Coach Trip... Belgium: My Flanders WW1 Tour... Part 1!

Waking up bright and early in Brussels, I had to double check that it was the actual day of my 'WWI' tour! I wasn't joking! Thankfully, my Viator tour papers confirmed that I was indeed heading towards 'Ypres' and 'Passchendaele' to be educated good and proper about that wartime moment! From Brussels to former 'dugouts' and a poem about a comrade, it was a lot! Let's go!

I wasn't playing, I was awake before the birds once again! Belgium didn't see me boozing all that much or at all, I had things to do that held gravity on my second full day in that pint-size European country! Now, it wasn't all about chocolate and beer because 'World War I' is a big magnet for tourism in Belgium. Of course, all 'war' must 'Sashay Away! Leaving on my coach from Brussels city centre early that morning was a good job because there would be an awful lot to cram into one day! The usual talk was given by the tour guide, facts about Belgian chocolate and the founding of this multi-lingual country impressed me much. The city melted away as the coach headed towards West Flanders, 'Ypres' would be our main destination with other places dotted along the itinerary. The greener pastures of that Belgian countryside looked quite like those train views I had enjoyed the previous day. The first stop neared, it was already sounding like a somber affair, nothing can be sunshine and roses all the time! Dark Tourism? I like it, so! 

Arriving at 'Deutscher Soldatenfriedhof Vladslo / Vladslo German War Cemetery' was a swift yet muted stop along our packed itinerary, known to be a known resting place of many Germany soldiers. At the rear of the silent cemetery stood the statues of the 'Grieving Parents', a stark reminder than regardless of nationality, a parent would feel the same in that situation. I kept a neutral feeling, I wanted to see something that connected to the British and Commonwealth troops, those who had fallen for the Crown. Passing by the 'Brooding Soldier' was a stationary stop as people literally stepped out of the coach to take a photo, I did not feel the need to. China was involved? I found out that Chinese labourers worked tirelessly from a neutral stance to build the trenches and other necessary structures! 'Yorkshire Trench & Dugout' felt special to visit because it was British and evidently named after the county of Yorkshire! I was able to walk through some of the replica trenches/dugouts but wasn't as nimble as those boys needed to be! 

If you haven't heard of 'In Flanders Field', then you've been living under an extremely huge rock! 'Essex Farm Cemetery' became our next stop, it was where I was able to see those first white head stones! I was able to take a short walk around the head stones alongside the tour group because time was not a plenty. It was touching to hear about the poem that was engraved on stone, a fallen soldier had been thought of by his friend in combat, a poem had been written. Canadian Lieutenant, John McCrae use poppies in his commemorative poem as a sign of remembrance. It was so earth-shattering to hear how he felt so compelled to write such a clearly heartfelt poem about a man he had been in combat with. We were able to take a moment to think about the gravitas of the situation, those underage fighters were in the firing line back in the 1910's with no technology nor support that forces know of today. We moved on forth to see some of the bunkers and side exhibits before we made our move. Oh, it was unusually peaceful. 

Lunch was almost on the horizon but we had some driving to complete beforehand. Those 'West Flanders' settings were lush and green with pastures going for miles ahead. It was fascinating to see countless farms pass the coach by, it was definitely an agricultural mainstay. It was interesting to hear about the fallout such farms continued to endure, it was said that farmers have found explosives buried under the ground on their pastures. It was said that one person wasn't so lucky as that nasty hadn't been dealt with, talk about a deadly farm? Yes! Our tour guide did mention that such challenges continue to plague farms in West Flanders, making it not unusual to see un-exploded matter left outside on the curb to be picked up. You already know that the scenery reminded me of my 'McCombs Coaches' trip from Belfast, Northern Ireland. What would lunch be? I wasn't expecting much but something sustaining it needed to be! The day so far had been informative, quite sobering even in parts. I was back in my 'Coach Trip' era!'

Frankly, I was starving! The coach did the most, those narrow countryside roads weren't compatible with a large coach like ours. I had no qualms with that lunchtime spot, others on the tour were expressing their discontent but I kept an open mind. I made my 'one' included drink a local Belgian beer, I have always been taught to get my moneys worth and pop won't ever be an acceptable choice! A Ploughman's lunch? Yes, we were practically served a 'ham and cheese' sandwich! With that sandwich lunch served up to me, I appreciated it because living in China makes a good sandwich hard to come by! I had no issue with my beer and sandwich, others on my table were about to talk some mess! I had clocked some familiar accents, those two people were from England but had relocated to Australia. The husband was really unbearable and when I mentioned that I lived in China, his ignorance rubbed me up the wrong way! I blocked him out and finished my sandwich whilst the others complained some more! Bore off! Let's get moving! 

The pace of the day felt fine to me, I had read that the tour would last for 13 hours! I could sense that we hadn't quite made it to the halfway point, more places needed to be seen first! The morning had been jammed packed with cemeteries and historical commentary. The part of Flanders that we were driving through did remind me of 'Brewood' in 'South Staffordshire'. Those bungalow houses and village-like amenities gave me an essence of a place where I spent a lot of time during the Pandemic in England, back in the world, it was great to pay attention to that connection. That was a long sentence, if there ever was one! Yes, no French spoken in that part of Belgium and English was the only language used for our tour in the restaurant. I noticed that our tour guide was Flemish as he was from Bruges and agreed with me when I said that even on Belgian TV there's a bias against more French being pushed on a certain 'Drag Race' show. Back onto the road, it was to 'Ypres' we headed! They built the town back, brick by brick?

As our coach drove closer towards Ypres town centre, it was clear to see that the houses outside of the town looked less than historical. They held significance but for a very different reason, we were informed that 90% of Ypres was destroyed during the First World War! Now, that is some shady shade! Those residences needed to be uplifted and rebuilt, leaving the oldest building in Ypres dating back to the 1930's! Our town centre stop after lunch was at the 'In Flanders Field Museum', I already knew that I wouldn't spend much time in the museum! We were told what time to meet back in the same space, there we had about 90 minutes to do as we pleased. I accepted my museum wristband, I paid attention to several exhibits with focus on the uniform worn by those heroic soldiers. Making pace, I headed for the pub on the other side of the square because that lunchtime drink was nowhere near enough! The sunshine was much too pleasant to be inside the museum for long! With all due respect, I raised a glass to the fallen! Ypres agreed! 

Naturally, I had taken what I needed from the museum. Crucially, the Great War should've never happened, the museum amplified the lives lost both on the battlefield and in everyday life. I enjoyed my beer, it was just gorgeous to sup on another freshly pulled Belgian pint! I needed something sweet to make up for the sourness of the day, learning about war requires chocolate! Leper's Grote Markt was about to hook me up! My eyes were set upon those delectable chocolates at 'Chocolaterie Peter De Groote!' I walked in to find a treasure trove like presentation of chocolates of all kinds, I opted for a randomly selected box of chocolates for a reasonable price. The smell was heavenly, I preferred buying those chocolates from a quieter place rather than in a chain brand, it felt more honest. Remembering the time, I made my way back to the meeting point because I wasn't about to be missing that coach! Here's to halfway, there's too much content for just one blog post, let's meet in part two! Don't you be a stranger! 

Never Forget...

Desperately Seeking Adventure