Belgium and Northern France

The start to my tour of Europe covers the major historical sites of the WW1 conflict in Flanders and The Somme. My family has history in these matters and I want, just the once, to pay my respects and visit their memorials. There is no other logic so the pics show some of my ramblings around the area. I met many people who seem to take an interest or indeed make a living out of the whole battlefield tour business,  but I have a mission of a more personal nature. The pics show some of the edifices and memorials erected sometimes many years after the events of 1914-1918, maybe out of genuine respect or maybe out of some form of national statement about the whole brainless escapade. 

The Menin Gate in Ypres from a slightly different view. It amazes me that on all the stone panels are the names of those with no known grave, countless thousands of names all over the large gatehouse, inside and out!

The famous Cloth Hall in Ypres. This was flattened during the conflict by German shellfire. They rebuilt it after the war. Fancy that, in the UK out notorious planning and civic authorities would rebuild concrete rubbish and mindless junk. Witness the centre of Bristol.

Ypres has a nice busy personal feel about it and is quite nice just to wander the streets and look at the views.

First camp. My very first stop was in a station car park, camping sauvage, so staying at this site was my second night.

Tuesday evening and the Menin Gate memorial ceremony was packed. The famous Fire Brigade buglers are at the far end. An Air Cadets band was on parade that evening.

This is the only pic I will post of headstones. My relative is buried in this military cemetery.

Overnight in Albert. Campsite all to myself.

I didn't know this existed, the Lochnagar (Le Grande Mine) crater just north of Albert. They even fought  underground with special short barrel rifles and other such stuff. This crater was an attempt to blow the Germans up with 1m pounds of exlosives. Don't think it did much good, but it made a bloody big hole!

This is the Canadian memorial at Beaumont Hamel. It was packed with Canadian school parties, so I couldn't get near. 

Next up was the Ulster memorial, which is charming. The Cafe is staffed by friendly folk from Belfast, but there was just me there when I visited.

The Thiepval memorial is the joint Anglo-French massive statement. It is a statement on a grand scale, and cold and windy. This was crowded with British school children.

Next along my tour route was an Australian monument at Pozieres. There was nobody else here but me.

Is it me or does this monument look like it is suspended or floating in space? I have not doctored the pic or anything. It just looks so surreal. Phenominal!

Further along the road into Albert is another grand statement by the British. The Cemetery at Pozieres is a magnificent piece of architecture, and I think it is visited. There were 2 other guys there when I called by.

Of all the memorials on the Somme the one erected by the South Africans at  Longueval is astonishing. There is no grandiose statement of morbid conquest or anything usually expected. Instead there is a feeling of utter calm and beauty and a very uplifting experience after all the other sad places.

The first stage of the memorial gives way to a central commemorative museum

But just alongside the visitor is drawn to this tree, which is the only tree in Delville Wood left standing after immense battles fought over this ground. Look at the haze of bluebells.

Back to the SA memorial the entrance stuns with great style and beauty

Immense bronzes depict various conflicts

Returning and leaving into a courtyard that is renown for its silence and tranquility. Of all the memorials on the Somme, this is by far the most satisfying to visit. The architects and designers were very clever when they built this.

It is so sad to see almost at every turn little cemeteries like this, dotted all over the place.

End of post.

I am posting from the campsite in Peronne. They have free wifi and it is faster than my broadband at home, fantastic.

Stand by, I am going east.