Memories of World War One

We have come to Ypres to learn something about World War One when the town was at the centre of intense fighting between British, French, Canadian, New Zealand and Australian soldiers defending the town and the Germans attacking it.

There is much to see and we begin with the excellent In Flanders Field Museum. Click on the Man Culture War icon for a brief description of the very interesting exhibition on the over 50 nationalities that fought here (Chinese, West Indian, Chinese, Inuit etc.) and the Museum link for more info about the permanent museum exhibits.

In the afternoon, we headed out on a cycle round Ypres to visit some historical sites of the Flanders section of the Western Front such as Hill 60 and the village of Passendale (another excellent Museum on the Battle of Passchendaele or Third Ypres that we didn't have time to visit. 

We visit Polygon Wood Cemetery where the recently discovered body of a Scottish soldier, John Thomson of the 2nd Gordon Highlanders, was finally laid to rest on 21 October 2004, having been posted missing in action.

Polygon Wood Cemetery is an example of a small battlefield cemetery with the graves left as they were dug during the War. As a result, the graves are arranged in an irregular pattern reflecting the chaos of retrieving and burying the dead in the midst of battle.

We finished our outward cycle at the Tyne Cot cemetery, the largest Commonwealth Cemetery in the world.

We head back to Ypres at 7.30pm as we want to see the ceremony of the Last Post but stop briefly at the recently erected Scottish Monument which was erected in 2006.

We arrive back in Ypres to witness the ceremony of the Last Post. Every evening since the end of the war (apart from the years of German occupation in WWII), the local Fire Brigade have played the Last Post at the Menin Gate which has inscribed on it the names of the 54,896 soldiers of the British Commonwealth who were reported missing between the beginning of the war and the 16 August 1916. These soldiers therefore have no known grave. The names of a  further 34,957 soldiers missing between 17 August 1916 and the end of the War are inscribed on a wall at Tyne Cot Cemetery.

Cycled 37.44 km (but not counting towards sponsorship)

Busking earnings 0

No punctures

Cycle Day 24 To Lieges and on to Ypres

We get up early and head off to the village shop to get some food which we eat in the village square. Groups of racing cyclists enter the square every ten minutes and zoom out again at the other end. The Belgians are keen road cyclists.

We head off still not really knowing where we are going. We are behind schedule and want to spend some time in Ypres so decide that we will cycle to Liege and try and catch a train there. Liege is shut down for the day as it's a local holiday but we manage to find the rather futuristic new railway station that is still being constructed and caught a train to Brussels 

and onto Ypres.

Ypres is an amazing little town - more on the WWI history tomorrow - but the town centre features an the enormous restored Cloth Hall - fully restored after WWI. 

Here it is now.

And here it is after the WWI bombardment by the Germans.

We find the local campsite and pitch our tent beside lots of British tourists.

Cycled 53.58 km

Busking earnings 0

No punctures

1500km

In the evening light, I reach 1500km next to a lovely little church in Belgium. 1500km was the target I originally had in mind as achievable. I've done it!

Cycle Day 23 From Duisberg to a field in Belgium

The morning is damp but brightens up quickly. Today, we aim to get to Duisberg at the end of the Ruhr cycle route and then catch a train to Aachen near the German/Belgian border and cross into Belgium.

More enjoyable cycling along the Ruhr mostly through pleasant meadows alongside the river. When we reach Mulheim we enter a rather lovely park and spend half an hour or so being distracted by an ingenious water playground where you can manipulate a series of sluices, corkscrew pumps and waterwheels to your heart's content.

The picture shows a pair of pumps which launch bolts of water from side to side in a variety of patterns.

We reach Duisberg at 3pm and catch a train to Aachen. At this stage we have little idea what awaits us in Belgium. We have no Belgian maps and normally wait until we get to a new country before trying to get hold of a new set of maps. In Aachen, we spot a sign to a Belgian town and follow it. We do have a page from a European Motorist's atlas, but the town is not named. We cycle uphill for an hour through thick forest until we reach a hotel on a main road and another cycle sign to another Belgian town which is 2km nearer. We decide to follow this until we reach a junction in the forest and no signs. We ask a jogger for directions. He tells us to head left until we reach a crossroads. If we turn right here we will get to the point where Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium meet. This sounds interesting and he appears to know what he's talking about.

We reach the crossroads and turn right along a forest track. We note that running along on our left hand side are a series of border posts. The path begins to get narrower and rougher and we struggle over fallen trees, down scree slopes and through rusting metal gates.

Here is Cathy crossing into Belgium!!!!!

Eventually after an hour and a half, at 9.30pm, we reach the border post where the three countries meet. It is all rather touristy but have got here allows us to visit the Netherlands for a short while.

Both Cathy and Isla's rear wheels are in Germany. Cathy's front wheel wheel is in the Netherlands and Isla's front wheel is in Belgium. The photo is taken by Andy who has his left foot in the Netherlands and his right in Belgium. Such silly games cheer us up.

We are now in Belgium and cycle downhill in the approaching darkness and pass through a series of small villages with no campsites or hotels in sight. Eventually we see a sign to an Auberge but it turns out to be only a restaurant. The chef directs us to a hotel 9km away. It's not after 10.30pm and dark. With no clear directions or map we won't get there before midnight. We therefore decide to sneek behind a mound of earth and camp in a green patch of ground beside some maize. We have little to eat or drink but some muesli, some nuts and half a litre of water. We settle down to sleep a peaceful sleep.

Cycled 52.35 km

Busking earnings 0

No punctures

Cycle Day 22 Bochum to Werden

We spend a pleasant evening and morning with Cathy's Aunty Betty, Uncle Werner and one of their four children and cousin, Wernher. We discuss where we have been and Uncle Werner tells us of the prisoner of war camp he spent time in in Tallinn before being moved to a labour camp further east. He worked as slave labour in bitumen mines and the Soviets did not release him until 1949, four years after the end of the war. Again, where is the apology from the Russian Government for this appalling treatment of POWs who should all have been released upon the cessation of hostilities in August 1945?

We leave at 1pm and cycle with younger Wernher back don to the Ruhr, visiting a 1000 year old church on the way. At 2pm we continue our journey. We had planned to cycle the 82km to Duisberg today but will not make it. Again the cycling is most enjoyable. Yesterday, we forgot to post an interesting picture.

It shows three vending machines. On the left is a cigarette machine, in the middle is one for condoms and, on the right is one which dispenses bicycle inner tubes!!

We spend the night in a campsite near Werden.

Cycled 49.71 km

Busking earnings 0

No punctures

Cycle Day 21 to Bochum

We arrive in Bochum to spend Tuesday night with Cathy´s aunt and uncle and cousin.

Tomorrow we head off down the Ruhr again and then plan to cross into Belgium, onto Brussels and Ypres before heading for Bruges and the Zeebrugge ferry on Monday.

We may not manage to post any more entries but hope to see all our readers soon!

Cycled 56.48 km
Busking earnings 0
No punctures

1400km

Funnily enough, I arrive at the 1400km point in front of the swimming pool in Bochum where I swam on my last visit over 2 years ago.

1300km

On the way down the Ruhr, I reach 1300km outside this nice wee church.

Cycle Day 20 Down the Ruhr

In Bestwig, we decide to take a train west to the head of the Ruhr. We are behind schedule and want to see Cathy´s Aunt and Uncle who live in Bochum.

The Ruhr is an old industrial area of Germany, now being extensively redeveloped. It is interesting to cycle past factories still making things (unlike in the UK). For example, we cycle past the open doors of Dehler Yachts. After a night´s camp, we head on down the river, crossing at one point on this lovely wee bike ferry!

Cycled 87.23 km
Busking earnings 0
no punctures