We didn’t think that the traffic noise would bother us, but it did wake us both as day broke. Not enough to dread another wake up that is – it is somewhat empowering to be so sustainable.

Eventually we woke, showered, dressed (everything worked) and headed off to the Wellington Quarry – approximately 1 mile from the aire. We weren’t ready to risk our space so walked across town to the impressive quarry that was clearly very popular. A marquee was being assembled outside – no doubt for the forthcoming anniversary at the weekend. Unfortunately for us, the quarry’s popularity surpassed our expectations and we were told to come back in three hours for the next-available tour. Please note: Book in advance!

Taking advantage of our extra time, we walked 45 mins to the Vauban Citadel – an army barracks to the West of Arras. While it has UNESCO World Heritage status, none of the information was in English (or any other language other than French) so we struggled to understand it’s importance while there. Approximately five minutes further along the road was Faubourg-d’Amiens Commonwealth Cemetery – a memorial or 35,000 British, New Zealand and South African soldiers whose bodies were never found. Here, like with the Caberet-Rouge British Memorial, family members were looking for their loved ones and deciphering their stories. It made me think of the wealth of family history I am set to inherit and whether any of my relatives would be in cemeteries such as this.

As we made our way back across town to the Wellington Quarry, we stopped for lunch at Le Fournil de Claire and attempted using our very basic French. Mine was worst, especially when trying to establish the content of lunch options without using the loaded phrase: sans gluten. To cut a long story short, I ended up eating a pasta pot, packed with gluten, as it looked like rice before it was cooked. Still, I have survived to tell the tale 😊 Both Colin’s panini and my pasta were delicious, and we definitely appreciated them not shutting for lunch (12:30-13:30) as is traditional on the continent.

I don’t think either of us knew what the Wellington Tunnels would truly be like. We entered the tunnels via an old extraction shaft and swiftly made our way to 20m below the ground. This network of tunnels linked with another under Le Grande Place in the centre of Arras and had been dug by miners from all over the Commonwealth in preparation for the Battle of Arras on 9^th April 1917. On that date, 24,000 Allied troops gathered right underneath the German noses! Within the tunnels there are now plenty of reminders to help us understand how the soldiers lived and prepared for an infamous Battle. Written on the walls, we noticed letters which helped to map the tunnels, WWI and WWII directions to the toilets and other carvings/illustrations created by soldiers.  The tour guide was fantastic, translating information between French and English as required, and even put on the closing film for us in English. The audio guides were controlled remotely, which meant that the correct information was given at the right point. There were some children within the group, who would have probably benefitted from a child’s version, but it was informative and easy to follow none-the-less. I would recommend this to anyone who is visiting the area – or anyone who has an interest in World War history. To be honest, I had not heard much about Arras prior to coming here.

While making our way back to the town centre, the sun came out and clouds gave way to bright-blue skies. It would have been rude not to ascend the town Belfry in Place des Heros. There was a lift that took us up into the bell tower, with just 43 steps to the viewing platform left to climb. Now, we are not afraid of heights at all but this ascent made our legs wobble. The spiral stair case passes working bells and glassless windows, so if climbing at quarter past, half past, quarter to, or on the hour, be prepared for the bells ringing – I wasn’t! The 360° views were definitely worth it and we could spot landmarks that we had visited over the previous days. With the sun still shining down on the square below, we couldn’t risk our first glass of Leffe and wine while watching the world go by. Arras clearly is a social hub – when it isn’t heavily raining – and we could have sat there for hours.