| Ypres & vicinity - tips? 20:59 - Aug 3 with 778 views | Zx1988 |
After having previous plans curtailed quite dramatically by some dodgy mussels, the current Mrs Zx and I are off to Belgium in September to visit Ypres and a couple of the war cemeteries (Tyne Cot and Langemark) over the course of a long weekend.
Plan at the moment is to get an early shuttle over to Calais on the Saturday, do breakfast in Bergues, and then wend our way to Ypres via the cemeteries in time for dinner and the Last Post at the Menin Gate.
We're heading back on Monday, and the plan is to leave Ypres early, have a mosey around Calais, grab some wine at Cité Europe, and then get the mid-afternoon shuttle back.
That leaves us with Sunday to spend at our leisure. Any and all recommendations welcome, as well as any suggested tweaks to our current itinerary, based on anyone's previous experiences of such a trip. |  |
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| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 21:04 - Aug 3 with 734 views | bluelagos |
Dunkirk? Bruges?
If you have the chips, avoid the mayo :-) |  |
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| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 21:06 - Aug 3 with 724 views | Zx1988 |
| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 21:04 - Aug 3 by bluelagos |
Dunkirk? Bruges?
If you have the chips, avoid the mayo :-) |
Dunkirk is a good shout. We did Bruges last time - loved it, but probably wrung everything possible out of it before the mussels... | |
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| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 21:22 - Aug 3 with 639 views | Basuco |
| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 21:04 - Aug 3 by bluelagos |
Dunkirk? Bruges?
If you have the chips, avoid the mayo :-) |
Oi! Watch it!
I still use my collection of Martijn Reuser chips and mayo recipes from TWTD fanzine of old. |  | | |
| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 21:29 - Aug 3 with 618 views | MattinLondon |
I visited the battlefield cemeteries for my A-Levels which was just under 30 years ago.
Two stories have still stayed with me to this day.
We visited a German war cemetery and the Jewish German dead were identifiable by the fact that their graves had stars of David on their gravestones rather than crosses. During WW2 their graves were smashed up by the advancing Germans - at the time that made me incredibly sad and still does.
At a UK cemetery an old solider was buried next to an underage solider who was 15 - the older chap took the youngster under his wings but both were killed at the same time. Their fellow soldiers recognised the strong bond that they had and so buried them next to one another.
To my shame I can’t remember where this happened but as a group we visited a battlefields site where the last post is played at night. Still the most moving experience of my life.
Hope you enjoy your trip -always put mayonnaise on chips. Ketchup is for losers. [Post edited 3 Aug 21:32]
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| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 23:00 - Aug 3 with 432 views | marshland |
Ypres is a great place that would keep you occupied for a day. Langemsrk and Tyne Cott are both some way out of town in the country. Tyne Cott is huge so if you are looking for a specific headstone check the exact location in the cemetery via the cwgc website before you go or you may spend hours looking fot it.
Both are reached by the Menin Road where there are small museums and at Hill61 some maintained trenches.
In town there are lots of cemeteries but the most interesting is Essex Farm near the canal where the first aid station still stands where the famous ww1 poem flanders fields where poppies grow was written.
In town in the moot hall next to the Cathedral is the best WW1 museum around which takes a couple of hours,
The last post is awesome. No matter how many times I go I still get goosebumps. Be there early to get a good spot. I prefer to be on the far side as its less busy thannthe town side and you see better. Get there at least 30 mins early as it can be very busy.
The restuarants in the town centre are ok but nothing special just typical tourist fare although the beer is good. Better to eat a little outide tge town centre for good belgian fare. | | | |
| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 23:06 - Aug 3 with 410 views | BlueForYou |
A trip which everyone should experience at least once in life. I found it incredibly deep & moving. I combined it with a stay in Ghent. Very nice place & an altogether nice trip. Drove back to Calais along the coastal road from Oostende. |  | | |
| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 15:58 - Aug 4 with 180 views | flykickingbybgunn |
The drive through the Gate and up the Menin road was the most atmospheric of my life. To cover in a few seconds a distance that cost so many lives over so many years. You could feel the ghosts around you.
We found great uncles on the Gate. 3 of them, Carpenters mostly.
Do NOT miss the last post.
You do not have to look for cemetries. They are all over the place. 100 Graves here, 150 there. Note too the piles of shells dug up this year by farmers left for collection at the farm gate.
The saddest but most glorious place I have ever been to.
Should be on everybodies list of places to visit. |  | | |
| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 16:06 - Aug 4 with 170 views | flykickingbybgunn |
| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 15:58 - Aug 4 by flykickingbybgunn |
The drive through the Gate and up the Menin road was the most atmospheric of my life. To cover in a few seconds a distance that cost so many lives over so many years. You could feel the ghosts around you.
We found great uncles on the Gate. 3 of them, Carpenters mostly.
Do NOT miss the last post.
You do not have to look for cemetries. They are all over the place. 100 Graves here, 150 there. Note too the piles of shells dug up this year by farmers left for collection at the farm gate.
The saddest but most glorious place I have ever been to.
Should be on everybodies list of places to visit. |
Oh and beware.
I had a "steak" in Dunkirk.
Only afterwards was I told what "de chevaux" meant.
Actually it was quite nice. | | | |
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| Ypres & vicinity - tips? on 16:19 - Aug 4 with 153 views | benrhyddingblue |
If it’s still WW1 things you’re interested in for Sunday you could head south of Ypres to the preserved German trench system called Bayernwald (you need tickets which we got at the tourist place in Kemmel), the ‘pool of peace’ crater, and then down to ‘plugstreet’ wood for the 1914 Christmas truce monument. There’s a museum at Ploegsteert too, but a walk into the wood near the 1914 monument will include several cemeteries and some bunkers depending where you go. | | | |
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