LEST WE FORGET

This morning we picked up a rental car (brand new) and headed from Brussels into the French countryside. What a beautiful drive, farm fields dotted with brick and stone farmhouses and huge church spires and steeples.
A few months back, I had been searching the Internet, and found the WW1 war memorial cemetery in France, where my great uncle ( or would have been, had he lived past the age of 20) is buried. He died in the trenches ( near Vimy Ridge) on December 20, 1916.
I had corresponded with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and they confirmed his site, and gave vague directions to the cemetery. Thanks to google maps, and our GPS, we were able to find this small cemetery in the middle of a farm field. It is immaculately kept, beautiful trimmed lawn, roses and other flowers growing around the grave markers. Tom and I walked the whole cemetery and couldn't help but feel sad, thinking about the fighting that was going on at this very spot, almost 100 years ago.
We also drove up to Dunkirk, before heading back into Belgium. We are now in Brugge, a beautiful town that we are anxious to explore. Stay tuned...