by the way.
And to Sally and Mike. Well, we're coming to see you in Ashover tomorrow. We (mostly I - Ryan) can't wait to check out your local pub scene and forge off into those famous walking paths. Thanks in advance for welcoming our hoard.
Finally, to anyone checking this blog out. Thanks for taking an interest in our crazy journey. It wasn't all smooth sailing, but it's safe to say the memories we've made will last a lifetime. We can't wait to catch up with you all in person soon.
Signing off,
Love from the Shaws
1. Place des Héros, Arras, Northern France
"This pit stop turned into a memorable two nights. We picked Arras because it was close to Vimy Ridge, but we ended up with a sweet apartment right on this public square. Everyone was so nice and so French here - we wanted to stay longer." - Ryan
2. The Trenches at Vimy Ridge
"Meeting real live Canadians after so long away was truly refreshing. These young ladies took us on a tour of the tunnels and trenches of Vimy Ridge, teaching us about the significance of Canada's pivotal WW1 battle. What an epic summer job." - Ryan
3. Canadian Vimy Memorial
"I have countless shots like this one, the backs of Ryan and the girls as they are walking along. As I watch them, I sink into a moment of gratitude for the ability to travel with them and show them a few tiny corners of the world. I will always treasure these moments."
- Genny
4. Paris, Popping Off
"When we got to Paris, I was feeling pretty road weary, but the girls had plenty of juice left. After some fun at the Eiffel Tower, we settled into a week of exploring. We ripped around on the metro, popping up like groundhogs at beautiful parks, stunning museums and hopping cafés. It was fun to put our rusty French to the test." - Ryan
5. Shakespeare & Co.
"We found this cool bookstore in Paris that had a reading room where you could sit for as long as you wanted. This is where I discovered the Eragon series, which is now one of my favourites." - Hazel
6. Great First Impression
"Hazel and I both enjoyed listening to audio tours at museums. These pictures are from Musée de l'Orangerie. I'm standing in front of Monet's water lilies. It was amazing!" - Rosalie
7. Parisian Sailing at Luxembourg Gardens
"We met up with our friend Lucy from Boston and rented mini sailboats that you push around with big sticks. Once you got them sailing, you had to run around the pond to catch them and send them back out. It was a hot day but we still had fun." - Hazel
8. Brest vs. Bordeaux
"Our hosts in Concarneau, Barb and Olivier, took me to this raucous football match. It was the last game of the season and Bordeaux was about to be relegated. The Bordeaux fans were so mad at their team they booed when they scored. The Brest fans taunted them all night. It was kind of intense. Bordeaux won but their fans responded with a forest of middle fingers." - Ryan
9. Mont Saint-Michel
"This was a last minute stop before we boarded our ferry from St. Malo to Portsmouth. It was starred on our map, so we thought, hey, why not. Turns out this incredible island village is one of the wonders of the world. We're glad we made it work!" - Ryan
10. The Seven Sisters, East Sussex
"We had the perfect day for this hike. The wilderness adventures over the past few months have been our solution to attraction overload, a way of balancing ALL the wonderful things we have and will see." - Genny
11. Winning Big at Brighton Pier
"Brighton Pier was soooo fun. We won this stuffy (Ralph the Daschund) by grabbing it with a metal claw and Mommy had her fortune told. We even went on a crazy ride called the Twister." - Rosalie
12. Rock Pooling!
"This is us rock pooling with our family in Brighton. We caught a few shrimps and crabs. It was fun getting to know Granny Sue and our distant cousins." - Hazel
13. Bro, Edinburgh
"Our friend Aaron flew in from Halifax to hit a concert with me and he ended up toting Tweezle (our battered blue wheelie bag) from the train station to our sleep spot. Edinburgh is all stairs, so we needed his brawn. That night we saw The Smile (Thom Yorke & Jonny Greenwood) absolutely rip through a set of loud rock music." - Ryan
14. The Real Diagon Ally (in Edinburgh!)
"This is the street where JK Rowling got her idea for Diagon Ally. There was a Harry Potter store and everything! Later on we stopped in at the café where she wrote the first chapters." - Rosalie
15. Platinum Jubilee Parade
"Here we are, stationed about 100m from the Admiralty Arch / Trafalgar Square and waiting for the parade of the century to start. It was worth it. The golden carriage, the horses, the marching bands! We even joined with the masses after the parade to walk down The Mall, towards Buckingham Palace for the grand finale … the Queen waving from the balcony!" - Genny
16. Tower of London
"At this stage in the trip, we had to be choosy about how we spent our time and pound sterling. So we just looked at the Tower of London from here. Some monuments look better from a distance anyway, right?" - Ryan
17. Beware the Forbidden Forest
"This is Rosalie casting a spell with her brand new wand - she fancied Cedric Diggory's. That's Buckbeak in the background, of course. Our collective knowledge of the Harry Potter universe has deepened exponentially." - Ryan
18. Always a Wild Ride
"The Harry Potter Studio Tour doesn't have rollercoaster rides, but it does have a ton of fun things to do. We had a great day jumping on motorbikes, flying brooms, walking through 4 Privet Drive and learning how they make magic in the movies."
- Genny
19. Uncle Craig
"Uncle Craig came to visit us in London for a couple days. This is us at the Holly Bush, a fancy pub in Hampstead. Daddy's cousin Melanie leant us her flat for two weeks - we started to feel like locals there." - Hazel
20. King Lear at Shakespeare's Globe
"Some dreams do come true. We had incredible seats for this masterful performance of my favourite Shakespeare play. The Globe takes you back to London at the turn of the 17th century, complete with an open air thatch roof and a standing room 'pit'. So cool. We all loved the show." - Ryan
21. British Imperial War Museum
"After reading all about the Spitfire in Grandpa's Great Escape (a funny book by David Walliams), we came here to see the real thing. I couldn't believe how big it was!" - Rosalie
22. Roald Dahl Museum, Great Missenden
"We took the train from London to Great Missenden for a day of walking in the Chilterns. The Roald Dahl museum was a highlight for sure. The re-creation of his famous writing hut had me giddy with excitement. The girls enjoyed all the interactive games, but the Matilda statue seemed to sum it all up." - Ryan
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