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Popping my European cherry...


Martyn850
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Leaving for my first trip to Europe in a couple of days. Only a short visit, with two nights in Arras then upto Ypres for another couple of nights. Slightly nervous but looking forward to it! Sat-nav programmed and gives just over 13hrs of riding time and 600+ miles. To be fair the longest part of the journey is down the the channel tunnel!! :D :D

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Enjoy. I'm really thinking to do a trip to Europe this year - just fancy the idea of getting across the water for some reason.

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Just got back from Arras and Ypres with Etretat in between :D

 

Just seen your pics. Looks good. If you've any recommendations for places to stop in Ypres let me know!

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We stayed at the Old Tom. The Old Tom is a modern restaurant bar downstairs. The upstairs rooms are slightly tired, my bathroom was newly refurbished and modern. It is perfectly adequate. There was only one fly in the ointment when we were there, there is building work going on next door and the Kango started at 7am.

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We stayed at the Old Tom. The Old Tom is a modern restaurant bar downstairs. The upstairs rooms are slightly tired, my bathroom was newly refurbished and modern. It is perfectly adequate. There was only one fly in the ointment when we were there, there is building work going on next door and the Kango started at 7am.

 

I've pushed the boat out a bit and booked the Ariane Hotel for Ypres. Would usually book somewhere a bit cheaper but it's kinda a one off trip/tour with regards to timings of events so I thought sod it!!

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Arras and Ypres resonate strongly with the slaughter of the first world war.


an interesting place to visit.. just 23 road miles south of Arras is the Lochnagar Crater..


http://www.lochnagarcrater.org


The largest crater ever made by man in anger

 

PCUPIC0800011144-lochnagarcrater-aerien-laboisselle-somme-picardie2-Somme-Tourisme-Garry.jpg.0f5434c5be06d29f23372ff1f27a076e.jpg

 

Then WW2

Also.. again not far away, but to the North are the sites of two Massacres.. one of which may affect you as a Norfolk native (perhaps?)


That is the Le Paradis massacre 27th may 1940. the first day of the Dunkirk escape.

 

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment, had become isolated from their regiment. They occupied and defended a farmhouse against an attack by Waffen-SS forces in the village of Le Paradis. After running out of ammunition, the defenders surrendered to the German troops. The Germans led them across the road to a wall, and machine-gunned them. Ninety-seven British troops died.

 

The second is the Wormhoudt massacre which happened the next day. 28th may 1940.


That event was so horrible Im not going to pollute your thread by describing it.


I mention these two events.. because we all remember from our history lessons the remarkable escape with the 'little ships' from dunkirk... and so perhaps these horrors from the same time have been forgotten somewhat..


anyway both places are in the vicinity of a ride from Arras to Ypres or the Tunnel and Arras.... with only a relatively minor diversion.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhoudt_massacre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Paradis_massacre

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Arras and Ypres resonate strongly with the slaughter of the first world war.


an interesting place to visit.. just 23 road miles south of Arras is the Lochnagar Crater..


http://www.lochnagarcrater.org


The largest crater ever made by man in anger


PCUPIC0800011144-lochnagarcrater-aerien-laboisselle-somme-picardie2-Somme-Tourisme-Garry.jpg


Then WW2

Also.. again not far away, but to the North are the sites of two Massacres.. one of which may affect you as a Norfolk native (perhaps?)


That is the Le Paradis massacre 27th may 1940. the first day of the Dunkirk escape.

 

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment, had become isolated from their regiment. They occupied and defended a farmhouse against an attack by Waffen-SS forces in the village of Le Paradis. After running out of ammunition, the defenders surrendered to the German troops. The Germans led them across the road to a wall, and machine-gunned them. Ninety-seven British troops died.

 

The second is the Wormhoudt massacre which happened the next day. 28th may 1940.


That event was so horrible Im not going to pollute your thread by describing it.


I mention these two events.. because we all remember from our history lessons the remarkable escape with the 'little ships' from dunkirk... and so perhaps these horrors from the same time have been forgotten somewhat..


anyway both places are in the vicinity of a ride from Arras to Ypres or the Tunnel and Arras.... with only a relatively minor diversion.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhoudt_massacre

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Paradis_massacre

 

Sad, but worthwhile advice. Will try and for them in.

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the last post ceremony at the Menin gate , been done every evening since 1928 for all the British and commonwealth soldiers with unknown graves , really brings it home the amount of names on the memorial .

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So this is what I was popping my European cherry for! My Great Grandfathers grave. He was killed on the 4th of May 1917, and I was at his grave on the centenary of his death. One more night here in Arras and then on up to Ypres.


IMG_0033.jpg

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