Just over an hours drive from where we are staying is Ypres. The freeways are such an improvement on the London roads..,though the signage is terrible. (Thank God for the Navman)
We went to Hill 62 Museum where we could walk through real trenches. Not the most fancy museum but interactive enough and not too many gory photos of dead people scattered over trenches.
Hill 62 was where lots of Canadians fought and is 62m above sea level so has a great view over the fields to Ypres.
After stopping for lunch at Ypres, a beautiful Belgium town, Mark and Ed went into the church and the girls and I went shopping. Kate has decided she needs to find her year 6 social dress!
What amazed us were the photos of all these places before war and then after.
This is the small town of Passendael before and after the war:
This is a photo of the "Cloth hall" after the war. It had been the largest medieval commercial hall in Europe.
And it now
Finally we went to the Tyne Cot Cemetry.
So much to reflect on. So thankful for those many many many men who fought for us.
Did you go to the WW1 museum in the Cloth Hall? It is fantastic! Also, there is a town somewhere around there which is very pro Australia - all about remembering what Australia did for them, as Australians defended their town. There is a museum in their school. We didn't go there, and only heard about it afterwards.
ReplyDeleteHi erin, we had read a great book about Villers Britteneaux? So the kids knew lots about the place before we went. It was lovely the way so many shops had Australian flags and memrobilia in the windows.
ReplyDeleteI have also changed Marks typing "error"... I think it was maybe a bit true as I was grumpy until I got time alone shopping.