War memories and The Last Post.

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Day 10, 10th June.

In Wissant near Calais

Woke with massive hangover - no more beer! Urs took us on a car trip at noon to the secret cannon base at Mimoyecques built in WWII by the Germans. Twenty-five underground super-cannons which could reach London and were never used. They were designed as the V3 weapon which would have destroyed London! Later we went off to Bologne town for a walk about the old walled town - had a coffee and worked out who owes what to who - complicated, there has to be a simpler way to combat this maddening waste of time. Back at the caravan we had chips at the local chippy, Toby cooked sea-kale and pasta for dinner, and Scott made green-tea. Urs left for Düsseldorf, so I have to stay in my tent tonight.


Day 11, 11th June.

Wissant - St Omer - Steenvoorde - Ypres (BELGIUM)

It was a stormy night with loads of rain, but the morning was fine. After breakfast we were on the road for eight and the white cliffs of Dover were so clear that you could see houses on top of them. The wind was behind again and the going was good. We stopped for a cheese and baguette break before StOmer and carried on through Cassel to the Belgian border at Steenvoorde where we all got a nice French passport stamp.

The border ran along the middle of the street for over a mile with Belgian houses on the left and French to the right. In Poperinge I drew out BF 1,000 and we headed for Ypres. Toby decided to cook for me tonight and we went the supermarket in town, then we found the camp site near the stadium which was cheap at BF 180. At 8pm at the memorial gate, the “Last Post” was sounded, as it has been every night since the end of the war, it was very emotional. Toby’s bike wheel is broke badly and tomorrow we have to find a bike shop to repair it.

Total Miles: 442.18 Todays Miles: 65.66 Average speed: 12.1 Time on bike: 5:25

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Photos

Last Post Ceremony - Ypres
At 8pm every evening since the guns fell silent at the end of World War One, The Last Post has been sounded as Ypres becomes erily silent ... and remembers ...

France
Passport stamp leaving France at STEENVOORDE

Camping Belgium style
Relaxing at Kasteel Meerlaer Campsite at Vorst-Laakdal in central Belgium.