Monday 9 September 2019

All quiet on the Western front

If only I could stop the hands of the clock, I mused, even if just for a little while.

The early September sunshine warming my face, I was standing on the steps of Poperinge's town hall, savouring the delicious feeling of having a whole week's holiday stretched out in front of me.


It was Monday, 2 September, and we'd arrived in Poperinge, a sleepy little backwater in Belgium's west country, in the early afternoon. 

Too early for our 3 pm check-in into our cottage at the edge of town, we walked towards the town centre to reacquaint ourselves with the place which has been our base for touring the area since 2012.


Taking pride of place on the Grote Markt (market square) is its town hall. Built in neo-Gothic style as recently as 1911, it looks considerably older than its years. Proud of its buttery bricks, its decorative arches and stone carvings, not to mention its gleaming gold weathervane, it was preening itself in the shop windows opposite.

Its tower, together with those of the town's ancient churches, the 15th Century St. Bertinus Church (top left) and the 13th Century Church of Our Lady (top right), dominates the town's skyline, which can be seen from far and wide.


Making the most of the, according to the weathermen, short-lived sunshine, we enjoyed a cup of coffee while sitting on the terrace of one of the market square's cafés.

The gold sculpture of the girl with her serving tray belongs to another café on the square, La Poupée.

She isn't just there to attract customers, but commemorates Eliane Cossey, an attractive red-haired girl who worked at her father's café during the First World War, and was given the nickname of Ginger. Such was her fame that officers of all nationalities came from miles around to see this stunning continental beauty and her father's establishment soon became known as Ginger's instead of its French name La Poupée.


Although during the Great War, Poperinge was part of unoccupied Belgium, poignant reminders of its devastation are all around. This wall full of poppy-adorned wooden crosses (top left) can be found in the town hall's courtyard, next to the authentic execution pole. This a painful reminder of the fate which awaited many so-called ‘deserters’ during the Great War. Most of these frightened men were suffering from shell shock but, instead of receiving compassion and understanding, a terrifying example was made of them.

Our town walk then took us to a picturesque walled courtyard lined with little white-washed cottages. These were built in the late 18th Century as some kind of almshouses for poor widows. The flaming heart and cross above the entrance refers to the responsible charitable organization.



As always on the first day of our September holiday, we ended up at the local park, and the town's green lung, which was established in 2002, and named after one of Poperinge's most famous sons, Dirk Frimout who, in 1992, was the first Belgian in space.


By then, it was past 3 pm, so we beat a hasty retreat to our car and, after stocking up on provisions at the local supermarket, drove down to the little cottage which would be our home for the next six days.

A little studio apartment above the owner's carport, it has everything you can possibly need, but our favourite feature is the magnificent view over the lake, which is part of the owner's domain, and towards the hills on the Flemish-French border in the distance.


We know from past experience that, as long as the weather's dry, this is the perfect backdrop for daily outfit photos so, starting as we meant to go on, here is what I wore on Tuesday.

This sky blue Diolen dress sprinkled with clusters of orange, yellow and white flowers has a twin sister in mustard, which I actually wore during last year's September holiday (see here). 

I accessorized it with an orange belt and a yellow beaded necklace. As we had some serious uphill walking in mind, my footwear of choice were the pink floral sneakers I charity shopped in Shrewsbury back in June.

As you might have noticed, Monday's blue skies had disappeared, making way for a blanket of dull grey and, even though it was still in the low twenties, this put a bit of a damper on things. Especially when we were treated to some light drizzle upon reaching our destination.



We were headed to Kemmel, a picturesque village in the hilly country south of Poperinge. 

We'd planned to do the walk we would do today on the final day of last year's holiday, when unfortunately we found our plans thwarted by a cycling event which would have been a great hindrance. Not having a death wish, our plans were aborted and we did something else instead that day.

This time, we weren't to be deterred! Nipping inside the tourist office for a map of the area, we were tempted by a sign pointing into the direction of the church opposite, where an exhibition of all things sweet was being held.

So, after a visit to the church itself, where we admired the modern stained glass and were enamoured by a clock without hands which we agreed would be perfect for our time-stopping plans, we made our way to the exhibition, where I demonstrated my ice-cream scooping skills.



Seeing all those sweets, cakes and biscuits had made us hungry, so we went in search of lunch, after which we were ready to start our intented walk.

This would skirt and climb the hill Kemmelberg. Berg is the Dutch word for mountain and, at 156 meters, the Kemmelberg is the highest in flat Flanders! Those of you living in countries with real mountains, please refrain from laughing! 



The start of our walk was in the local park, where the former castle of the Bruneel de la Warande family now houses Kemmel's town hall.

Initially, the climb was quite gentle, but once outside the park and into the provincial domain De Kemmelberg, the path starting climbing more seriously, meandering through the woods until, upon meeting a cobbled lane, a white wedding-cake building with an ornate tower could be glimpsed.


The building is a hotel and restaurant called the Belvédère, and its tower is a tourist attraction which can be climbed for a panoramic view. But as silly us only found this out after our visit, we'll have to return next year. 


Anyway, we still had another climb ahead of us before we were at the very top, which was marked by a stone pillar. They could have been considerate and supplied a bench for weary climbers to rest upon, but no!


Near the summit is an impressive French memorial which commemorates the heavy fighting which took place here in April 1918. 

The 18 metre-high column, popularly known as "The Angel", was erected in 1932 and looks wistfully over the battlefield where so many died.


A poppy wreath had been laid out on the stone pillar, and nearby we found a laminated photo of a soldier fastened to a tree. Written on the back was the soldier's name, Patrick Gammell, of the Royal Irish Fusiliers, who died here on 18 April 1918. 

Oh, these hills are alive with wartime memories!



Having reached the top, all was downhill from here. There were hazy views over the countryside to enjoy, as well as a field of sunflowers nestling in the Monet-like autumnal landscape.

Eventually we reached Kemmel's village square, where our car was parked. 

Driving towards our final destination for the day, a backward glance rewarded us with a view of the wooded Kemmelberg, the Belvédère tower appearing as a beacon among the trees.



A war memorial of a different kind is the Pool of Peace near the village of Wijtschate, 4 kilometers down the road from Kemmel.

This peaceful, secluded pool, 12 meters deep and with a diameter of 129 meters, is the site of the largest of 19 mines blown by the British Army under the German lines in the early hours of the morning of the 7th of June 1917, killing as many as 10000 German soldiers. 

As if on cue, the sky started darkening, with dramatically menacing clouds watching over this deceptively peaceful but war-riddled landscape.

Apart from that, it didn't look too well on the weather front. But more about that and what we did next in my next post.


29 comments:

  1. Thankyou Ann for taking us with you on holiday. I too love the first day of vacation and delight in so much promise of adventures and relaxation. Did you get a chance to climb the steps of the town hall? I'm always tempted to see panoramic views. The war memorials are a needed reminder of how maddening war can be. Such a shame so many people, both soldiers and civilians, lost their lives in such horrific circumstances. Adore your blue Diolen dress but I think the mustard version is better. I'm inspired by your pairing of sneakers with a dress. You look like you are in sheer merriment dancing along the path. And what's a day out without a rendezvous in a cafe? Oh, and holy moly a sweet exhibition! I could be stuck there for hours! That field of sunflowers is truly a work of art. Wish I could paint! I hope you managed to also get a bit of relaxtion in.

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    1. Thank you Suzy! I did climb those steps, but they only went up the the first floor entrance ;-) I'm with you on the Diolen dress, as I also have a slight preference for the mustard version. And you've certainly got that right: I was totally enjoying the feeling of this being the first day of my holiday! xxx

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  2. Ann thank you so much for taking us with you to your vacation. What a nice stroll around. I can remember the view from your cottage from last year?!
    I am looking forward the next day :)
    A very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina, and yes, it's the same cottage with the same glorious view. I must have taken dozens of photographs of it by now! xxx

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  3. Thanks for sharing this beautiful walk and pics!, so interesting to see this places now so peaceful and green which were once a battlefield. Really moving.
    And your blue dress looks fab with the orange and yellow touches!. Glad that those sneakers are working nicely, they're cute!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! Those really are the most comfortable (and fabulous) sneakers ever ;-) xxx

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  4. That sweet exhibition looked like fun. And your comments on the Kemmelberg made me laugh; my mum lives in Norfolk (the flattest part of England) and insists she lives on a hill because where she lives is 100m higher than somewhere about three miles away... Hills are relative, I guess!

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    1. Hills are indeed relative, as we have a hill called Vosberg (Fox Hill) near where we live, which is really just a bump in the road :-) xxx

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  5. So many lovely pictures.. and what beautiful dresses. Looks like a wonderful day out.

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  6. 156 meter. nein, ich lache nicht..... ;-DDDDD
    but thanx for the laugher - because this post contains many very sad things that happened in WWI - the the most sad thing is that all this lifes were destroied...for nothing, in the end. and nobody seem to learn.....
    you look sweet in your dresses and colorful accessories - and the view from the studio is just wonderful - pefect place for "die seele baumeln lassen"!
    hugs! xxxxxx

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    1. Are you sure? Not even a little bit? I'm glad I made you laugh though, as I was especially thinking of you when I wrote it ;-DDD xxx

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  7. I love that blue dress you wore, and what an interesting place to visit. So much sad history behind it but it's important that we don't forget the things that have happened, painful as they may be.

    Hope that your week is going well :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! I do agree that it's important that we don't forget the past. xxx

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  8. Do you know Ann I’ve enjoyed this holiday with you as much as your Wales one. It’s so nice that you go out and explore such lovely places and then share them with us.
    We’ve got Blackpool this weekend. Not a place I would normally visit but it’s philip’s 70th birthday and we are going to a country music festival xxx

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    1. Thank you Lynn, I'm glad you enjoyed the ride, so to speak. More to follow! xxx

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  9. Nothing better than knowing you have a free week ahead of you, is it not so? Poperinge's town hall does look like a great place to start sight-seeing. It is lovely you made the most out of time before your checked in and started strolling around the city that has been your starting vacation point for so long. It was really interesting to read this post. That angel monument is so pretty. I agree that it is really sad how WW veterans didn't receive any help when they were suffering from shell shock. Back then people just didn't know about PTSP and shell shock and even their families often shunned them, not knowing what was going on or how to help them. A lot of men I know personally suffer from PTSP, maybe even most of them. It is a very hard thing to live with and treat, and sometimes it never truly goes way. To think some were actually killed for trying to escape the terrors of was. It is sad how war veterans rarely get the help the need. I read a lot about WW1 and WW2 because I think it is important to know as much about them. I believe the shadow of these two great wars still lurks above us all. Moving onto brighter subjects, I do love that printed blue dress. Printed dresses are always fun. I also like the light blue cardi you paired it with. Orange accessories were also a wonderful choice. You look wonderful. Thank you for sharing this charming city and its history with us!

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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Ivana. I really appreciate the time and effort you are putting into your comments. Shell shock was one of the terrible aftermaths of the Great War. That angel monument was really moving. We needed to make a slight detour to see it, but it was definitely worth it. xxx

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  10. No mountains to speak of in Nebraska, so I most certainly won't be laughing at you!
    It is fascinating for me to see these places I've only heard mentioned in history books.

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    1. Thank you Goody, and I'm glad you weren't laughing ;-) xxx

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  11. I hope your long holiday brought you some peace of mind, as well as some peace to the soul in that lovely countryside. Such a lot of terrible history there...

    Not laughing at your mountains! We have a few hills here that are referred to as mountains too.

    Sending you good vibes for the week ahead, my dear!

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    1. Thank you for not laughing Sheila ;-) Before we started visiting the area, I didn't know all that much about the Great War, but you soon learn when you're there, as there's history around every corner and in every field, so to speak. xxx

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  12. Well that Monday sunshine was certainly a treat! This wasn't so much a travel through the countryside but a travel through time. It must feel even more poignant seeing relics of the war in such a peaceful and beautiful setting. Beautiful Diolen dress, the print is really very sweet. xx

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    1. Thank you! Well, it always feels a bit like time travelling when we visit the area. There are so many relics there which simply cannot be ignored. xxx

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  13. Oh wow! All quiet on the Western Front--you weren't kidding when you alluded to the first World War with your title! All the places that became sacred after so much bloodshed. The angel statue and the peace I sensed around her and you in the photo gave a weight to the sacrifices made there. Did I read too much into there also being a desire for peace as well? In other memorial places, I have felt a desire for peace, but I never know if it's just my own heart longing or if it's the spirits who died there hoping.

    Your trip, your lodging, and of course, your outfits are so fun to follow! I take in every photo and feel almost as if I am there with you.

    Hugs,
    Sherry

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    1. Thank you Sherry, and I do think you are right, and that there is a desire for peace which can clearly be felt there. The "Pool of Peace" is just an obvious example but it's everywhere really. xxx

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  14. Glorious sunshine and the promise of adventures in the week ahead, how I love that feeling!
    What a beautiful place the west of Belgium is, it certainly belies its tragic past. The war memorial is stunning, that watchful angel so striking.
    Fancy you having the same lovely Diolen dress in a different colour combination and how thoughtful to give them both a trip away, I like to be kind to my dresses, too!
    Hope you had a wonderful holiday and coming back wasn't too hideous. xxxx

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    1. It really is a beautiful place, which feels kind of bittersweet because of its tragic past. I knew you'd understand: I deliberately didn't take any dresses which had been on a trip with me recently. They all need to get their turn to travel! xxx

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