Weston-Eurotunnel-Blocknaus-Ypres-Polygon Wood-TyneCot
296 Miles11.52 Hours
It was an early start at 5am!
Up, shower, coffee and the feeling that this was it! We hit the road at 6am on such a beautiful morning with the sun sitting very lazy in a clear blue sky. The drive down to the Eurotunnel was as easy as could be with hardly any traffic on the road and even less cars queuing for the train.
We rolled off the Eurotunnel around10am French time. As soon as we got off we stopped to regroup and brim the tanks. Mine came to Euro163!!! Yeah I know!!
Our first stop was at the Blockhaus where they made the heavy water for snd launched the V2 almost plane like rocket and the mighty V1 rockets. It was amazing to see the place so intact since it was hit by 25 air strikes including 343 of Burns-Wallace Tall Boy bombs. 20,000 people lost their lives building it.For lunch we stopped in the beautiful market town of Ypres, the weather being hot with a blue sky really made it. After lunch we walked through the town to the Menen Gate where every day at 8pm since the end of the Fist World War they play the last post.
We headed to Polygon Wood afterwards as it was Anzac Day. Polygon Wood is the Australian and New Zealand burial site. We also visited Tyne Cot the largest burial site owned by The Commonwealth Greaves Commission. Both left me with mixed feelings:
1) A huge sense of respect2) Saddened with so many unnamed graves
What they went through and they don’t even get a name on their grave…..
We ended our day at an etap hotel between Brussels and Waterloo
