Next stop was the Hooge Crater Cafe and our first taste of Belgium beer, and the first of what would be our standard lunches - fresh bread, ham, Gouda cheese and a beer, very nice. Whilst we didn' see the crater we did wander the through the very good museum next door. The cafe has the largest collection of shell trench art you would see anywhere.

Passchendaele, along with the Somme, sums up the waste of humanity during the First World War. It is only when you see these small, pretty French and Belgium villages now and look at the photos of the same places 90 years ago that you can comprehend what a nightmare it must have been. In many cases all that remained were hastily erected signs to show the location of the local church or town hall. We visited the chateau housing the museum that was rebuilt from Ge...

Up early this morning for Eurostar to Lille and to begin our Battlefield tour. We we are staying the Hotel O which has a military theme to its decor. This would have been good if it was just confined to the reception and dining area but to paint the rooms and halls in olive drab is going to far and turns them into the black hole of Calcutta!! Once we had off loaded our bags Antoinette came and picked us up, first stop was the museum at Passchendaele. We did a S...

Train to Ashford and stayed at the Conningbrook Hotel. Very roomy and a good price, although I'm not sure that it would be good staying there on a rocking Saturday night. 

So Brighton has to be the happiest town in the UK, if you get my drift. Caught up with Sally after she got in from London. Dinner was fish and a bottle of Moët and Chandon Brut Imperial. It was funny watching the waiters face  when we ordered simple meals but a good bottle of Champagne. Met up with Sally again in the morning for a guided tour of her hometown. Weather looked a bit iffy but given our experience at Eastbourne I expected it to clear during the day...