Blogs from Ypres, West Flanders, Belgium, Europe

It has been a busy three days as we drove from Paris to Belgium and then back to France to visit the World War 1 cemeteries and memorials. Ypres (pronounced e- pers) is about a 2 hours drive from Paris and we finally had some more seasonable weather, although there was still a chill in the air. Our 2 night stay in Ypres included the ceremony at the Menin Gate and a tour next day of some of the war memorials in the North Salient (Salient in this context is a military term for section). The guided tour included memorials/cemeteries at Essex Farm, St Julien, Langemark (a German Cemetery), Hill 62 and Passchendale, the largest Allied Cemetery of the war. The Menin Gate Ceremony has been held every day since 1928 (except for the German Occupation ... read more

Up early for the train back to London Waterloo Station, hopefully it will be more time efficient and easier than the way down. Linda made us some bacon sandwiches for the train ride, much appreciated, and it was off to Wool Station for the ride back. Train was on time and off we went. 10 minutes late into Waterloo, not too bad considering the trip down. Off to the tube station for the last time to St Pancras International Station, turns out on the noisiest tube we have been on. Too much grease we think. Arriving at St Pancras with lots of time to spare we found quite possibly the biggest coffee's I have ever seen, I think they are classed as 'bucket' size. Grabbing some snacks for the Eurostar and off to departures where we ... read more

Just a quiet day for a walk around Ypres. Though Ieper is the official name, the city's French name, Ypres is most commonly used in English. During the First World War, Ypres was the center of Battles of Ypres between German and Allied forces. During the war it was nicknamed "Wipers", as its name was difficult for English-speaking British Imperial forces to pronounce. Ypres is an ancient town, known to have been raided by the Romans in the first century BC. It is first mentioned by name in 1066 and is probably named after the river Ieperlee on the banks of which it was founded. During the Middle Ages, it was a prosperous Flemish city with a population of 40,000 in 1200 AD and renowned for its linen trade with England (mentioned in the Canterbury Tales). ... read more

We spent 3 days in this charming town: Ypres in French, Ieper in Flemish. I have heard that the British pronounced it "Wipers"! We like the Grote Markt, the main square, where there is always some activity going on, ie. markets, musical concerts, street drama, demonstrations. Most of the town was destroyed in the First World War. Buildings, such as the Cloth Hall and the Cathedral, were reconstructed to their original state--an amazing accomplishment. We attended the Last Post twice at the Menin Gate. This moving ceremony has been performed by buglers every evening at 8pm, since 1927* when the Gate was inaugurated as a memorial to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Ypres Salient area during WW1 and were never found. Their names are engraved on the walls. *For the years during ... read more

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