Riding the cycle route around the Front Lines of Ieper

July 17, 2016

Ieper (Ypres) has done a tremendous job of memorializing WWI in human terms and providing interesting, relevant ways to experience the impact of 4 years of being at the centre of the front lines. It is called the Great War, but it is truly the Terrible War for all who were involved. Trench warfare, the beginning of chemical weapons, devastation of cities, the unimaginable numbers of human lives lost (civilians and soldiers) as well as the suffering and losses of horses. Barry's grandfather served with Winnipeg's Fort Garry Horse Regiment for 4 years in this area (notably Cambrai in France) and knowing a bit about his experiences, we feel keenly the heartbreaking plight of the horses.

Visiting Ieper, the war history is integral to your experience, but there is so much more. The city was completely levelled during the war, and the buildings were rebuilt, in their original style, during the 1920's. It is a beautiful city with several km of ramparts forming a wall along the perimeter by the canal. These ramparts provide trails for walking, picnics and a change from the attractions.

Military cemetries, restored sites of trenches and monuments dot the area and Ieper has come up with a great way to tour these. Of course, one can drive or take a tour bus, but they have provided maps and cycling routes that are self directed. We chose to do one which has been dubbed "The Peace Route".

As Canadians, we were very interested in visiting where John McCrae, the Canadian military doctor had worked alongside the canal in a bunker treating and caring for injured Canadian men from 1914 until his death in 1917. Barry, as a teacher, had taught his students about this man and of course, his poem "In Flanders Fields". This poem is learned by all and close to the heart of Canadians. It is featured at Canadian Remembrance Day services. It was very moving to see where he, so selflessly had served.

We learned about the personal stories of locals on our tour, military stories and visited a restored trench which was uncovered in the 1990's when building was begun in an industrial area. The spaces in the trench were so tight and claustrophobic. The remains of over 150 men were found in this trench and where possible, identified and all were given a respectful burial.

A final note about Ieper is the Last Post that is done every evening at 8 o'clock, "rain or snow" at Menin Gate. We were overwhelmed by the hundreds of people who were there...and apparently it is like this every evening. School groups, families of men who died here, men in military service, etc come and lay wreaths in memory, or play the last post (bagpipes by a man from Durham County, England last night or horn by a visitor).

We have stayed an extra night in Ieper as we like the camping here and there is so much to see. A note about Ieper Camping Jugdestadion: it is an excellent campground, (11 euros with free wifi and showers) which offers a very large area for tenters as well as an area for caravans. Their aim is to provide "green spaces" for camping without the bells and whistles of the bigger campgrounds and they have succeeded. The campground is full of people from the United Kingdom - for them this is an easy w/e away.

We head off to France tomorrow.

The Belfry of the "Cloth House" which now houses the museum, In Flanders Fields. We climbed to the top of this and had a great view.

A portrait of John McCrae done by a fellow soldier during the war - what a young, sensitive face - and a copy of his poem in his penmanship.

The bunker where John McCrae worked as a surgeon caring for Canadian forces.

One of the many small rooms where he worked - it is hard to imagine these poorly ventilated rooms filled with the injured and dying.

An overview of the bunker at Essex Farm. McCrae's bunker is perched on the edge of the canal and it was said that to cross the canal was to risk death, whereas to be on this side offered hope. This was not always the case.

This plaque memorializes Essex Farm Cemetery and John McCrae.

Another interesting feature of the cycle tour is stopping to look at designated trees with a special notice board explaining significant spots in the area.

British troops building a crossing over the canal.

The Yorkshire Trench, like so many, were buried and hidden by the destruction. This was found in the 1990's when a factory was being built (it is just across the canal and close to where John McCrae was stationed.). Archaeologists were able to carefully dig out artifacts, recover the remains of over 150 soldiers (German and English) and recreate part of the trench. The darker brown areas are the trench, and the rest are the dug out subterranean tunnels (by the Welsh Fusseliers) and small rooms which provided the Commander's Headquarters and areas where the men could sleep or recover.

This man , who was staying at our campground, is from Durham County, England and had applied for the honour of playing his pipes for the last post. His grandfather had fought here during the war and it was a moving experience for him to have this honour. He was not expecting that the crowd would be so huge nor how stressful it was. As an experienced piper, he is not used to performing solo in front of such a large and attentive crowd.

He was proud, yet relieved, to be finished.

It was a hot evening and he was eager to get out of his kit, cool down and have a cold Belgian beer.

Today's ride: 25 km (16 miles)
Total: 1,178 km (732 miles)

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