Here are a few more notes about my recent trip to Belgium and London. My previous posts focused on what it's like to stay at a London university residence (Beit House at the Imperial College in SW7), dealing with luggage on Belgium trains, and some notes about Brugge with a separate posting on where to find ATM machines in Brugge. Next on my list of topics is my 3-day visit to Ieper (Ypres).

Ieper is just wonderful with a unique history. Unlike Brugge, Ieper was completely destroyed during World War I but carefully rebuilt exactly as it was before the devastation.

There are numerous World War I sites to see in and around the town, but the highlights for me were Essex Farm, where John McCrae wrote "In Flanders Fields", the Brooding Soldier memorial at St. Julien, and the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate which I attended all three nights I was in the town. Every evening since 1928 the Last Post has been sounded in honour
of the memory of the soldiers of the British Empire who fought and died in the horrific battles on the Ypres Salient during the First World War. It is a very moving ceremony and for that reason alone, makes it worth a trip to the town.

I stayed all 3 nights at the family-run "Old Tom" hotel right on the main square in Ieper. The staff was very friendly which made up for the somewhat Spartan-like hotel room. Even so, it was okay for my needs. The web site is www.oldtom.be. If you prefer a little more luxury, there are extensive hotel/B&B listings on the main Ieper tourism web page at: www.ieper.be.

Ieper is a marvellous, historic town which is definitely on my list of places to re-visit. Next on my list of topics, my little side trip to Vimy Ridge in France.

Happy travels,
Dale

We loved Ieper, too. The Menin Gate ceremony is very moving.

We stayed at Varlet Farm, a farm B&B, right on the Flanders Fields. The hospitality there, from Charlotte and her family, was just amazing, the best we experienced in Europe!

Ieper is indeed worth a visit. Don't forget the In Flanders Fields Museum in the old (restored) Cloth Hall, It's outstanding.

We (3 ladies about 60) too, stayed at Varlet Farm this past March w/Charlotte. Charlotte is a fantastic hostess and historian . . . she met us at the door with a homemade apple pie and coffee, maps on the military sites in the area (with driving instructions), and it just got better from there.

Our ensuite room in the remodeled brick barn was new, large, 3 single beds, spotless, had a working skylight and included a gigantic breakfast . . . all for 69 euros (about $85).

Not only did Charlotte provide coffee/tea making facilities, but the barn/annex was stocked with milk, soft drinks, beer, and a great library about WWI. At breakfast, she provided plastic wrap, scissors, and paper bags and encouraged all of us (we ate family style at a long table) to make a lunch for the day.

We've traveled a lot and stayed in a lot of hotels and B&Bs but this was our best experience. Don't miss Varlet Farm!

Sandy (in Denton)

Thanks for your comments about Varlet Farm. It sounds like a great place.

Glad to see others also enjoyed Ieper as much as I did. Would love to go there for the November 11 ceremonies some year. Sigh.....

Dale

If you don't have enough time to devote 3 days to "wipers", a convenient way to visit the area from Brugge is a full day trip with Quasimodo Tours. To prepare yourself beforehand an excellent read is "They Called It Passchendaele" by Lyn Macdonald. We took the tour on a cold, rainy day in November a few years ago.

Yes, the Quasimodo tour is a good second choice. The only problem is that you miss the Last Post ceremony which starts at the Menin Gate at 8:00 PM - one of the reasons why I decided to stay in Ieper. Sure glad I did!

Dale