Best Western Flanders Lodge Ypres

... the morning and finding a seat is a tough job, but I think I've learnt how to push my way through the crowd! I often end up sitting next to the really smelly person though or the drunk guy or in the same carriage as a beggar and his son. To get to work I have to go 24 stations, which takes half an hour or so, and gives me a good chance to do a fair bit of people watching!<br>It's fairly easy to spot the British people on the metro, they're the people that sit there staring at ...

... towns, but if that's true then they must be ghost towns!<br>Dunkirk does have a few art museums, but we were told that the closest one didn't have anything interesting at the moment and the others were more expensive. So we took a walk down to the beach, had a stroll along the sea-front and ate "Moules-Frites" in a sea-side brasserie, and wandered around the shops. It was a nice day out and at least I can now say that I have been to Dunkirk!<br><br> <br>

As busy as a beaver<br> <br>The last two weeks seem to be a bit of a blur to be honest, it feels like I've accomplished very little in a rather large space of time but as I look back, a lot has been crammed in!<br><br>First of all, work! Last week I was still observing classes. Fortunately I was able to meet more of the English classes and only went to one French class which I did find quite useful. <br><br>Students at Sévigné don't see English as ...

... s nickname "Venice of the north". It is full of little canals and narrow streets, like some of the other old towns we have seen but this one had a character and vibe that we really understood.Chocolate, love it (we bought a box and ate it in a day). Waffles, love them. Beer, Steve loves it. Fries, all good (we tried two different kinds- one with "special sauce" which turned out to be mayo, curry ketchup and onions, and one with ...

... for beer and the corresponding glasses...because every beer in Belgium has a specific glass that you are supposed to drink it from. We spent as much time as we could in Bruges before we had to head back to Brussels to catch our plane and we still needed more time in Brussels to meet up with a friend from Clemson. I was sad to leave Bruges. It was definitely an amazing place to visit. <br>

... these prices.<br><br>On our way back to Herentals, we realized that doing 140km/hr doens't seem to be fast enough for some people because we still had some drivers tailgating us regardless.<br><br>We're on the last stretch of our trip unfortunately. We leave tomorrow for Canada :(<br><br>We might head into Amsterdam for dinner later today, we're a bit exhausted from not sleeping well the ...

... the biggest rescue mission in military history. Described as a miracle that allowed 338,226 allied soldiers to escape the 'hell of Dunkirk' and return to Great Britain. The town was almost destroyed and was the last French town to be liberated in May of 1945.<br><br>We spot the Dunkirk Casino and go in and check it out. Yes, it works the same as the one in Dieppe, you know, takes your money, lets you play and then you leave.<br><br>We head out to find the ...

... complete with 'duckwalk' - planks of wood on the floor that cover a drain where the water could flow beneath. (the Allies had a similar system). We saw there two small concrete 'Block Houses' - these were 4ft high - had very small entrances - 'in' and 'out' entrances - they were only used for protection from artillery and shelling. The Germans would hurry into these Blockhouses to wait until the shelling was over ...

... respectfully taken off for the service. Despite the rain, Matt convinced me we should walk back and look for it even though 2 hours had passed when I realised. I couldn't believe it when we got there to see my hat sitting there under the names of the soldiers on a ledge under the gate. I felt so lucky and grateful that someone had left it there for me to come back and find. Nice to see there are good people left in the world. Tonight is our last in Belgium as ...

Quick showers and a little sleep for Joel set us up to head out again. The Menin Gate was worth the wait. It is very sobering to see the roads which so many Australian soldiers of the First World War marched out on and fewer returned. We arrived just in time and the parking Gods were kind to us with a park 150m from the entrance. The place was full as it was a special ceremony for the Ulster Regiments. The British ...