Back to Belgium

We left Zeeland and headed back to Belgium for our final two nights with the family.  We first went to Ypres (Ieper on the map) which was pretty much demolished in World War I.

Ypres is dotted with large and small cemeteries. Perhaps over half a million soldiers died in at Ypres during WWI.  The exact number is unknown because so many bodies were unidentified. The British empire alone lost over 200,000 men in battles at Ypres. The memorial gate lists the names of 54,389 soldiers from countries in the British Empire whose bodies were never found. This town has become a pilgrimage point for Brits coming to honor their dead. We attended the ceremonial "Last Post" which is presented every evening at 8:00.

Damage to the cloth hall in the center of town during WWI.

The center of Ypres - the cloth hall. Ypres was a center for the import of British and Scottish wool to the continent. This is where wool and cloth were stored. It looks like a cathedral.

The cloth hall has been totally reconstructed using original stone.  Notice the details of the statues - the one on the left is a soldier.

Walking on the ramparts (town wall) in the morning, I came across Mary.

Early morning on the ramparts is somewhat magical.

From time to time there are indications that the ramparts were used as defense and there are lots of entrances to tunnels underneath. At one time these ramparts were more extensive than the city they protected.

The town has been restored, the morning streets are quiet.  It's hard to believe that nothing was left of Ypres but rubble at the end of WWI.  All is peaceful now.