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Last pictures, taken at the Menin Gate, Ypres, Belgium.

Following the Menin Gate Memorial opening in 1927, the citizens of Ypres wanted to express their gratitude towards those who had given their lives for Belgium's freedom. As such, every evening at 8.00, buglers from the local fire brigade close the road which passes under the Memorial and play the Last Post.

The Menin Gate Memorial contains the names of 54,896 soldiers who died before August 15, 1917 - this is how it looks normally - not many people around:


However, by 8pm the memorial is packed with people who have travelled far, in order to pay their respects:


The center of Ypres, a really nice place:


'Poppy' - our restaurant for our evening in Ypres - a qucik pizza here & then we were heading for Dunkirk:


Finally making our way home - we'd covered 950 miles in 3 days:


Thanks for looking,

TSC.

Thank you for the memories. I went to several of these places including the Menin gate with my school in 2000. Of course it was february so by 8pm it was -10*s and the wind was awful. But even that didn't take the feeling out of it, incredibly moving place, anyone interested in history should visit.

Of course then also going out in the day time to the various trenches in -20*s wind chill and snow gave me even more respect for what these heros had to deal with.

It's spine-chilling when they play the last-post at the gate... The whole Yper area breaths this war atmosphere, with the white headstones on so many war-cemetries, the trenches, the wide open fields... gets to me every time I drive trough it...

Great shots...

ps, you were really close to where I live... gimme a ring next time...  ;)

Have you been at the British/Canadian beaches too? we camped at Courseulles sur Mer right behind the seawall of Juno Beach.

A little depressing, but there is something very good in preserving the memory of that day, and that war... thanks.

Thanks for the replies guys,

ps, you were really close to where I live... gimme a ring next time...

LOL - the thought had crossed my mind: 'Theirs bound to be an 'omag' around here somewhere'

I hope to go again, so next time we'll have to grab a beer

Have you been at the British/Canadian beaches too? we camped at Courseulles sur Mer right behind the seawall of Juno Beach.

Passed Juno beach, but can't remember stopping there. The main beaches for me, were Utah beach, where the Americans that departed from Torquay (my home town) had landed & Omaha beach.

A little depressing, but there is something very good in preserving the memory of that day, and that war... thanks.

Your spot on there Sean, although these post weren't intended to depress, they can have that effect - although my reason for posting is (as you said) to preserve the memory of that day, & all of the brave men that selflessly paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Unfortunately these days I see a lot of young people in this country who couldn't care less about what these men & many still living veterans have been through.

Cheers guys,

TSC.