Before we left we reflected on Jeugdstadion. The negatives - the toilet block could do with a bit of a facelift. The showers are not very powerful and the temperature cannot be altered. You also have to keep pressing the button to operate the shower and the button is out of the shower in the drying part of the cubicle so everything gets wet as you go back to hit the button again. Free Wi-fi was supposed to be available near to the reception building but didn’t work for the duration of our stay. The positives – very handy for walking into Ypres and for driving to the nearby places we visited. It was reasonably priced. On balance we would stay here again but would stay on the motorhome section.
Approach to Hooge Crater Museum & Cemetry
When we had visited Bellewaerde Park we had noticed the Hooge Crater Museum just down the road. Whilst chatting to a coach tour driver in the Tyne Cot Car Park he recommended visiting so we left Jeugdstadion and arrived at the Hooge Crater Museum as it opened. There is on the road parking here. The museum is over the road from the Hooge Crater Cemetery and is housed in the old Chapel and schoolroom. There are some great displays here. Most of the exhibits are from two private collections. Some bits have been returned here from England – for example a crucifix that had been taken home by a soldier whose descendants felt that it should be returned to Belgium.
Towards the end of the exhibition there is a screen showing “The Diggers” (the same chaps who unearthed the Yorkshire Trench) as they excavate at Essex Farm. This footage is amazing to watch. They toil day after day to expose the trench. As they work you see the water and clay soil that plagued the soldiers of the Great War. It is amazing how much has been found in recent times and how much more waits to be rediscovered.
At the end of our visit we visited the attached theme cafe. We then crossed the road to pay our respects in the cemetery. As with all these memorials it is immaculately maintained with on going repairs and up keep. Three men were working, cleaning the engraved words on some of the headstones.
We headed off to an aire in Bruges. The journey was approximately 50 mins.This was our first visit to an aire. We arrived and took a ticket from the machine in front of the barrier. It wasn’t too busy and we selected a space. We were surprised and pleased to find that there was also electricity here. The aire is between two canals and is pleasant. There is a boat restaurant nearby on one of the canals. There is also a Marina Clubhouse which visitors appear to be able to visit. The site is fairly level. You have to pay 50 cents to get fresh water and empty your black water.
Approach to aire
Walk round of the aire
There is also shorter stay motorhome parking and a large coach parking area. It is very handy for Bruges. We walked into the town centre ( there is a sign pointing you in the right direction to the town) over a bridge and through Minnewater Park (Lake of Love) and fell straight in love with Bruges!
A short distance from Minnewater Park we came to a little cobbled area and lots of horse drawn carriages which cost 39 euros for a 30 minute tour. We decided this would be a great way to see Bruges. This point was just a midway resting/feeding/watering area for the horses and we were directed to head for the Belfry to board our own horse drawn tour . We had a very friendly, female, informative driver who pointed out all the points of interest and gave us snippets of history and local legend. (I mention how friendly she was because later as we walked around and were passed by other carriages we noticed that some of them looked a bit surly and weren’t chatting at all and one was just texting on her phone - it’s just the luck of the draw who you get). This tour was a very good way to see the sights and get your bearings so you can revisit again on foot if you wish. Our guide told us that Bruges was once a port until the sea access became silted up. Despite being a city it has fabulous, fairy -tale like Medieval architecture. There are 17 churches, the tallest being the Church of our Lady which is the tallest structure in the city and which houses the sculpture of the Madonna and Child by Michelangelo. Located near to the Church of our Lady is Old St. John’s Hospital which is an 11th century hospital, one of Europe’s oldest surviving hospital buildings and amazingly it was still a hospital until the 1970’s. It is now a museum.
Picture slideshow
After our tour we explored Bruges on foot. There are lots of places to shop. Bruges is famous for lace and quite a few shops feature this. Of course there are a lot of chocolate shops and a good few beer shops and we bought a few more souvenirs. There are numerous places to eat. We ate outside at a restaurant near the Belfry in the Market Square. Paul tried and enjoyed his Flemish stew. There was a bit of drama when a couple of ladies on a nearby table said that they had already paid but the waiter denied that they had and so the Politie (Police) were called. Being the nosy type it was very frustrating that the exchange was all in Flemish but eventually the ladies were allowed on their way so not sure what really happened. We then headed back through Minneswater back to Monty for a peaceful night’s sleep.
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