During the Pentecost weekend, it was finally time for the mystery trip! We had to gather at the office at 9 a.m., and shortly after, Jochem arrived driving the red bus that would take us to our mysterious destination. On the way, we headed south and crossed the border into Belgium. Near Ghent, we suddenly left the highway and had lunch at a snack bar that had an endless variety of snacks. Later, we entered France near Lille. That must be the final destination, I thought, but we drove right past it. Now I really had no clue anymore… On the road toward Paris, we left the highway again. It became clear: we’re going to Amiens!! I’d never been there before and was super excited to explore the place. We stayed in a youth hostel where we had several apartments. In the evening, we went into the city centre to see the cathedral. It’s the largest in France and absolutely stunning. Later, we had some beers and played games at a board game café, and went out for dinner. Back at the apartment, it was time for the bag check and the accompanying shots.
The next day we hit the road again with the bus. Our first stop was the Beaumont-Hamel memorial. It’s dedicated to the victims from Newfoundland (now part of Canada) during World War I. I found it really moving, with trenches still carved into the hills that we walked through, along with several statues and monuments. Next, we drove to the Thiepval memorial. This monument commemorates the missing British and South African soldiers from WWI. Inside the monument, under several arches, the names of the missing are engraved. We also visited a crater that was 30 meters deep and 100 meters wide, created when the British detonated bombs under a trench line.
We headed back to Amiens and took a boat tour through a nature reserve, complete with a guide. It was beautiful and peaceful. Later, we went to the waterfront, had some drinks, and went out for dinner. I ordered the local dish “potje vleesch.” From others, who had it the day before, I knew it wasn’t the best choice, but somehow I still ordered it… It’s basically a circular lump of meat held together by jelly. Interesting to try, but I wouldn’t order it again haha. In the evening, we did a whiskey tasting. Some of them were really good and it was fun to discover all the different flavors. Later, we had a few beers at the local club.
On the final day, we visited the Jules Verne museum. It was super interesting to read more about the author and what he had published. After that, we took one last stroll through the city, but it was really time to head back. It was an amazing trip!!
– Tobias Neeft
