In Flander's Fields

Today we took a road trip with friends to visit some of the important WW1 sites in Flanders. We started with Tyne Cot cemetery. The kids explored the German pill boxes and hunted for Victoria cross recipients. They all enjoyed the little museum more than we expected. 

After that we visited the trenches museum. It was a great little museum with recreated dugouts and trenches. We explored the life of soldiers in the trenches.

We took a quick stop at the memorial to the victims of the first mustard gas attacks. Emily discovered a new interest - guest books. She hunted and signed one at every site we visited.

Then it was on to Essex Farm cemetery. The site where the poem In Flanders' Fields was written. The kids gathered wildflowers to lay on the graves. (The poppies were mostly finished blooming)

After dinner we attended the last post at Menen Gate (where are inscribed the names of 50 thousand soldiers who were never found after the war). 

It was a long day but we all enjoyed it and got to visit some very important places.