Remembering a Lost Generation

[Big Nick]

Had a trip to The Somme and Flanders last weekend to visit some of the WW1 sites and to generally find out more about the subject.

I travelled over with SWMBO via the Hull-Zeebrugge ferry which I booked with Nutt Travel who undercut the price on the P&O website by £30 meaning I paid £225 return to include a cabin both ways.

Ready for the off

Usual sardines on the ferry deck

We arrived around 900am and head off to The Somme area for a visit to the Thiepval memorial as recommended on here. Its difficult to find a main road in the area without a war cemetary and we soon stopped to pay out respects

The memorial is very impressive and a fitting tribute to those brave soldiers

This took us up to lunch and we stopped at Avril Williams Tearooms nearby for a drink and sarnie. The tearooms have a lot of info about the area and photos, I'd recommend the croque madame sarnie

We had a cheeky feline visitor joining us for lunch who admired the GS but was amazed it hadn't broken down yet

Next we headed back towards Belgium but had time for a quick and very worthwhile stop at Vimy Ridge albeit we didn't get to see the memorial

We took a free tour with one of the guides at the Site which was very informative and found out that Hitler was stationed as a runner there carrying messages between the trenches but was injured in a gas attack 2 weeks before the Canadians launched their major offensive and was evacuated out for medical treatment........things could have been so different

There was some WW2 re-enacters there having a meeting as well

Hope the driver isn't prone to road-rage

We then carried on to the Novotel Hotel in Ypres to get checked in and got the bike safely parked up in their underground car park.

The following day the objective was to see as much as we could in one day around Ypres, we did quite well

Tyne Cott Cemetary

There's a small visitors centre there which has some personal possessions from the soldiers that are laid to rest there. I believe that its the largest Commonwealth War Grave in the world with over 12000 buried there.

In Flanders Field Museum

A quick trip up the road to the Passchendaele museum which I actually really liked as I don't normally like diaramas

The local version of the Tour De France nearly took me out as I was about to get on the bike!

I'd been told to give the Hooge Crater site a miss by the wise Tossers on here but thought I knew better, I was wrong, give it a miss as there's not much to see and its quite expensive

Time was now running low and we headed off for Hill 62 albeit when we got there we were gagging for a drink as it was a hot day and we didn't actually get past the cafe

On the way back to the Hotel I had to take a detour to the Canadian 'Brooding Soldier' memorial near Langemarck as it was so poignant

I also intended to visit the German Cemetary nearby but was vetoed by SWMBO as she thought it not appropriate

On our final night we had to make a visit to the Menin Gate ceremony which is a daily tribute to the dead and missing. You can make out on the first photo the masses of names engraved on the walls

After the ceremony and some dinner we took a stroll around Ypres which is a beautiful little town

That concluded the WW1 objective and I'd promised SWMBO the last day before the ferry 'In Bruges' no sign of Colin Farrell though!

Overall a fantastic trip in great weather, very moving, very interesting and recommended to anyone wanting to find out more about WW1

Thanks to all on here who passed on advice and tips (even if it was sometimes stupidly ignored!!)

A few images to finish on

 

[Micky]

Been there many times ... never lose the incredibility of it all, the loss of life, the sadness of it all. My grandfather was there and survived, that makes me appreciate it all the more... thanks for sharing

 

[Greger]

Thanks for the report, nice pics as well. I would like to do this one day.
Amazing the effort and inventiveness that goes in to killing each other... how stupid is man.

 

[franco]

Nice report and pics.

Nice report and pics. Lots of familiar places there. Went to Loos memorial (near Vimy) on the way back from the UK last month. Took the boys to see their great, great grandfather's resting place. They were really moved, as are all who visit these sites.
Looks like you had nice weather for it too.

Cheers.../Rob

 

[Glyno]

Some really good pics there. Brugges is always a good idea if you have the missus on board, kinda breaks it up a bit. Glad you had a good trip, cant wait for my next one.

 

[High-Tower]

Glad you had a good trip and thanks for sharing it. After visiting Tyne Cott and the Menin gate on my own this year en-route to meet SWMBO in Rome, we're planning a proper trip to Ypres next year together, probably in February to try and get an impression of what those brave men went through.

 

[SCP]

I also intended to visit the German Cemetary nearby but was vetoed by SWMBO as she thought it not appropriate

I'm off to Belguim and France in October and my first night is at the Menin Gate.
I'll be visiting at least one German cemetery as I think that we should also remember that like our lost generation young German men were sent by their ruling classes to fight.

 

[Posh Pete]

I'm off to Belguim and France in October and my first night is at the Menin Gate.
I'll be visiting at least one German cemetery as I think that we should also remember that like our lost generation young German men were sent by their ruling classes to fight.

Leave the Menin Gate until the last night. It'll be all the more memorable after you have expereinced some of the sights.

 

[SCP]

Leave the Menin Gate until the last night. It'll be all the more memorable after you have expereinced some of the sights.

The Menin Gate is my first night as day 1 & 2 are WW1 and then it's across to Arromanches Les Baines for WW2 sites.

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

Nice report and pics

Good tip for ferry prices - I always quote the MCN discount code.

Having used both the Zeebrugge and Rotterdam ferries, I prefer the Rotterdam route (I appreciate this would not be the case for your trip).

For the same price the Rott boat sails later, docks earlier, has better space for the bikes with proper padded straps, no waiting to board and is a better standard of cabin.

If travelling to the Alps it's no further from Rott.

 

[Tarka]

Good photos....cheers.

I`ve spent a fair bit of time over the years following the Trench Line of the Western Front (the trenches ran all the way to Switzerland) and have visited the places you went to.

It`s always a poignant experience...a blend of anger/sadness/confusion and bewilderment at what happened and what was allowed to happen.

It should never be forgotten,and thanks to the excellent upkeep of the sites and museums I think it never will be forgotten.

All politicians should be forced to visit this area.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Nice report and I've been there a few times myself. It never fails to leave me speechless.

It's always worth visiting the German grave sites as well in my opinion. They are set out differently and it is still very moving as they were just young guys as well who had no choice. An innocent generation was destroyed from many countries.

As Tarka says, all politicians should be made to go there.

 

[peejay]

Thanks for sharing, like others we have done a lot of these places, Langemark german cemetery is worth a visit as mentioned by others above.
Pity you didn't have time to look at the memorial at Vimy, probably one of the finest.