On our last Friday in Belgium, we had a 'quiet/free' day, and decided to just drive of into my beloved Flanders and see where the wind and the roads took us.
We came at a crossing where we had to make a decision, when I saw a road sign, which would take us to a place full of memories that we had not seen for ages. As we neared, a helicopter flew over, we saw lots of military vehicles, meandering the narrow road, crossed a small bridge and round the bend... we were stopped by military police, we were very puzzled.
With a smile they waved us into a field full of cars.
We were close to the river IJzer ( ISERE), where so many had fought, had lost life or limb, and eventually won the battle.
This was the place where in 1918 the invader was brought to a halt!
That's what it said on one of the memorial stones...
We arrived in the middle of an important commemoration.
Soldiers from all over ...
It was very moving, you see them, they look forward to these ceremonies, meeting up with old friends, remembering old friends... bringing children, so fitting, being given the opportunity to live in peace and 'freedom'...
They all look so proud.
They are the 'survivors'!
Sometimes there are tears in their eyes, then there's a smile round their lips, afterwards when the ceremony is over, the sound of laughter echoes against the wall of the old tower, drifting off into the rustling of the poplar leaves, the silence returns, another year gone, hope we'll meet again!
It never ceases to amaze me how people come together more in adversity, form bonds and unbreakable friendships for life... great, however somehow sad... nowadays there is such an alienation amongst people. You can live in a street for years, nobody knows or speaks to anybody... let there be a flood or whatever happening and everybody comes out, they all talk, get to know each other... sometimes after years! Western 'civilisation'???
The notes of the Last post were blown hauntingly across the skies, the tradition, from the top of the Tower of O.L.V Hoekje in Stuivekenskerke not far from The Trench of Death (Le Boyau de la Mort).
"All Wars Arise For The Possession Of Wealth" (Plato)
I merged two images for this photo the soldiers and one of a poppy-field.
Thanx, M, (*_*)
Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
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