Vince is currently enjoying a full-fat electric hook-up in Camping Jeugstadion in Ypres, Belgium. In Canterbury we spent the night on battery power which was a bit of an unknown for us as we hadn’t been away without hook-up before – idiots! Fortunately Vince came through, we have gas heating & cooking so the electric was only needed for lighting and the water pump (which threw a wobbler and wouldn’t turn off – it’s fine now weirdly).
We had plenty of time to get to the port – as we arrived quite early they shoved us on an earlier sailing so we were all hooked up here with power and water by 3.30pm, result! We don’t have wifi at the campsite, and the mifi isn’t set up for Belgium so our posts may come through all at once or not at all depending on when we find some internet!
Ypres is well-known for its role during the First World War when it was completely flattened by German shelling as the front line moved backwards and forwards. I’m no historian but it was hard not to be moved last night when we attended the Menin Gate Ceremony to hear The Last Post sounded in honour of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who fell, and have no known grave. This ceremony takes place every evening at 8pm and has done so since the war ended, stopping only during World War 2.
“At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them”
A moving post in more ways than one x
I have been to the Menin gate service 4 times in the last few years, always found it moving even with 100s of noisy children.
I always find Belgium is always enjoyable except the motorways, hope you got to try some of the local food.