in Flanders Fields 4; Ypres Salient

If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field
That is for ever England.

the soldier Rupert Brooke

Today we cycled the Ypres Salient; a 40km cycle route that traces the battle lines around the city.  We begin by riding through the cobbled streets of the old town, before heading north along the banks of a canal.  Then a great eastwards arc, through farms, villages and woodland, to the southern most point of the salient; turning north again brings us back to our starting point.

All through this ride, on roads, farm tracks and woodland paths, we glimpse - always on our right and in the distance - the towers of the Cathedral and the medieval Cloth Hall.  It’s not hard to imagine the soldiers on the front line looking back at this sight.

The other thing we see, in abundance, are cemeteries.  The large ones are dramatic - crosses and headstones as far as the eye can see.  More poignant are the small ones; no more than a corner of the farmer’s field where the fallen were found.  Whether they be grand affairs, with arches and statuary or a humble resting place marked with a simple cross, they are treated with equal respect and reverence by locals and visitors alike.

Couldn't really decide which to choose for my blip.  So there are three images of the day.