Just got back from a brilliant weekend completing the 45km "Peace Route" by bike. (Friday to Sunday) To say it was a humbling experience is to understate the gob smacking enormity of the conflict and the deaths of young men from 16 yrs of age (for heavens sake!). Took in Tyne Cot and the German cemetery at Langemark. Beautiful but bone numbingly awful at the same time. The ying and yang of the beauty, yet realising why they were there in the first place is a struggle to cope with. I marvel that even after all this time, such care is taken of the grounds. Will it ever end? I hope not.
However, the main point of my post is to hi-light the sympatico relationship between car drivers and cyclists. That also is a marvel to behold, unlike the constant battle in UK between unreasonably aggressive cyclists and car drivers. No one cut me up, no one gave me the finger nor the five knuckle shuffle, no one hooted at me. Lots of cycle lanes on main roads, common courtesy shown by cyclist and driver to each other. It is surely cyclist heaven. Every one knowing their place in the universe of the road. There are cycles everywhere, I even saw kids of about 7yrs or 8yrs old on country lanes on their bikes. At home I'd be having kittens at the mere thought of it. Cycling is ingrained in their mentality.
Can't wait to go back. i highly recommend the peace route by bike.....even on a Brompton!
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Weather was fine ?- the Salient can be a miserable place in the wet (nothing compared to November 1917 of course) - where did you stay ?
Edited by Pugugly on 15/09/2008 at 20:49
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Hope you managed to get to the Menin Gate for the Last Post Tack, it's something that will stay in my mind forever.
So much respect from all road users.
Pat
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Ive been to Belgium nine times in the last five years. The standard of driving is superb and with cycle routes pretty much everywhere, its a wonderfully relaxed place to be. The Menin Gate is an experience that I will never forget. Even my 13 year old son said it, "made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck".
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Pug.......Weather on Friday morning after we got off boat at Dunquerque was "chien et chat". Got to Ypres and stayed in Novotel on St Jakobstraat as it had secure('ish) underground parking for car with bikes. Cost about £80 each per night per room.
Weather cleared by midday allowing us to sit in the square to sample the delights of the brown nectar that is Belgian beer. Visited the museum at Cloth Hall.
Sampled more beer. Had a kip and went to the Menin gate ceremony. A load of scruffy schoolkids did the wreath laying.
Saturday was the big ride on the peace route. Overcast but dry. Late afternoon sampled a few beers in the square, had a kip then back to Menin Gate as we had earlier seen a load of army bods in town, so we thought it would be better. It was. An old boy did an excellent "we will remember them" & proper smart soldiers did the wreath laying. The piper was a kiwi and did a good job on the lament. Big crowd hummed along with abide with me. My eyes sprung a leak and I went all cold from the neck down. Even today, all these years after, people acknowledge the sacrifice of those days. But I think they also think of todays soldiers and look at their own kids or themselves and wonder if they could have done it.
Tried a few more beers, bed, then took in a Sunday ride for a few hours. Glorious weather!
Don't do the 17 euro brekkie at Novotel. There is a smaller hotel which does one for 7.50 on the square, croissant, rolls, coffee and juice.
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If anyone is interested, I edited some video I took on this trip, funked it up a bit and put it on the ubiquitous Youtube (well, at least it wasn't a happy slapping taken on my mobile!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjAGEeE_YYQ
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