Around Ypres 26/03/14

Today we went to Ypres area in Belgium, our first day in Belgium. This day we went to a small plot of land with German trenches and tunnels still intact. It was a slightly rainy day, and that made the trenches much more authentic. The trenches were muddy, slippery and very cold, even though the rest of the area was not so. This gave a real feel of authenticity to the site, we could really feel how the trenches felt during the Great War. If it was a sunny and lovey day, the trenches would have been a delight, but it wouldn't feel as real as it did as they were muddy. After having some free time to explore the city of Ypres and after having a lovley dinner, we went to the Menin Gate ceremony, a ceremony that honoured all the commonwealth soldiers that fought and died fighting against the Germans in WWI. This ceremony has been going on everyday since the end of the war without fail, save one, the day Hitler invaded Belgium. This was a very touching ceremony, it wasn't horribly fancy, but it was touching to think that they had been doing this for almost 100 years. The gate was also a beautiful building as well, and it was adorned by all the names of the soldiers that had perished. It was made out of a very fine stone and it was obviously well maintained, which was touching in its own way as well. Over all the entire experience was very solemn, and to think that these people dedicate the time to do this everyday, rain or shine, holiday or not, they will remember the people who died to liberate their country.

-Nick Block