In Flanders Fields....

the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

When we arrived at our hotel yesterday, it was full of RAF servicemen who were taking part in the Armistice Parade in Ypres today. Being in Northern France for the weekend, we decided to go to Ypres to pay our respects to the many soldiers who fought, and lost their lives for us.

It was lovely, and at the same time very moving to see the Veterans with all their medals, together with young service men and women.

The memorial garden to the side of the Menin Gate was full of cardboard poppies with inscriptions written on the back. It was an unbelievable sight, and although I decided to blip this photo taken of all the wreaths inside the Menin Gate, I've put the garden of poppies in my blipfolio.

My Uncle was killed in the second world war, in the battle of Hasselt and is buried here in Belgium - so to him and all the other fallen soldiers lets spare a minute to think of them...