Today I visited several Canadian World War I memorials and cemeteries in Flanders, Belgium. This really puts into perspective the great sacrifice that our soldiers made for our country and for the freedom of our European allies.

This is particularly special for me, as my grandfather fought in World War I for the Canadian Army. He was stationed in France near Vimy Ridge. He was one of the lucky ones who survived and returned home to our great country. I dedicate this post to my grandfather’s memory.

My first stop was to Essex Farm Cemetery, where John McCrae wrote the famous poem In Flanders Fields. As my Canadian friends know, the poem is:

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.

– John McCrae

Below are 3 photos. The 1st shows a plaque where John McCrae wrote the poem. While standing in front of this plaque you can see the cemetery on your left (2nd photo). But remember that during the war there were no gravestones – instead there were crosses – hence “between the crosses, row on row”. If you turn to your right in front of the plaque, you look down a narrow street to where the Germans were shelling/shooting from their trench line (3rd photo). The poem really hits you when you are standing where John McCrae stood.

My next stop was Tyne Cot Cemetery, where nearly 12,000 Commonwealth soldiers are buried. You can see this in the photo with the white headstones and the cross in the distance. Many of the headstones are marked as unknown as there was no way to identify the remains. This includes soldiers from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other allies.

Finally I visited some sites in the town of Ypres. In the photos you can see a large gate, called the Menin Gate. This is dedicated to all the Commonwealth missing soldiers whose remains were not found/identified. Their names are engraved throughout the Menin Gate, and number over 54,000. Also in Ypres is the In Flanders Fields Museum. This museum provides a very thoughtful and informative history of World War I in Belgium.

This has been a great day for reflection and remembrance. We all have so much to be thankful for – most of all our freedom. We must remember to ensure that this kind of human devastation never happens again – Lest We Forget.

Shawn

Brussels is one of the quirkiest cities I’ve found in Europe – and it’s a good thing! How is it quirky you may ask – let me tell you:

• While walking to my hostel, I found a billboard ad with a dog being flattened by a train! It’s a reminder that the train always has priority! Check out the photo below
• The mascot for the city is “Manneken Pis.” It’s literally a statue of a kid taking a leak. The city changes the costume for the statue on a regular basis and displays them in the city museum
• The city encourages graffiti artists and comic art throughout the city. I found one mural of the classic cartoon “The Adventures of Tintin.” I loved this show growing up. Tintin and his drunken sailor sidekick are escaping from some adversity!
• For Expo 58, the city built a giant stainless steel copy of an iron crystal magnified by 165 million times! Who needs a tower, a statue, or arch when you can have a giant iron crystal?
• As you probably know, Brussels is the capital of the European Union. Right outside the European Parliament, the city set up a bunch of ostriches, half of them with heads buried in the dirt! A great throw out to the EU’s politicians. Maybe we should get something like this back home in Ottawa – Trudeau could even get a selfie with them!

On a more conventional note, the museums are great in Brussels. The history museum is very comprehensive and has artifacts/displays from all of over the world. It even had statues/engravings of my favourite Egyptian pharaoh – Akhenaton. He tried to wipe out the Egyptian pantheon and make Egypt worship his new and only sun-god, Aton. It’s rare to have Akhenaton artifacts because later pharaohs called him a heretic and ordered all things linked to Akhenaton to be destroyed… cool blip in Egyptian history.

I also made a day trip out to Antwerp. A very visually stunning place. It has one of the nicest train stations in the world – architecturally speaking. So many huge and ornate buildings – the photo of the palace/fountain is from Antwerp.

I’ll be in Brussels until Tuesday, when I fly out to Rome. Lots of more cool stuff to check out! Until then

Cheers, Shawn

Bruges, Belgium, is as picture perfect as a town can be! Cobblestone streets intermingled with century old architecture and flowing canals – what’s not to love? I spent today just wandering around the streets and checking out this gorgeous town. It’s fun to just take random streets to see where you end up. There’s always a church steeple or tower to guide you back!

Some points of interest:

• If you’re into art, check out the Groeningemuseum for a vast array of Belgian/Flemish artists from throughout the centuries
• For some exercise take a 360 step climb up the Belfort, a bell tower that overlooks the city
• The Basilica of the Holy Blood: this Roman Catholic Basilica houses a relic that was thought to be brought from Jerusalem in the Middle Ages – a phial of blood from Jesus Christ. I stopped in at the right time for a public veneration of the relic. A very beautiful ceremony and church

I find that travelling in Europe during the fall (autumn) is ideal. The colourful leaves make for beautiful sights, the temperature is perfect for walking around, there are fewer crowds, and prices are lower! For my friends in Canada, you can fly to Europe for as low as $300 (one way) with Westjet. Sounds tempting doesn’t it!

I have another couple of days here in Bruges, and then I’ll be off to Brussels. So far, Belgium is a fantastic place to be!

Cheers, Shawn

Today’s journey began with a coach ride out to an amazing pre-historic site – Stonehenge! No one knows for sure, but it’s estimated that this site was constructed around 5000 years ago! Somehow these ancient people hauled the massive stones to this site, with some as far away as 140 miles!

I must admit that I was rather giddy going on this trip. Stonehenge has always been a place I wanted to visit. Actually being there was a very cool experience. Even though it doesn’t overpower you like the Pantheon or some massive temple, Stonehenge has a certain tranquility and agelessness that hit home. To think that people 5000 years ago put their energy, knowledge, and skill into a place of reverence shows the link that modern-day humans have with our ancestors.

From Stonehenge I continued the journey onto Bath, a city built by the Romans around 2000 years ago. The natural hot springs were made for a Roman style public bath, which the Romans thought was a gift from their gods. The city’s buildings are built almost exclusively from a local “Bath stone,” which has a soothing yellow/honey colour. The architecture is beautiful, and the abbey church has very stunning stained glass windows.

From Bath I hopped back on the bus for the three-hour ride back to London. Just a few more days in London until the journey continues on. I’ll enjoy the English Breakfasts until then!

Cheers, Shawn