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Category Archives: Belgium
Day 5 – Part 2: The Dusk Ceremony at Polygon Wood
Having attended the morning ceremony at Tyne Cot, the cuzzies departed for Ypres and some sightseeing around the local area. I headed back to Hooge for some lunch and a visit to the local WWI museum beside my hotel. The … Continue reading
Day 5 – Part 1: “Our Darkest Hour”
“Our Darkest Hour” – The Centennial Commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium For the past 4 years the world has been commemorating the events of World War I (WWI) and New Zealand has been no … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Flanders
Tagged 12th October 1917, centenary, horror, Last Post, New Zealand, Passchendaele, soldiers, Tyne Cot, war, WWI
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SIDE NOTE: The trenches from hell
As I had mentioned in a previous post: My hotel Hotel Ieper Kasteelhof’t Hooghe was located in Hooge about 4 km outside Ypres and I was to discover that the hotel was actually on the site of the old stable … Continue reading
Day 4 – Part 2: Ypres & The Menin Gate
Having returned from Messines Ridge where I spent the morning, I decided to spend the rest of the day having a look around Ypres (Ieper) before the ceremony in the evening at the Menin Gate. Now Ypres was the arrival … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Flanders
Tagged ANZAC, Cloth Hall, From the uttermost ends of the earth, Kiwis, Last Post, Menin Gate, New Zealand, Waka, WWI, Ypres
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Day 4 – Part 1: The Victory on Messines Ridge
Up at the crack of dawn, going to be a busy day. Over breakfast I met a charming mother and daughter who were over for the commemorations from NZ. They were with a tour group but unfortunately there wasn’t enough … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Flanders
Tagged ANZAC, Battle, Kiwis, Messines Ridge, New Zealand, Strand Military Cemetery
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Day 3 – Part 2: Ghent & Cuzzies
After spending the the morning at Hooge Crater and Lijssenthoek Military Cemeteries I was ready for a break. I left Lijssenthoek with reflections and emotions I had not experienced before and they filled my thoughts as I headed the 90 km … Continue reading
Day 2 – Bremen to Ypres
Awoke to a beautiful sunny morning in Bremen which boded well for the trip ahead. Fully loaded after breakfast and with a full tank of petrol on board, it was out on to the A1 for the 670 km, 6-6.5 … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Flanders
Tagged Bremen, Hooghe, Hotel Kasteelhof 'T Hooghe, Ieper, road works, traffic
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Road trip into WWI history
8th – 14th October 2017 The past 4 years the world has been commemorating the events of World War I (WWI) and New Zealand has been no exception. The kiwi commemorations began on the 25th of April 2014 at dawn … Continue reading
Posted in Belgium, Flanders, New Zealand
Tagged centenary, Ieper, Passchendaele, WWI
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Scankiwi 