I am happy to report that we survived our two-night stay in the Rue des Rosati aire in Arras. It was a new venture for us and one we will definitely repeat. So convenient. The traffic noise and relentless sirens were slightly more irritating this morning. But that aside, it was incredibly comfortable.

After packing down, washing up, and greeting our neighbours, we drove away in the direction of Givenchy and the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. It almost snuck up on us: the visitor centre with its reinforced trenches, the shell potted ground, trees standing tall “like soldiers” (for want of a better simile) and then the remarkable stone monument.

Parking in one of several large car parks, we made our way to the memorial itself. Designed by Walter Alland – a Canadian designer – the memorial carries the names of 11,285 Canadian soldiers who died with no known final resting place. Intricately carved statues of those mourning adorn the bottom of the structure. We walked up the steps, marvelling in the grandeur and the view from Vimy Ridge. Most of the grass areas surrounding the memorial are fenced off due to undetonated devices and bomb shelters/tunnel exits are seen within these. The memorial is popular with school groups and adult tourists alike; wreaths and crosses have been laid for the fallen – there was even a WW1 military issue army boot left in tribute.

From the memorial, we made our way to the visitor centre where we were greeted in both English and French by one of the Canadian tour guides. The visitor centre housed first hand reports, letters, uniforms and photos, as well as audio guides that would provide further information should you require it. There were toilets both inside and out and, just to the far side of the building, the reconditioned trenches provided a maze of tunnels for old and young to explore. It was amazing to think that those trenches would have been used during the battle for Vimy Ridge, while sobering to comprehend how many young men died there. The Canadian guides offered free tours of the tunnels and trenches to individuals and groups. Definitely worth taking them up on their offer.

From Vimy, we moved onwards to Ploegsteert and Hyde Park Corner. While grumbling about a cycling event in front of us, we completely missed the fact that we had crossed the border into Belgium. Eventually, we reached Hyde Park Corner Cemetery which stands opposite Royal Berkshire Cemetery Extension, guarded by two lions. Despite much debate of “did it happen?” we marched off for a walk to find the site of the Christmas Day Truce. The path was clearly signposted: it was impossible to get lost. We stumbled across the Prowse Point Cemetery and the UEFA memorial before we found the cross itself. The Khaki Chums, a group of army enthusiasts who spent Christmas 1999 in mock trenches to re-enact the truce, placed a cross at the point where the alleged truce happened.  The re-enactment site and now UEFA memorial, plays homage to the conditions faced by servicemen in the winter of 1914. Few living could understand or appreciate the conditions faced.

Knowing that the Last Post was played at Menin Gate each evening at 8pm, we ate dinner and topped up with necessities before wandering down an almost-direct footpath to get to the city centre. It was a glorious evening – exactly what we had hoped for.  

 We didn’t really know what to expect: we both knew what the Last Post sounded like but the experience was different to what we had previous known. We didn’t make our way to the Menin Gate itself until 19:45 which was far too late. We were at the back and unable to see anything. If you wish to see the laying of the wreaths and the bugle players/marching bands – arrive by 19:15 at the latest, stand in one of the corners so you can see the wreath layers and the procession, and just be prepared to wait. That being said, while we couldn’t see anything, the sound of the bugle and the respect shown by all visitors was incredible. Girl Guides and The Scout Association laid wreaths along with the Army Air Corps. It was a very special moment to be part of.

The night was still young, so we decided to take in the sights of Ypres. The town was alive with tourists, locals, those eating and socialising. We made our way to St Arnoldus’ pub, which is close to Menin Gate. We enjoyed some local beer, cheese, salami and the obligatory Aperol Spritz before making our way back along the river to our campsite. We would highly recommend spending time in Ypres – the Flanders Fields museum is really central and highly informative.