Day 3 - Holland to France & WW1 – 10th April 2014

We said goodbye to Gaasper Camping and set off driving down through Holland. Dutch drivers all seemed to obey the speed limits and drove respectfully using all the lanes properly rather than hogging the middle lane as they do in the UK. The sun was shining and soon we passed into Belgium and then on into France. The journey was thankfully uneventful. We were heading for Amiens but wanted to stop at Thiepval. The route I had planned to take was closed so I followed the diverted route and we saw a sign for  Pozieres British Cemetery.

And there it was at the side of the road, shining almost white in the sun. It was a very moving, humbling experience. So many lives lost. Row upon row of headstones. All the graves are beautifully tended and it is a serene place to pay your respects to all those brave men.

 

We then drove onto to Thiepval. This is a huge monument dedicated to over 72,000 men who died in the Somme but who have no known grave. Again the sheer scale of loss is enormous. All the names are carved on the monument. Line after line of familiar British surnames. It is so peaceful in the countryside setting which sits at odds with the horror those poor men suffered. Again it was a very moving experience.

 

Car park                                           Thiepval village

There is a good sized car park and an informative visitors centre.

Nearby we visited the Ulster memorial. This is a turrett like building which is a copy of Helen's Tower which stands in the grounds of the Clandeboye Estate, near Bangor, County Down.

 

After an emotional afternoon we continued to Amiens to stay at Parc de Cygnes. This is quite a quiet site at this time of year – very peaceful  (Caravan Club and Camping and Caravan Club listed.) It has friendly , English speaking reception staff. Bread and croissants can be ordered for morning collection.

Approach to the site

360 view of the site

 

There is free wifi if you are near the reception building otherwise wi fi cards can be bought. There is also a small aire here. Toilets are clean and the showers are powerful. There is a bar and small shop but these are closed at the moment.
With hindsight we should have stayed nearer to the Memorial area as we are heading back that way tomorrow. The sun was still shining so we enjoyed a barbecue tea.