Vimy Ridge Canadian memorial.

In contrast to the manicured perfection of the British memorials, the Canadian's have left the signs of the conflict clear. We walked around the humps and bumps of overlapping shell holes, and through the sanitised concrete trenches. It added something to our understanding of the war.

The museum was interesting. We learned how the Canadians had won the war. They would have won it quicker without the British generals. It is notable that nearly every national memorial we visited gave a very particular view of the history of the western front. Perhaps the most rounded being those of Belgium and France - more of that later. It was sad thought to not read of the British soldiers whose graves were part of the same memorial as the Canadians.

The memorial itself was a great contrast to the solid blockiness of the Lutyen's commonwealth memorials. The Canadian memorial, I thought, pointed to a hopeful future born out of the mud and blood of the fighting. It reflects a nation that went to war on the coat-tails of the great imperial power of Britain, but emerged as a world respected power in its own right, with a place at the armistice negotiations. It is a wonderful piece of architectural sculpture. I wonder, though, if Canada as a nation truly mourns half dressed! If not, why is it idealised as doing so?