Day One Hundred Fifty-One June 5

You may note that this blog is considerably longer today but I wanted to provide a longer explanation of the events at that time in history.

We are in Bruges, Belgium today and the rain has returned. Our arrival time was 06:00 but it was not until after 07:00 that Insignia was docked. From our stateroom I can see a mooring line is thrown to a waiting tugboat who will attach the line to his boat and then pull/push our ship into position.

I have decided on a ship tour, Ypres (pronounced Epers) - In Flanders Field where we will visit two cemeteries and the In Flanders Field Museum. Janice will venture out on her own after I saw her running for the shuttle bus.

Our tour had only four people as four others decided not to venture out in the rain. Three Canadians and an American who I assumed was interested in WWII history.

Our tour guide was Dorothy, and the bus driver was Emily. Dorothy went through the procedures in case of emergency which was the first time anyone explained this to me.

Before arriving at our first stop Dorothy explained some of interesting facts about Belgium

· Population is 11.6 million

· Square kilometers of 30,528 is one third the size of Portugal

· Lowest point of elevation De Moeren -3 meters or -10 feet below sea level

· Highest point of elevation Signal de Botrange 694 meters or 2,277 feet above sea level

· Over 370 active beer breweries

· The world's second biggest exporter of chocolate

· Official languages are Dutch (Flemish), French and German

· Janice willmay discuss this further, but some locals understand French but are offended when tourists assume that Bruges' native language is French.

Our first stop was to the Tyne Cot Cemetery and the Tyne Cot Memorial. This site as well as other sites throughout Belgium, France and Holland are managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission who are responsible for the maintenance of the cemeteries.

It is quite moving to see the white rounded headstones for the first time with the names of soldiers who fought and died for what they believed in. Two German soldiers are buried here with rectangle style headstones. A semi-circle wall surrounds the front of the cemetery with the names and rank of the soldiers. New Zealand has a separate memorial for its dead soldiers as well.

This cemetery was named after a barn at the centre of a German strongpoint which was called "Tyne Cot" or "Tyne Cottage" by men of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. After its capture in October 1917 in advance of Passchendaele, one the pillboxes were used as an Advanced Dressing Station and the first burials were made around it.

The initial advance of this strongpoint began in July 1917 some twenty kilometers away. You can imagine the weather and heavy resistance were major factors contributing to the length of time to capture it.

The ground was lost in April 1918 and recapture by the Belgium Army five months later. Decisions were made to bury the the dead soldiers here rather than repatriating them back to their respective countries.

After the war the cemetery was enlarged for reburials from the battlefields, and it is now the largest Commonwealth War Cemetery in the world. It consists of 11,956 graves comprising: British 8,961, Canadian 997, Australian 1,368, New Zealand 520, South African 90, Newfoundland 14 (did not become a province of Canada until 1949), British West Indian 2, German 4.

The Tyne Cot Memorial in this cemetery bears the names of 34,857 men who fell in the Ypres Salient and whose graves are unknown. By nationalities they comprise: British 33,690, Canadian 1, New Zealand 1,166.

Our tour guide, Dorothy, took us to the grave site of Captain C.S. Jefferies VC 34th Battalion Australian INF. Deceased 12 October 1917 Age 23 for his efforts in capturing the Germain pillbox.

Additional time was allotted to go through the cemetery to see other head stones. Some were marked as unknown with a cross on them. Canadian had a maple leaf on their headstone while Australia and New Zealand soldiers were appropriately identified. Those fallen British soldiers were identified by the battalion or division they were from.

On the way to Essex Farm, we stopped at the Brooding Soldier a Canadian monument with a solider looking down and his rifle in the upside-down position.

Essex Farm Cemetery is where Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, surgeon worked in a field hospital during the battle of Ypres. He is best known for writing the poem "In Flanders Field". McCrae died of pneumonia near the end of the war. There were a few minutes to take some photos here before making our way to Ypres.

Ypres was destroyed in WWI and the inhabitants wanted to return after being displaced during most of the war. The town has been rebuilt since. As you enter Ypres you pass through the Menin Gate Memorial. This war memorial was dedicated to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the Ypres Salient and whose graves are unknown. On the walls are the names of 55,000 men, visitors are reminded the Last Post is sounded every evening at the Menin Gate at 20:00. Everyone is invited to the ceremony.

Our last stop was to the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres for the next two hours I was able to get a better understanding of what happened during this period of history. Here you can see John McCrae's poem In Flanders Field. Several videos are displayed in the museum, but one discussed the Christmas Truce of 1914. Here the video talked for one day the waring fractions laid down their arms, left their foxholes and journeyed into No Man's Land to shake hands exchange tobacco and wine and even an impromptu football match was held. When the day ended the soldiers returned to their foxholes and started firing at each other again.

Estimates are that death and casualties from the Great War are 40 million. This should never be forgotten.

It is back on the bus and a return to the ship just in time for departure at 16:30 for Honfleur, France 193 nautical miles away.

Hi, it's Janice and so happy to be out of jail. I took the train to Bruges which was a 12-minute ride. I walked the streets in the rain and enjoyed this medieval town. Unfortunately, due to the consistent rain I was not able to take a canal ride as they all have open roofs and were not running. However, I did have a lovely lunch of a baguette and wine of course in the main square. I also bought some delicious Belgian chocolate. It is a town that I would return to.

My comments about Bruges' citizens holds true as Janice began to speak in French with her waiter but he told her to speak English as he did not understand her. Guess who did not get a tip.