In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Today I finally made it to Ypres (Leper in Belgium). Another bucket list item, having visited the Somme with Alice in 2007? Ypres was pretty much totally destroyed in WWI but has been rebuilt to the way it was before the war. Visited the "In Flanders Field Museum" in the centre of town, walked to the Menin Gates (which I'll revisit tonight for the Last Post) then went to the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, then onto Tyne Cot Cemetery. This is the largest Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemetery in the world. It is the final resting place of nearly 12,000 First World War servicemen, more than 8,300 of whom remain unidentified. They died in the fighting around Ypres from 1914 to 1918, but most fell during the Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, in 1917. Went and saw Polygon Wood (another site of a famous Australian battle) and the last stop of the day was Hill 60. During the Great War, there was fierce fighting here, and the hill changed hands between the Germans and the Allies several times. Both sides also dug tunnels and planted mines underneath the hill. Because of this, the remains of many soldiers from both the Allied and German forces still lie here. Near Hill 60 is the Caterpiller which is a crater formed when 32,000 Kg of explosives was detonated to begin the battle of Messines. Like the Somme the area around Ypres is full of allied cemeteries and is a very special place to visit. Even the hotel I am staying in is full of WWI memorabilia. This arvo the sun finally reappeared... So looking forward to a fine day tomorrow.