Goodbye UK, hello Belgium

Reflections on the United Kingdom:

• I love it there, it makes my heart sing
• If I lived there, I would have to be a much better driver - good at reverse parking and maneuvering in narrow spaces.
• London is incredibly busy, but the Tube is brilliant. I don't know how people afford to live there.
• It's amazing how much the scenery and accents change after a relatively short drive.
• I always scoff when, in a book set in the UK, they talk about the heat. I never thought they could really be hot, but the late twenties there, are much hotter in reality, than the same temperatures at home.
• I was very, very sorry to leave.

It was Bethany's birthday yesterday; she is now 14. I didn't really think about that when planning the trip, I don't think an international flight is really the best thing to do on one's birthday, but at least we had until 2pm in Edinburgh.

We hadn't walked over the North Bridge, so we did that, going past the hotel where Tim used to work.

We explored the older part of town, until lunchtime - birthday girl's choice of Mexican.

The Edinburgh Airport experience wasn't as smooth as the Sydney one, and it seems odd to spend much longer at the airport, queuing to check luggage in, and get on the plane, than actually in the air! Not that I am complaining about a short flight, though a free cup of tea would have been nice.

We lost an hour when we arrived in Belgium, and were very pleased to join the shortest queue at customs, for the non-Europeans. It was after nine by the time we got to our hotel, just an airport one, so we just went to bed.

We saw nothing of Brussels, except from the motorway as we drove past in our HUGE Mercedes van! I chose the one vehicle I could find that would take five suitcases, and it also takes nine people.... The kids are enjoying the space.

We arrived at Ypres around midday, and quickly found our apartment. I wish we were staying longer than one night, as it is very nice indeed.

The town is lovely, too, bigger than I expected.

The Menin Gate

Our street is decorated with red, yellow and black bras, for the World Cup!?!

After a walk to explore, I talked Toby into going to the In Flanders Fields Museum with me. It was a bonus for him, as we got to climb the belfry; he does love to climb.

 The views were pretty spectacular.

We had dinner in the square, complete with Belgian beer, chips (did you know hot chips are a special Belgian thing?), and the best steak Andrew has had in many years.

It's a bookshop

We wandered a bit before taking our place, along with hundreds of others, at the Menin Gate, to remember British and Commonwealth soldiers who were killed at Ypres in WWI, and don't have graves. It was very moving. The lady in white found herself moved right out onto the road, with no consideration for those of us behind her!

Belgian chocolates for good measure

The Menin Gate is, essentially, what we came for, and today was our only full day in Belgium. Tomorrow, we have a longish drive to Honfleur. We'll be in the same country as le Tour! Come on Richie Porte!