Ten days of walking had left us foot sore and tired, so we planned to do as little as possible, whilst still enjoying our time in Ypres. We ate breakfast with Linda and Colin, which for the first time in 33 days did not involve croissants or bread, ham or cheese, hurrah! They had to depart for their ferry at 1100 and wanted to see something of Ypres, so we said our goodbyes and headed off to a café for a relaxing couple of hours in the sun, drinking coffee and catching up with the blog.
Ypres (or Leper) is a charming town, full of old-world character and thriving with visitors, which also maintains a dignified, respectful attitude to remembrance of the fallen. The town dates back to Roman times and flourished during the Middle Ages as a centre for the booming Flemish textile industry, during which time the magnificent Cloth Hall was built. At the beginning of WW1 Ypres stood in the path of the German Army, and although initially taken, the British retook the town during the First Battle of Ypres in 1914. The town remained in British hands for the remainder of the war, but the high ground on three sides was occupied by the Germans, meaning Ypres was under constant observation and artillery bombardment. By the end of the war, most of the town had been destroyed, with the Cloth Hall all but razed to the ground.
The Cloth Hall - 1919
Despite Winston Churchill’s recommendation to leave Ypres as a mausoleum to remind future generations of the cost of war, the Belgian Government finally commenced the rebuilding in 1920. Over a thirty-year period from 1933 onwards, the Cloth Hall was meticulously reconstructed in its original likeness, and now houses the In Flanders Fields Museum. Today the Cloth Hall stands as a splendid example of a nation’s ambition to not only rebuild but to remember. The British Government funded the rebuilding of the majestic Menin Gate as a monument to the British and Commonwealth soldiers who died defending the Ypres Salient and were deprived a grave, with 54,395 names inscribed on stone panels in the Hall of Memory.
After several coffees followed by a lunchtime beer, we returned to the hotel and excitedly met up with Jonathan’s wife, Gemma and Isla’s father, Rick, who had travelled out to support us for the final two days of our journey. As well as being delighted to see our family, we were also happy that they had brought with them some of our ‘real’ clothes. For the first time in almost five weeks, we would have something to wear other than our lycra walking tights and merino wool t-shirts. Bliss! Following a quick change and now feeling slightly normal, we ate a tasty light lunch under bright-blue skies in one of the many excellent cafes to be found in the Grand Place, before spending several hours at the In Flanders Fields Museum, located in the Cloth Hall. The Museum chronicles the battles that took place in and around the Ypres Salient and is well worth a visit.
Having worked up a thirst, we made the most of the late afternoon sun enjoying drinks outside whilst sharing our photos and adventures of the last five weeks. Jonathan had been given a restaurant recommendation by three Yorkshire bikers we had spoken to at Vimy Ridge a few days earlier. We had little more to go on than “the old one in’t corner by Cloth Hall” which thankfully proved sufficient, enabling us to enjoy an excellent dinner at ‘In t’Klein Stadhuis,’ a Tardis of a place over several floors, with delicious food and excellent waiting staff who all spoke fluent English. Well-fed and hydrated, we tottered merrily back to our hotel, looking forward to knocking off our remaining 50ish km over the next two days.
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