Been anywhere outstanding/nice/horrible/indifferent - Abroad?
Post a link/description please. Tell us what you thought of the visit, the drive there, the people, things on display, admission price, ok to bring dogs, anything really that springs to mind.
Re: The Well Worth a Visit Thread
Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 6:14 pm
by Jenks
Can't recommend it because we haven't been yet, but Later this year, not sure exactly when (I'm sure I have been told,I think it might be Easter) we plan to spend a weekend with friends in Le Touquet. Apart from wining and dining rather well, we plan to visit Étaples where there were vast concentrations of British troops in training camps prior to going into the lines. There was a mutiny there in 1917. Also it has the largest CWWG cemetery in France designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and contains he remains of close on 11,000 bodies. Perhaps later in September we might visit The Marne possibly staying in Verdun.
Jenks
Re: The Well Worth a Visit Thread
Posted: Wed Jan 15, 2014 10:45 pm
by 450 Martini
I was over in France, touring the somme last october. While i was there i visited the Great war museum under the cathedral in Albert. It costs a few euros to get in and the museum is built into underground tunnels in the WW2 public air raid shelters, and contains recreated trench scenes, displays of weaponry, period kit, pictures and film and atmospheric sound affects and stuff that was found on the former battlefields in the area. The gift shop is good as among the posters and pens they also sell reasonably priced militaria. when i was there i purchased a 03 bayonet, a muzzle cover for my g98 and a SRD rum jar.
Re: The Well Worth a Visit Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 7:17 am
by the running man
I've not been to any of the war graves in France, but I do know a french guy who told me there's a waiting list of people or "gardeners" who wish to help out there keeping the graves and gardens in such amazingly pristine condition......which I think is a very nice thing...
Re: The Well Worth a Visit Thread
Posted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 3:27 pm
by mr smith
450 Martini wrote:I was over in France, touring the somme last october. While i was there i visited the Great war museum under the cathedral in Albert.
Thats interesting i didn't know there was one.The wifes great grandfather is buried in a small cemetery in the town,we visited it about eleven years ago or so and likely go back in 2016.
Good hotel with a good restaurant The hotel is very popular and if planning a visit early booking is a must especially in the summer. Likewise it is advisable to book the restaurant at the earliest opportunity if you leave it till the evening it is unlikely that you will get a table. Car parking is on the street and we have never had a problem parking just a few yards from the hotel. Last time we stated at the hotel I was sitting outside in the late afternoon enjoying a beer after a tiring day visiting various ww1 sites. I could hear the sound of organ music coming from the direction of the Basilica, and it sounded very good. So i went across and let myself in and sat in a pew at the rear and was treated to a private concert of organ music played by a gifted organist on a powerful organ.(apart from the organist I was the only person in the auditorium) Some tunes I recognised others i didn't mostly Bach (i think.) A rare treat That I will never forget.
If you want to visit a great Gothic Cathedral then I would recommend Amiens about ten miles down the road from Albert:
It is within walking distance of the Cathedral (city centre) it is a good idea to check that your choice of hotel has car parking facilities if you want to be in the city centre.
I would recommend Amiens as a good place to visit for a long weekend, close enough to most of the ww1 sites you might wish to visit but with many more Bars restaurants etc. than Albert.
Early Breakfast in a motorway greasy spoon a few miles from the channel Tunnel. Lunch sat outside a Bistro in the center of Amiens marvelous..
Happy days Jenks.
Re: The Well Worth a Visit Thread
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 2:45 pm
by kennyc
Ypres in Belgium, totally levelled during WW1 and rebuilt by the locals to look as it had before the war, also the home to the Menin gate
Just outside the town passing through the menin gate is Essex Farm Cemetery where it is believed that John Mccrae was inspired to write his poem 'In Flanders Fields.'
Also not to be missed is the German cemetery at Langermark:
Like the Somme region The Ypres Salient is a very interesting place to visit.
Another interesting and thought provoking place to visit is Popperinge which was the British headquarters in the salient. where it is possible to visit the cells in the town hall where those to be executed spent their last hours before being shot in the courtyard just outside:
Like the Somme region, the Ypres Salient is a very interesting place to visit and the town of Ypres is a nice place to stay.
Jenks
Re: The Well Worth a Visit Thread
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:15 am
by Jenks
the running man wrote:I've not been to any of the war graves in France, but I do know a french guy who told me there's a waiting list of people or "gardeners" who wish to help out there keeping the graves and gardens in such amazingly pristine condition......which I think is a very nice thing...
R/Man..
Little article here about the gardeners employed by the CWGC:
Another interesting place to visit not far from Ypres is 'The trenches of Death Museum' just outside of Diksmuide. It was here that the Belgian Army held the line. I confess I had never heard of it. We happened upon it quite by chance. I also confess I and had no idea what if any role the Belgian Army played in ww1. Now I know.
