Today we are in Bruges, giving us access to Ypres and its WW1 battlefields. Our tour revolved around the poem “In Flanders Field” by John McCrae. First up was a visit to the Commonwealths War Graves site at Tyne Cot Cemetery where 16,000 commonwealth, including an Australian VC holder, and 2 German soldiers are buried.
We then visited Essex Farm Cemetery where John McCrae working in a field hospital, pictured below, had watched a close friend die. He wrote the poem below as tribute.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky
    The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
        In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
    The torch; be yours to hold it high.
    If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
        In Flanders fields.
Then a visit to the Menin Gate and the excellent In Flanders Field Museum. This gave a personal, and deeply moving account, of people caught up in the war and it’s dreadful effects. Feeling quite somber we exited to explore further and sample some excellent Belgian Waffles. We were strong and resisted the chocolates….