no mere discord of flags you are travelling on your own and would like to share accommodation, we...

Journey with us to some of the most important towns and sites of the Western Front to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. From our bases in Ypres and Arras we will discover Flanders and Artois through the eyes and words of poets such as Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, Isaac Rosenberg, and Vera Brittain. In Ypres we will take part in the Menin Gate ceremony, which has been performed each night for nearly 90 years in honour of missing British and Commonwealth soldiers. There will also be time to enjoy the distinctive regional architecture, as seen in the sprawling Grand’ Place of Arras and Ypres’ magnificent Cloth Hall.

An expert guide will also take us right into the trenches of Beaumont Hamel where so many Newfoundlanders lost their lives as they launched the Battle of the Somme. We’ll stand in the dugout used by Sassoon and look through a real WWI periscope as we read Robert Graves’s “Through the Periscope.” In Ors, we’ll visit the grave of Wilfred Owen and the forester’s house where he spent his last night before being killed shortly before the war’s end. Our guide will take us even deeper in, going behind the lines to the casualty clearing stations and the Talbot House, which offered food and beds to tired soldiers.

May 19 – 27, 2018

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No Mere Discord of FlagsENGLISH POETS OF WWI

Through seminars, presentations, and extensive time in the field, this Travel Pursuit will immerse you in the everyday lived experience of soldiers, nurses, ambulance drivers and civilians. It is a unique way to put the massive scope of WWI on a human scale.

Readings Poetry of the First World War ed. Tim Kendall.

What is a Classical Pursuits Literary Adventure? Ann Kirkland founded Classical Pursuits in 1999 to provide thoughtful vacations for inquiring adults, with the world’s best literature, art and music as our guides. By exploring and celebrating the particular visions of writers and artists in the location in which their works were created, we paradoxically discover the timeless truths that make these works great. Classical Pursuits Literary Adventures are a collaborative effort. Classical Pursuits develops the themes and selects the leaders. Worldwide Quest is in charge of production, expertly looking after all the logistical arrangements.

Most important, with a Classical Pursuits Literary Adventure you will not lose the spontaneity, flexibility, and sense of personal discovery you seek in your own private travels – only the logistical hassles.

Our adventures are a special balance of: • In-depth discussion of important literature;• Guided walks to immerse ourselves in the cultural

and natural history of a place;• Informal talks with local people to provide background

and context to our inquiry;• Generous unscheduled time; • Exceedingly convivial company; • And of course, lingering conversation over great meals!

What’s involved? The only prerequisites are to read before you arrive and to come with an open mind.

A WORD ABOUT:

Why travel “back in time”

with us?

LEADERMelanie Blake is executive director of Classical Pursuits. She has long been interested in how 20th Century fiction and poetry about war shape society’s collective understanding of conflict. A confirmed beer lover and longtime Francophile, she also looks forward to sharing the history, culture, and cuisine of Belgium and northern France with you.


Paying tribute at the Vimy Ridge Memorial

Reading McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields” on site

Laying wreaths at the Menin Gate

Exploring the 1916 Battles of the Somme through poetry

Honouring fallen Newfoundlanders at Beaumont Hamel

Ypres

Arras

Lille

FRANCE

EnglishChannel

ENGLAND

Paris

BELGIUM

van/bustrainStartEnd

Detailed Itinerary

Saturday, May 19: Arrive in Paris / Commence group servicesArrive in Paris this afternoon and make your way to the hotel by 19:00 for a trip briefing with tour leader Melanie Blake, followed by a special welcome dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight: Hotel Mercure Gare du Nord Lafayette, ParisMeals: Dinner

Sunday, May 20: Travel from Paris - Lille / Lille-Ypres by coachTransfer to the train station for a 70-minute ride to Lille Flandres (Flanders) where a private coach is waiting. On arrival in Ypres, Belgium, visit the battlefields at Gheluvelt and Zandvoorde, both of which factored heavily in the First Battle of Ypres in 1914. The beautiful landscapes here are a far cry from “the endless lanes sunken in the clay” as described by Frederick Manning, or the “torn fields of France” noted by Isaac Rosenberg. At the Tyne Cot Cemetery, wander among the rows of headstones that were first erected in 1917 after the village of Paschendaele was won in October of that year. Once checked into the hotel, relax before a special dinner.Overnight: Hotel Albion YpresMeals: Breakfast, Dinner

Monday, May 21: Hill 60 and Vlamertinghe, YpresThe day kicks off with a literary discussion in a private room at the hotel. Later in the morning, get to know the Salient at Transport Farm, Larch Wood, and Hill 60 through the poetry of Gilbert Frankau, Lucy Moberley, and Edmund Blunden. The uneven terrain around Hill 60 made this an especially challenging battle site, and many troops perished in continued attempts to recapture it from German forces. The Caterpillar Crater—now a serene pool of water surrounded by elegant forest—was violently created in the early hours of June 7, 1917, when 450,000 kilograms of explosives were detonated, killing scores of German soldiers and giving control of Hill 60 back to British. Farther along at the village of Vlamertinghe, listen to the words of Julian Grenfell as his poem “Into Battle” is read at his cousin Francis Grenfell’s grave. This evening is at leisure back in town.Overnight: Hotel Albion YpresMeals: Breakfast, Lunch

Tuesday, May 22: Passchendaele and the Menin Gate, Ypres areaToday’s reflective journey begins at the Zonnebeke Museum, which tells the story of the war in the Ypres Salient with special emphasis on the passchendaele 1917—one of the bloodiest of the First World War. Visit the Advanced Dressing Station at Essex Farm to learn about the method of evacuation of the wounded, and then read the poetry of John McCrae, namely his evocative “In Flanders Fields.” After noon in the village of Lijssenthoek and the Casualty Clearing Stations, revisiting the poetry of Wilfrid Gibson, Carola Oman, and May Wedderburn helps capture the drudgery of convalescence and recovery. After walking to the Menin Gate, partake in small ceremony where wreaths of poppies are laid to commemorate the “men who fell in Ypres Salient but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”Overnight: Hotel Albion YpresMeals: Breakfast, Lunch

Wednesday, May 23: From Ypres to Arras via Poperinge and FampouxThe trip’s second literary discussion takes place this morning, and then it’s southward back to France. Key stopping points en route include the village of Poperinge and Toc H: a house rented by ‘Tubby’ Clayton, a padre in the Army, for the benefit of the men in the rest area. This was a place to go and forget the war. The house and garden are a living museum with many original artefacts. At Fampoux where Clayton died, let Isaac Rosenberg’s verse describe a place where once “none saw their spirits’ shadow shake the grass / or stood aside for the half used life to pass.”Overnight: Hotel Beatus, CambraiMeals: Breakfast, Dinner


Tyne Cot Cemetery


Thursday, May 24: Beaumont Hamel and Thiepval, Arras areaBeaumont Hamel is the site of the Newfoundland Regiment’s tragic advance on the morning of July 1, 1916, and is an enduring symbol of valour and wartime sacrifice. Examine the structure of front line defense, the many trenches, and the landscape planted with trees native to Newfoundland. With the poetry of Wilfred Owen, move along the line through the Ancre Valley and visit the village of Serre—site of the left flank of the July 1 attack. At Thiepval, the Memorial to the Missing is a monumental arch bearing the names of over 72,000 men who died in the 1916 Battles of the Somme. Overnight: Hotel Beatus, CambraiMeals: Breakfast, Lunch

Friday, May 25: Vimy Ridge and Wilfred Owen sites, Arras areaThis morning’s literary discussion at the hotel sets the stage for a late morning visit to the Vimy Ridge Memorial. More than 10,000 Canadian soldiers died in this iconic capturing of the area around Hill 145 where the monument now towers over the surrounding landscape. Vimy is now a place of peaceful reflection and sobering remembrance of those terrible four days from April 9 – 12, 1917 that delivered a critical victory for the Allies. Early in the afternoon, visit key Wilfred Owen sites, including the Forrester’s House from where he wrote his last letter and the village of Ors where his grave now stands. In 2011, the forester’s house was transformed into a white sculptured memorial to Owen and his poetry. Overnight: Hotel Beatus, CambraiMeals: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch

Saturday, May 26: Sites from the 1916 Battle of Albert, Arras areaThis morning, go behind the lines with the field ambulances and casualty clearing stations at the villages of Louvencourt and Contay. Return to the front line to revisit the July 1 attack at La Boisselle that came at terrible cost for British and French troops. This afternoon is spent is the quiet villages of Fricourt and Mametz before a celebratory dinner this evening back in town. Overnight: Hotel Beatus, CambraiMeals: Breakfast, Dinner

Sunday, May 27: Depart Cambrai/End of group servicesBid farewell to your fellow travellers after breakfast, at which point group services conclude.Meals: Breakfast

Note: The itinerary and accommodation described here are subject to change due to logistical arrangements, artists’ schedules and to take advantage of local events.

Trenches of the battlefield at Vimy

TOUR DETAILS

What’s Included:• Accommodation in double occupancy, based on hotels listed

or similar• Meals as indicated in the itinerary• All activities as indicated in the itinerary• All entrance fees• Readings• Gratuities for local guides, drivers, hotel and group meals

(as indicated above)• Taxes (as indicated above)• Fully escorted by Melanie Blake

Not Included:• Roundtrip airfare from your home • Items of a personal nature• Meals other than those mentioned above• Beverages with meals• Travel insurance• Any item not mentioned in “what’s included” above

Payment Details:A deposit of US$500 per person is required to reserve your space on this tour. A payment of US$1000 is due six months prior to departure. The balance is due 90 days prior to departure.


Tour Cost (per person): US$3795* (based on 14–16 participants)US$3995* (based on 10–13 participants)

Taxes and Gratuities: US$225*Approx. cost

Single supplement: US$795If you are travelling on your own and would like to share accommodation, we would be happy to try to match you with a suitable roommate. If we are unable to do so, the single cost applies.

Group Size:10 – 16 participants

WWI trenches

WHAT TO EXPECTJoining InstructionsThis tour begins with our briefing and welcome dinner at 6PM on May 19th . Please ensure that you arrive in Paris by 3PM to join the group. Please note that you will need to make individual arrangements for arrival to the group hotel in Paris and also for departure from our hotel in Cambrai.

Level of Activity: ModerateWe will be doing quite a bit of standing around and walking on this tour as we access battle sites and walk in towns and villages. You should be comfortable walking unassisted over rough ground for three hours. If you have any questions about the level of activity of this tour, please give us a call.

AccommodationAll accommodations are three-four hotels. Guest rooms have private facilities, television, safe, and WiFi.

Transportation We are travelling in a 35-seater coach, driven by a professional driver who will be with us throughout the trip.

WeatherWe expect mainly sunny skies with average daytime temperatures between 18 and 22°C and overnight lows of about 14°C. We may experience some light rain.

Travel DocumentsYou will require a passport for this trip. Please ensure it is valid for at least three months beyond your scheduled return home.

ADDITIONAL INFOExtend your StayIf you are interested in exploring more of this region, we would be happy to design a personalized extension for you either before or after this tour. Please let us suggest some options, based on your time available, budget and interests.

Terms and ConditionsFor additional information about our terms and conditions, please refer to your booking form, the current brochure or our website. All participants booking with Worldwide Quest are covered by the terms of the Ontario Travel Industry Act (Worldwide Quest International, Ontario - License # 2667946).

Cancellation PolicyAll payments are non-refundable, however you may transfer your initial deposit for any land tour to another tour 90 days or more prior to your scheduled departure date. Initial deposits for cruises are non-refundable and non-transferable. Your second payment and your final payment are non-refundable and non-transferable. If you cancel within 90 days prior to trip departure, all associated trip costs are non-refundable. The tour price is quoted as a package. No partial refunds or credits will be given for services not used. In the event of a cancellation, you must notify Worldwide Quest immediately and in writing.

Travel InsuranceWe urge you to ensure that you have adequate cancellation and medical insurance in place, should an unexpected event cause you to cancel or interrupt your trip or should the tour not be operable per our terms and conditions. We will offer you Manulife insurance coverage. Medical insurance including emergency medical evacuation coverage is mandatory on all our tours.

TICO #2667946

HOW TO BOOKPlease contact Amanda at the Worldwide Quest Office

for more information and to secure your booking.

1-800-387-1483 | [email protected]
