Belgium 8/7/10

We drove through Belgium trying to keep to the lesser roads which are far more interesting than the boring motorways. The only problem is that Mr Garmin GPS doesn't recognise when a road has been detoured for roadworks. We spent the best part of an hour trying to get out of a town called Gent which is probably about the size of Hamilton. Because of some roadworks and some very confusing road signs and road markings we found ourselves going around in circles and all we could hear was the bloody GPS saying RE-CALCULATING. The temperature was around 26 degrees outside and about 46 degrees in the cab!!!!

Finally found our way to This beautiful little town called Ypres (Ieper in Dutch). There is a magnificent entrance to the old part of town called the Menin Gate where, every night at 7pm the last post is sounded to remember all the soldiers that where killed there in WW1. This huge entrance gate archway is inscribed with the 54,896 British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed in the trenches but have no grave.. In all over 300,000 soldiers died here in the 4 years of fighting and the town itself was totally flattened. It was a very moving ceremony with the best part of 200 people attending that night.

The next day we headed for Calais to catch the ferry to Dover.