Walking the Ypres Salient.

Here's a little story, all about my recent trip with Mum and friends to Ypres, in Belgium, on a Leger Battlefield trip.
Some of you may have read my trip to The Somme two years ago, and this year Mum wanted to take me to one of her favourite places.

Journey up and over.

I left Devon on the Sunday afternoon, I knew it was going to be a slow journey in holiday traffic, so I took my time, played some very loud sing-along CD's and just chilled out. Just over five and a half hours later, I reached Mum's house in Surrey.
The following morning, both packed and ready to go we waited at the coach stop in Redhill to start our adventure.
Coach to Stop 24 where we met up with Mum's friend Jeff, then Kate and her Dad Brian arrived. (you may remember them from my blog of The Somme)

Then we hit the ferry, bought perfume, ate some food and a short coach trip through France to Belgium then we were at our hotel in Ypres.

Ypres night one.

We unpacked quickly and went out into Ypres to The Menin Gate for the Last Post ceremony.
Tradition is that the local Fire Brigade play the last post, and the very exciting thing is, that they are twinned with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, who I work for as a Firefighter. I was hoping to meet them at some point whilst we were there.
The ceremony was moving, a brass band played, causing a few tears to run down the cheeks of most who were there. We would return later in the week for a very special ceremony.

Next stop, 'The Old Bill' pub not far from our hotel, a few drinks, some great music and a lot of laughs.

Day One - Pilken Ridge and Hooge.

 This morning, was the longest of the walks of the week.
The dynamic between both of our guides was interesting.
Vic did like to tell a story or three, and Peter seemed to lose patience with this at times, but it was good fun banter, and kept a serious topic lighthearted at times. Not a bad thing.

We started at Artillery Wood, where the third battle of Ypres started on 31st July 1917.
Walking along the railway line across the Pilken Ridge, visiting Ruisseau Farm Cemetery and eventually ending up by the Harry Patch memorial.
I noticed almost straight away the dynamic of a walking tour is so very different to the coach tour I did two years ago.
Walking, you get to chat to all the people on the trip, not just those close to you on the coach, and there were some definite characters on this trip!

We had lunch at Hooge, an open sandwich with pate, I have never actually seen so much pate on one piece of bread, it was like five Christmas' worth on one plate! I ate it though.....

After a visit to the museum at Hooge we set off on our second walk of the day, Bellewaarde Ridge.
I stood in a crater, and in this photo you can see the spires of Ypres just over the top of the Maize, not far away at all.

Once the second walk was over, we headed back to Ypres and our hotel, and another entertaining evening.

Jeff, decided he wanted to go to a shop in Ypres, and we found him there, shirtless in the back room, about to try on a new t shirt! Quite a sight and very funny!
Then me and Mum joined Kate, Brian and Jeff for Flemish Stew, followed by a walk around the ramparts, as it slowly got dark.
Quick drink at The Old Bill again, and it was time for bed, ready for an early start.

Day Two - Passchendaele and Polygon Wood.

I got up early (5am England time) and ran the ramparts, I wanted to see properly in daylight and the sun was just rising over the Ypres spires as I made my way back to the hotel.
Sadly, the Flemish Stew from the previous night was not sitting well in my stomach, my usually healthy diet had gone to pot on this trip, with high fat, low fibre foods, and I had to steal some immodium from Brian. There's nothing worse than a bad stomach on a coach and walking through fields. Luckily it did the job! (too much information)

We actually did this day back to front, so we visited Polygon Wood first, walking through to the 'Buttes New British Cemetery' where the Australian soldiers fought in September 1917.

We were lucky enough to have a lovely Australian lady on the coach with us, Michelle - affectionately called 'Muriel' by Roger, and it was quite an emotional moment for her, being there.

I think it made the experience more meaningful to us, having her there.

This fella, is called 'Tom' and he lives right by the cemetery, he recognised Vic straight away, as someone who would give him a special treat, and a few sugar lumps later, Tom was a happy Donkey.

We took a short walk back to the coach and made our way back to the coach, where we were taken back to Hooge for  another open sandwich!

Before the afternoon's walk we went round the cemetery at Hooge.

The afternoon was all about the Canadians and Passchendaele, I had watched a film with Mum about this battle, so it was interesting to actually walk the area where it happened and see for myself the lay of the land there.
It was hard to comprehend, on that sunny day, looking out over green fields, just how wet, muddy and hell-like it must have been out there in October and November 1917.

Our walk finished at Tyne Cot cemetery, the largest British and Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world, and it was phenomenal. Again, hard to comprehend, so many died.

Special night.

We met a lovely lady on the trip, she was on the same feeder coach as Kate and Brian, called Margaret.
Margaret had arranged to lay a wreath at The Menin Gate and was allowed to take with her, two others. So she took Kate and Mum with her - there was a lot of excitement and nerves about this.
Jeff, Brian and me waited up the end of the gate, to watch the ceremony and try and take photos of them placing the wreath.

We watched them walk across with the wreath, looking nervous, and then walk back separately.
And then it was my turn for excitement as I managed to meet the Fire Brigade and have my photo taken with them.
I had a brief chat with them, I'm not sure they have female Firefighters in Belgium judging by their reaction!

We then all found an interesting restaurant, with awful music then headed back to the hotel bar.
There was a little gathering back there, and Roger and Richard turned up. They were just so brilliantly funny, and had us all crying with laughter, much needed laughter after an emotional day.
Off to bed before another early run exploring the other side of Ypres for me.

Day three - Pervyse and Nieuport.

We started today learning about two British nurses, Marie Chisholm and Elsie Knocker, who looked after wounded Belgians.
We then followed an old railway track on a very flat route all the way towards Nieuport.

We went to a museum there and I walked up a massive staircase to the top, and an amazing view.

Then, it was lunch time and Roger treated me, Mum and Jeff to lunch.
We then had Prosecco in the back of the coach heading back into Ypres.
There was time in the afternoon to visit a few places in Ypres, one of those was St. George's Memorial Church, definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Ypres.
We then went round the Cathedral, a very impressive building, in fact, considering there was practically nothing left of Ypres, the re-building is fantastic.

Our trip was nearly over, we visited Mum's favourite chocolate shop, ate dinner at The Trumpet, then me and Kate played a few games of table football in 'The Old Bill' I wont divulge the score, but let's just say, Kate is hiring a personal table football trainer before we next meet in two years, when we walk The Somme!
Sorry Kate!

The journey home.

We walked our cases around to the coach as the roads were closed due to a cycle race event.
We stopped off at one more cemetery on the way back to the ferry terminal,  Lissenhook, where we saw the grave of another nurse, Nellie Spindler, then we said our first goodbye to our friends as me made our way to the feeder coach.

Then on the ferry, we re-joined the gang, Kate, Brian, Jeff, Margaret, Sean, Roger and Richard, for a last laugh before our proper goodbye.
What a week, highs and lows, more education. I am so happy that Mum wanted to share her interest with me, and we are planning to walk The Somme in two years, and I am hoping that my brother will join us, that would really please Mum, and I think it's long overdue.
Andrew, are you reading this?! You really need to do one of these trips!

Thanks to my Mum and the gang for an amazing week.