The 21st of July is our National Holiday and as tradition wants it, it's either (in 80% of the cases) raining or there's a heat wave on, so it didn't come as a surprise that as soon as we crossed the border into Belgium, it started to rain.

We weren't looking forward of getting back home so soon, so when we saw the sign for Ieper, we looked at each other and said 'let's stop for coffee'.

Well, that was the best decision we'd made the whole weekend. As soon as we drove into town, we knew we had made the right decision. We drove through the Menenpoort, which was gorgeous, and then found ourselves on the market square with city hall and the lakenhallen, which house the 'In Flanders Fields' war museum.

Since we were here for coffee, that got priority. We had apple pie at 'Le Mirroir' and afterwards stole a map at the tourist office and set about exploring the city center.

Unfortunately, our exploration was cut short by the weather, which drove us back into the car and onto the highway for another 3 hour drive home.

I've probably made this sound like this wasn't much of a trip and it is true that I wouldn't recommend it to anyone... at least not the places we visited. But we did have fun and staying at the Chateau and dining at their excellent restaurant was an experience in itself... yet we probably won't be going back there anytime soon. Sorry.

We've been to Oostende several times.  Now every time some of our relatives come and visit we take them to Brugge, Mons and Oostende,  it seems like.  On July 12th we went back,  I think this is the 7th time.  Not sure.  We rented the bikes where 9 people could fit on it and drove around the boardwalk for 30 minutes.  Then we flew kites on the beach.  It was to cold to go swimming.  I'm staritng to think we won't have a summer at all this year in Belgium.   One of the best things about Oostende is eating.  The seafood places are great,  but this time we didn't want to spend the money.   Here are some pictures frmo this trip. 

Waking up in Ghent, we decided to take advantage of the biggest benefit of living in Belgium - the ability to zip around Europe by train. Lydia decided that her life's ambition was to see the Zandsculptuurfestival in Blankenberge, a tiny town on the coast of Belgium. The town certainly had ocean alongside land, with a strip of sand in the intermediate zone, but no Australian could ever call it a beach. Luckily, the beach wasn't our aim, we were here to see het zandkasteel. Every year in Blankenberge they create the world's biggest sandcastles for the Zandsculptuurfestival. This year the theme was princesses, specifically Sleeping Beauty, Cinderalla and Rapunzel. The sandsculptures were indeed impressive, in both scale and detail. The secret is to use angular rather than spherical grains.

opstappen in zeebruggen

This is a rather small but nice hotel in the center of Blankenberge, at walking distance of the station and the beach, located in the main shopping street. Yet the rooms are really quiet and inside the hotel there is a peaceful atmosphere. Breakfast here is delicious, and one of the best I had in cheap coastal hotels in Belgium, with many dishes to choose from. The rooms are rather small, but well equipped and maintained. They are well kept clean and fresh. The rooms on each corridor have different colors. I stayed in a blue/white striped room, but there are also for example red rooms. Not like that matters a lot, I just thought it was funny. I haven't had dinner here yet so I can't give any recommendations on that. The staff however is very friendly and the prices of the hotel are really ok for what you get. So I would recommend this as one of the best affordable simple hotels in Blankenberge area.

I wasn't supposed to go to Oostende, but ended spending here a couple of days since I met nice people who lived in the city. I can't say too much, because I just spent 1 night here, but I was amazed that I could find a bed in the middle of the afternoon. This hostel is ideally located at the center of the city, 2 blocks from the seaside and almost in front of an Irish Pub, where I spent most of my time is Oostende, hehe. I noticed there were many groups of people from different generations. I stayed in a 8-bed room just with 2 other people. So, I had plenty of space. Also the bathrooms are inside each room. The beds weren't the best, but they were ok. The staff is friendly and helpful. I even forgot here an ID and they kept that for me. They wanted to deliver it to me by mail, but it was easier for me going back and picking it up, since I was close. The breakfast in included and has a good variety. They have a closure time, but if you want to go out, they will give you a key.

The final stop on our day long battlefield and war grave trip was Tyne Cot. This, in contrast to the German cemetery, was proud, dignified, and made the heart ache to see such a waste of lives. Nearly 12,000 men are commemorated here, and ordered rows of graves, the still air and silence make it seem unearthly somehow. It was moving, especially after seeing the German graves at Langemark. It also evoked feelings of pride, sympathy and compassion. How many families were torn apart by this conflict? How many mothers, wives and children lost a husband, son or father? The fact wars still rage, and that this sacrifice wasn't enough to prevent an even greater conflict hurt even more.

I was pleased to end the tour here, I'm not sure how many more cemeteries like Tyne Cot I could take. This trip was valuable for me, and for the kids. Thoroughly worth it, whilst being thought provoking and at times challenging.

This place summoned waves of conflicting emotions in me. Firstly, as someone who's English, I've never really been reared to have sympathy for the German's involved in either great war. That isn't to say I have a vendetta against them, I just know that they were wrong and we were right and we won the day. Looking at Langemark made me question some of these views. Doubtless, the war was a tragedy that should never have happened. And the actions of the German troops, especially in regards to Belgium were non to exemplary. But the fact this place has to be locked at night, even today, is a poor testament to how far we've come.

The graves are plain, black marble on the ground. My guide told me because the German's weren't allowed crosses or regalia as they'd lost and they were the bad guys. In the centre, in an area the size of a penalty box of an average football pitch, 25,000 German corpses lay. 25,000. That's not being victorious, that's no showing respect. Men on both sides died for causes they didn't understand, and they all served their country. This to me, seemed a bit like an insult. It made the place feel oppressive, and unhappy. I was pleased to see it, but happy to leave as my mind was troubled afterwards. No glory in war here.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not apologising for the Germans. It's just this place seemed to be rubbing the triumph in a little too much.

Restaurant Cesar is situated on the Grote Markt in Kortrijk. The restaurant is a nice and clean in style. We chose it because of its nice white chairs outside I am sure. We had no preferences of any of the establishments on the town square but it looked nice. First view on the menu and the people sitting inside gave us an indication of that this was one of the better places in the city. It was a place where people dressed up to go and eat on a Sunday together with ones love ones or with the whole family. The prices were in the high end of what I have seen in a place like this. The waitress was very nice and sweet and guided us through the menu and answered our questions. We chose both something light; I had a César salad and my friend had a club sandwich; both dishes were priced at around 18 € each. The food was good, no doubt but I think we both felt that this was in the steep end pricewise. Inside the restaurant was a bit dull; it was a place that wanted to look exclusive but ended up being without soul. All my points go to the service and the power of the sun that day

Ypres was one of the most important cloth producing and cloth trading cities of the county of Flanders in the high Middle-Ages. Bruges is known all over the world for being a beautifully preserved medieval town, but if the First World War (The Great War) had not raged over Ypres, perhaps Ypres would have been as famous as Bruges. By 1918 almost nothing remained of the city, because it was in the middle of the frontline between the German and the Allied Armies. Ypres was bombed to pieces and almost wiped off the face of the earth.

But Ypres rose again, and resumed its role as the prime city of the Flemish Westhoek (= the western part of the Belgian Province of West-Flanders, the area behind the river IJzer).

Early in the 12th century, Ypres rose to become one of the most important cities of the county of Flanders. The city had already acquired a reputation for its cloth manufacturers and cloth traders. Ypres could be reached via the little river 'Ieperlee' and, moreover, the city lay alongside the important trade route between Bruges and Lille (now in Northern France). In that same century the cloth exchange was created as well as the first cloth hall, the belfry and the cathedral. 

The 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century saw the city at the height of its political and economic power. Cloth from Ypres was exported everywhere in the then known world (even to Novgorod in Russia!). Because the local wool production did not meet the demands of the market, Ypres turned to England as its prime wool supplier. During this period the guilds and cloth traders held the most important position in the city. After Ghent and Bruges, Ypres had become the third most important city in the county, with about 40.000 inhabitants. 

The 14th century was marked with a lot of political and social unrest and announced the end of Ypres' prosperity. An epidemic killed a large part of the population in 1316. After the battle at Kassel, many traders and business men left the city. Furthermore, in 1383 the English army (supported by the rival town of Ghent) destroyed the surroundings of Ypres. All of this led to a downfall of the cloth production and the entire economy of the city.

During the religious troubles in the 16th century the town was under an 8 month siege by the Duke of Parma. When the siege ended, Ypres was plundered and many inhabitants killed. In the 17th century Ypres was taken by the French. In order to better defend this strategic place, the architect Vauban, had large defence walls built around the city. From 1559 to 1801 Ypres became an important religious centre. One of the most important bishops was Jansenius (1585-1638) who laid the basis for the religious Jansenism movement with his book "Augustinus". After the 18th century Ypres had lost all its strategic and economic importance.

The town came again into the spotlights during the First World War. Ypres was situated right in the middle of the frontline between the Germans and the Allied troops. An almost complete destruction of the city was the result.

During four years Ypres was in the middle of the frontline of the First World War in Flanders, or the Great War. After the taking of Antwerp by the Germans, the Belgian troops took position in the westernmost corner of the country, behind the river IJzer. With the help of the French army, the Belgians succeeded in fending off German attacks in the neighbouring city of Diksmuide. Finally, they could not hold their position and had to retreat behind the IJzer River. 

However, the German troupes were brought to a halt, because Belgium decided to open the locks of the river so that the entire IJzer plain was flooded. In this way, the German army could no longer continue its march towards the sea towns. Despite heavy losses, the British Army succeeded in maintaining its position on the hills around Ypres.

All through the fighting, Ypres was heavily bombed. In April 1915, the German Army managed to push the allied front back to the western bank of the river. For the first time, chemical weapons were used here by the Germans (gas, a.k.a. Iperite) against the French and the Canadian Armies. 

The Allied Front withstood the attacks and the Germans were pushed back over the canal. In the middle and in the south of the battle field fierce fighting took place between 1914 and 1918 around some very strategic hills: Hill 60, Hill 62 and the hill range near Mesen. This is where the allied troupes started (under heavy and continuous rains) to re-conquer the entire western part of Ypres.

On November the 6th the village of Passendale was regained. In April 1918, the German Army launched an ultimate attack by occupying the Kemmel Mountain west of Ypres. In May the first American troops landed in France and by September the German offensive was brought to a stop. The last bomb fell on Ypres on October the 14^th 1918.

The Menin Gate was rebuilt as a British War Memorial. It looks like a large triumphal arch in neo-classicist style and was built from 1923 until 1927 on the site of the former city gate. The gate was designed by the British Architect Sir Reginald Bloomfield. Under the roof and against the walls of the monument are the names of 54.896 British and Commonwealth soldiers that were reported missing in the Great War.

Every night, the Ypres Fire Department plays here 'The last Post' at 8 p.m. as a tribute to the fallen soldiers.

Kortrijk lies in the Belgian Province of West Flanders, on the river Leie. Kortrijk dates from Roman times, when it was called Cortoriacum. The city was destroyed by the Normans, and it was rebuilt in the 10th century by Baldwin III, count of Flanders. The town became an important centre of trade and at its height had a population of about 200,000

The river Leie comes from France and enters Kortrijk on the site of the "Broeltorens", two medieval towers that are the only remaining witnesses of the former city fortifications, destroyed in 1684 by the troops of Louis XIV of France. Both towers date from the 12th and 13th century. The region alongside the river Leie, between Kortrijk and the city of Deinze, is known for the flax production. The water of the river has the perfect degree of acidity to water-ret the flax. Kortrijk has devoted an entire museum to this industry, the Museum of Flax and Linnen.

Nowadays, Kortrijk is a very dynamic city of about 80.000 inhabitants with a solid entrepreneurial image and flair. The KULAK University is a local branch of the K.U.L University of Leuven.

The town is encircled by remnants of ancient walls. Located in Kortrijk is a castle, a belfry tower, a 16th-century town hall, the Gothic Church of Our Lady, completed in 1211, which contains a famous Anton Van Dyck painting, "The Erection of the Cross". Also, the typical beguinage is one of the most beautiful in Flanders.

One of the most noteworthy monuments in Kortrijk is the "Maiden of Flanders", the monument erected in commemoration of the Battle of the Golden Spurs, that took place in Kortrijk on 11th July 1302. Flemish noblemen and Flemish corporations from Bruges and other Flemish cities succeeded in obtaining a (rather bloody) victory over the knights of the French King Philip the Beautiful.

The golden spurs of the defeated knights where hung in the Church of Our Lady of Kortrijk as a sign of triumph by the Flemish. Fact is that this victory over the French ensured the everlasting independence of Flanders towards France.

The Battle of the Golden Spurs was fought on July 11th 1302 near Kortrijk, between the rebellious Flemish towns, led by Bruges, and an army sent by Philip IV of France, who had annexed Flanders in 1301. The French were totally defeated. The spurs taken from the fallen French knights formed so huge a trophy that they gave the battle its name. The victory of the Flemish militia, despite its lack of military skills, put an end to the enduring myth of the invincibility of the knight.

A French explanation of the terrible defeat was immediately given, intended to save the honour and pride of the French nobility; in Flanders the victory was glorified as a just reward for the bravery of the townsmen and the competence of their commanders. Unfortunately there were no impartial witnesses. Any account of the battle must therefore pay careful attention to the personalities of the chroniclers, their nationality, and their political and social leanings, as well as their personal sympathies.

The battle of 1302 between the army of French knights and the rebellious Flemish was the military apex of the rebellion against the attempts by the French kings to annex the County of Flanders. At first, King Philip IV of France (1285-1314) succeeded in his attempt by appointing in 1300 Jacques de Châtillon as governor of the County. The Flemish Count Gewijde van Dampierre (1278-1305), and his two sons, had been taken captive by the French. Furthermore, the enormous financial debts of the County towards France, as well as the division among the population between French-oriented citizens and anti-French traders, created a lot of unrest, especially among the artisans in the cities. Certain patricians, however, profited from the situation and the city of Ghent, one of Flanders most powerful industrial centres, did not even answer the call for rebellion against France. This proves that the uprising cannot be seen as a manifestation of nationalistic Flemish feelings, shared by the entire County of Flanders.

The preface of the uprising happened on May, 18th 1302 when Bruges citizens, who had been exiled by the occupying French troops, returned to their city and slaughtered the French garrison. The French king could no longer sit by and watch. The French army headed for Kortrijk and so did the Flemish militia under the command of Willem van Gullik, grandson of Count Gwijde, and Pieter de Coninc, one of the leading Bruges corporation chiefs. Another Flemish military group, under command of Gwijde van Namen, son of the Count, joined them in Kortrijk. The French army marched under the command of Count Robert II of Artesia, one of the leading French knights of his era.

Both armies counted around 10.000 soldiers. The French army consisted mainly of heavily armoured cavalry, whereas the Flemish one consisted mainly of infantry tradesman. On the 9th and the 10th of July the French tried, in vain, to take the city of Kortrijk. A man-to-man battle in the open had become unavoidable.

During the battle, the Flemish had chosen strategic positions, in between little streams and moors on an open plain, called the "Groeningheveld", thus making it difficult for the French cavalry to force a breakthrough. Hindered by the swampy ground, the French knights kept stumbling over their own infantry (and over the other knights). The heavy weapons of the Flemish comleted the job. At the end of the battle, the French army had to flee in all directions, often pursued by the Flemish. Most French captives were simply killed, because, as it seems, the Flemish didn't know the military custom to ask ransom money for a captured knight. Among the trophies were numerous golden spurs from the French knights. These spurs were hung in triumph in the Church of Our Lady in Kortrijk.

The political fallout from Golden Spurs was significant. Dutch became the official language of Flanders, and remains so to this day. Administrative power tipped in favour of artisans and merchants rather than landed nobles. Moreover, a new era dawned as far as warfare was concerned: the military importance and effectiveness of the infantry had been made clear.

In the 19th century the commemoration of the Battle of the Golden Spurs became a symbol of the struggle for Flemish recognition in the French-dominated Belgian State (founded in 1830). Furthermore, in 1973 the 11th of July has been declared the official Flemish Celebration Day

IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

My friend/colleague Ruud brought me to Westvleeteren to try what many consider to be the best beer in the world.  This trappist ale is brewed by the monks of the Sint-Sixtus Abdij in the town of Westvleeteren, in the middle of the Flanders region of Belgium.  This area was home to some of the fiercest fighting of World War I, and now is home to the best beer in the world.  I've been back a few times since then and usually stop here when bringing people to Brugge for the day.

When I stayed in Ieper I went to Ieper Open Golf. It was not for playing but just to hit some balls at the driving range. The golfcourse is a small very straight 9 hole. When I was there is was absolutely frezzing cold with minus 5 degrees celcius and with 5 cm snow everywhere. It was cold yes but also fun. Their pro seemed very good and very friendly and he was clearly from Scotland - I think so because the guy was wearing a hat with a Scottish flagg on and with an accent like that I dont think he was faking. Their clubhouse was old but friendly with a big bar in the midle where you could get some of the usual beers but also some of the locals which always are recommendable to taste. Ieper Open Golf is open to every beginning or more experienced golfer. The 9 holes course is a haven of peace and quiet amidst the busy industries of Ieper. The course has been integrated perfectly in the surrounding environment. Numerous obstacles, tactically laid-out, do provide some challenges. The club also has a covered driving range, lit at night. A wooden chalet-style loghouse is home to the bar and club house.

After being hanging out the last night until late (I had a blast :) ), I needed to have a quiet morning, just to recharge my batteries ;)

I was talking with my Irish friend last night and he recommended me to visit Gent and come back to Oostende for the night. Maybe, who knows? Anyway, I decided to contact him before deciding anything.

I decided to “explore” the city. Everything was really quiet. I guess, everyone had party last night. There were just children running in the streets in their way to the beach ;)

I walked through the pier and enjoyed the sun. It was so good, just feeling the breeze. I visited the cathedral and went inside. Just saw the casino and library.

I was forgetting about sending a postcard to a friend. I promised him to do it while I was backpacking. I had some time, so I did it.

I loved how they decorated the buildings.

Oostende was what I needed! Good choice if you want to rest and take some sun. :)

Most of the people were going to the beach. I was thinking about doing the same too, but had to go to another city. First I thought about Antwerp, but I went to Gent.

Time to catch the train…