Our trip to visit Georges grave in Belgium.

What an adventure, 3 flights to Paris followed by three trains to Pop. The travel gods were with us on the way over as the last two planes were only half full, plenty of room for all to stretch out. We felt blessed!! The three trains were an experience and in the end  after many hours (about 40) on the go, we arrived in Pop…exhausted! Once off the last train and starting toward our accommodation a light misty rain, warm and welcoming, brushed our tired and weary faces, then within a flash, was gone…….  George we are here!!

Thursday, November 9: A much-needed rest day to get acquainted and feel slightly more orientated, we were lucky to have a random meeting with Annemie!! We loved the Flemish language.

 

Friday, November 10: On the way to breakfast we discovered the Market square transformed into a busy market as it is every Friday. The food vans looked and smelt delicious. – the flower stall was stunning and unexpected, a gorgeous wreath and a bunch of almost white Chrysanthemums selected.

We hired bicycles (a popular mode of transport in this part of the world) to ride out to the long anticipated Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery….. the last 3 km of our almost 18000 km journey.

Understanding the distances of the SOS line at Zonnebeke just a short distance from Lijssenthoek became a reality once we had visited other local sites and the beautiful town of Ypres.  Red Cross File. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday 11th November: Remembrance day in Ypres at the Menin Gate Memorial. Footage of this moving experience. 

 

 

Sunday 12th November: A day trip to the old part of Ghent

Monday 13th November: back to the Cemetery before leaving tomorrow. Found our tributes still intact after the wind and rain yesterday. Also discovered a bunch of roses on the grave of Harold Drew. Had his family been to visit? I found Nurse Nellie Spindler’s grave after hearing her story of being the only female buried at Lijssenthoek. It was then I realised the gathering of people on our first visit were standing at her grave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After being in Pop for almost a week we discovered when saying our farewells to our wonderful hosts of their interest with our homeland so we able to do some ad-lib Tourism promotion of Tassie and especially Flinders, as you do♥♥ 

Tuesday 14th November: up early and on the first train to Lille and then crammed on the express train to Paris. A whole other experience and language to get our heads around.

 

Lest we forget