Blogs from West Flanders, Belgium, Europe - page 6

Belgian Battle Fields Passchendele and Polygon Wood Scene of overwhelming loss of life in the First World War – 1914 to 18. There were 3 major battles in this area. By the time the 3rd battle too place in 1917 German forces had cemented themselves into a strong defensive position. It was in this 3rd attempt to oust the German forces that the 5th Division of the Australian Army won high accolades for successfully clearing the Polygon Wood area of German forces. A tall memorial to the 5th Australian Division now stands in the Polygon Wood cemetery There are numerous memorials and cemeteries in this part of the world. In the Ypres area ( of which Passhendele/ Polygon Wood is just a part ) has over 150 military WW1 cemeteries. The largest of these is Tyne ... read more

I was really excited about visiting Bruges having seen many photos of this medieval fairytale looking place, as well as hearing great reviews from family and friends. I can honestly say that my excitement for visiting this place did not end up with disappointment and would say that Bruges is right up there in my all-time top 5 favourites cities. Before visiting Bruges, I did not know too much about it, except that it was surrounded by meandering canals and lined with medieval buildings. I discovered that Bruges was the hub of trade in the 13th century with other European countries and learnt that the city became the world's first tourist destination in the late 19th century. Upon entering the 13th century markt, I found the Historium Brugge. This attraction is very popular with tourists as ... read more

Money is a bit tight for 2015 with buying a house so plans to visit Peru have been put on hold. But a year without any travelling? Surely I couldn't possibly manage that! I had some money saved and decided that I'd like to visit Belgium. The British pound had been strong against the Euro prior to the Greek bailout so I got planning my itinerary and accommodation quickly. Also, I had discovered a site called Couchsurfing and had managed to arrange a few nights of being hosted for free. As a supermarket called Tesco says "every little helps" especially when travelling on a tight budget. With Belgium being so close to the UK, I decided that I'd be able to see more locations by taking my car. I drove my car to the port of ... read more

Sunday 2 August 2015 During this trip we have spent time at various World War One memorials and cemeteries. It seems that many other people share this need to try and appreciate the enormity of the sacrifice made by a generation of young men, their families and their countries. Always there are people walking quietly, looking at row on row of headstones, perhaps seeking a particular name. Today we will leave Belgium, but will first make a visit to Tyne Cot, a very large Commonwealth WW l cemetery near Ypres. Our other planned stop is the much smaller Trois Arbres Cemetery just over the border and into France. We have enjoyed Belgium very much and on this sunny morning it's good to drive through the productive countryside, taking smaller and smaller country roads as Polly tries ... read more

Thursday 30 July 2015. It is an early start this morning, so early breakfast isn't quite ready. But we are on a tight schedule so nothing is going to get in our way. Our final check-in time at the Eurotunnel is 9:09 am. The news is full of items about Operation Stack, illegal immigrants and long delays. We don't want to be an item about disgruntled Kiwis missing their connection. From the hotel the route to the Channel Tunnel is well sign posted. All is going well. We will be an hour early for our train. Just as we are about to enter the approach road we are confronted by red cones and barricades. Deviation! Oh no! Only one thing to do, follow the yellow signs back towards London. We are one of many cars racing ... read more