Checking out this part of Belgium was a real eye
opener and totally worthwhile.  The battelefields of
Ypres and Flanders looks so serene, dotted with many
mass war cemeteries.  Yet, the evidence of war still
exists beneath and the cemeteries serve as a solemn
reminder of the Great War.  Farmers there still fall
casualty to some of the millions of buried live
shells, and many found shells are left by the side of
the road for pickup by the army.  The church in Ypres
was rebuilt with as much of the original stone as
possible, and as a result, all the original bullet
holes are clearly visible.  Going into a forest, I was
able to see bunkers, trenches, *tons* of shells lying
all over the place, tracks, pumps, and other war
debris.

The local war museum is loaded with war stuff, some
for sale, and all of it is just a farmer's vast
collection of stuff found over many years.  Just the
process of digging the foundation of the museum
unearthed tons of war items.  The tour guide himself
unveiled a uniform, gun, and helmet he dug up in his
farm the week before, and passed around a heavy bucket
of lead shrapnel for souvenirs. 

Bodies of soldiers lost in the mud during the Great
War are also there.  In fact, around a month before I
arrived, a German bunker with 4 soldiers in it was
discovered.  Secret tunnels also collapse frequently
and are revealed.

Visiting the cemetery was even more stark.  The
average age of the soldiers were early 20's, with one
grave of a 14 year old who lied about his age to get
into the army.

As for the battelfield itself, it's much different
than I imagined from high school.  I mean, we learned
how thousands died to capture a ridge, so we would
think these ridges would be pretty sizeable.  However,
I can barely even call them hills.  There's maybe a
change of 10 metres in elevation over a distance of 1
kilometre, but this would make all the difference in
the war, as whoever captured the ridge could see all,
while others wallowed in the mud.  The word "Flanders"
actually means flooded lands.  A 10m elevation change
was equivalent to 10000 deaths.

It's good to be Canadian here too.  There's many
monuments and structures dedicated to Canadians as
they won many brave battles and ultimately freed
Belgium.  John McRae's bunker where he wrote "In
Flanders Fields" is here too.  Can't say there are
many poppies growing here as the farmers have taken
back the land for cultivation, but there are a couple
here and there at the roadside.  Hill 60, which was
won by the Canadians, also has a special dedication. 
Even now, it looks clearly like unnatural bumpy land -
evidence of the war.

This was perhaps the biggest learning part, a.k.a.
history lesson of the trip, and I could definately go
on and on.  But I'll leave it at that for you to
discover - but I highly recommend it.  Next time, I'll
surely take a look at the Beaches of Normandy, Vimy
Ridge, etc.

One more question, for the people in Winnipeg, there's
a street named Valour Street in honour of the Canadian
Victoria Cross winners, right?

Next: Final departure and last thoughts.!

Jesse