Day 29 - Along the front line to Ypres



28th April 2018


It was a grey, sombre sort of day which seemed appropriate given the ground we were cycling and driving over for the first part of the journey to Ypres.  We were passing along the site of the Somme battlefield, Jackie starting the day with a visit to the Thiepval Memorial.  As I rode along there was no mistaking the fact that this was the site of the battle as I passed numerous  cemeteries and memorials, in particular the Canadian one at Hawthorn ridge.  Also the evocative place names such as Bapaume, Beaumont Hamel, Gommecourt and Foncquevillers.  Jacqui and I both found it difficult to reconcile the peaceful green fields with scenes of such carnage.  I stopped to take a couple of pics of typical scenery and the unexciting village of Foncquevillers.  Disquieting that such a calm, away from it all sort of place could become the focal point of one of the worlds great calamities.



The rest of the ride took me through work a day Pas de Calais and finally into Belgium, Flanders to be specific.

Meanwhile Jacqui was negotiating the motorway system around Lille with it's rapid succession of intersections and the satnav barking out increasingly staccato instructions.  She managed this without mishap only to arrive at Ypres to find our campsite full.  No problem for Mrs B though, she soon had us sorted with a very pleasant camperstop nearby.

This afternoon and evening were spent in Ypres visiting the very impressive Cloth Hall, rebuilt after the war as an exact replica of the one destroyed by artillery.  In fact all the centre of Ypres was rebuilt in traditional flemish style and is a lovely place to sit in a cafe with a beer and a big steak, which, funnily enough, is what we did.


The last post at the Menin gate is sounded every evening at 8.00pm.  It is a very moving ceremony listening to the bugle whilst looking at the thousands of names inscribed on the walls of the memorial.  

Tomorrow is a rest day and we plan to...rest.  

Comments

  1. Paul Whyman28 April 2018 at 14:38

    Congrats on ticking off Spain and France in less than a month. We echo your thoughts about the Menin gate ceremony.
    Enjoy your well earned rest day,

    Paul & Helen


    ReplyDelete

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