(will try to post movie of ceremony when I get home)
Saturday, November 20, 2010
SCRAMBLED EGGS!! November 20
We started our day with SCRAMBLED EGGS!!!! Oh, scrambled eggs--I have missed you so. And these were REALLY good!
After I had seconds, we walked over to the Basilica of Saint Basilius where we first visited the very simply-styled Romanesque lower chapel. It was like being back in the Middle Ages. Then Margaret & I visited the upper chapel where the two drops of Jesus’ blood were being venerated, but all we could see was the huge silver display cabinet inside which is supposedly the 2 drops of blood kept in a crystal sheath with gold crown stoppers on each end. This was a vial of blood from Joseph of Arimathea given to King of Jerusalem Baldwin III who gave it to Dietrich of Alsace, and when Dietrich returned from Holy Land in 1149 after the 2nd Crusade, he gave the vial to the city of Bruges.
We also visited the Town Hall. There are also 49 statues on the façade of the Town Hall, each of them about 5 foot 9 and weighing almost 1000 lbs. It was built between 1376 and 1420. The upstairs arched ceiling hall was very beautiful. The murals here were done with a technique using wax. Unfortunately, restoration on much of this room cannot be done for the techniques of how the pieces were created has been lost to the ages. The Gothic Hall was formerly meeting place of the town authorities and is now reserved for weddings and receptions. There was a Just Married balloon floating up on the ceiling when we were there. There is a small balcony here once used by town-pipers and musicians. The ceiling has a double row of six hanging pointed arches. Vaultkeys represent scenes from New Testament. Sixteen concoles represent the 12 months and four natural elements. Events in city history are depicted. The Coats of Arms are of main towns of Flanders and the guilds of Bruges.
After leaving the Town Hall, we walked over to the market and Margaret bought a very pretty cape. We had lunch at Café Leopold then walked over to the car park to retrieve Colin’s car. Road trip---we headed out to visit several War Memorial Cemeteries. First stop was Polygon Wood. Here the Australian troops were charged with clearing Polygon Wood of the Germans who had occupied the area for over 2 years. The Australians did an admirable job, but so very many were killed and are buried here.
Then we found Tyne Cot Cemetery. This is the largest Commonwealth cemetery in the world. During the British invasion of 1917 tens of thousands of soldiers died here in a period of 100 days for a gain of barely 8 km. Soldiers who died of their injuries were buried on site, most of their names unknown. Before long a small cemetery had come into being It had a very touching display of letters and postcards sent between the soldiers and their families. One of the most chilling things was the soft voice that announced the name of one of the soldiers killed and his age. Such a horrible loss. The cemetery is huge. We walked amongst the graves in row after row. Between July 11 & November 10 of 1917, there were 460,000 casualties just in this area.
The Europeans have a custom of placing little creations of poppies on the graves every year, and this cemetery was full of them. It was so sad to think of all the lives ended way too soon.
Next we stopped off at the Praline Palais Chocolate Shoppe so Margaret could purchase some things. I couldn’t help but get a few goodies myself.
Then we drove to Ypres (Ieper) to attend the Last Post ceremony that is created every evening at 8pm and has been ever since 1928. It is held at the Menin Gate where are engraved the names of 54, 896 soldiers missing in action. The Menin Gate was built in the location of the old medieval gate. During the first world war, the British troops marched through the gate to defend Ypres. After the war, grateful citizens of Ypres set up the Last Post Association in gratitude. Just to see name after names was so heart-rending.
We went to dinner at Cyper to wait for the ceremony to begin. The food was delicious, but the desserts were divine. I had a REAL Belgian waffle with cherries and whipped cream. Oh my, was it ever good.
Then we walked around Ypres, a very pretty town decorated for Christmas, and saw the church and the town hall which we totally recreated after the war to look just as they had before. You would look at both of them and think they were from hundreds of years before.
The Last Post ceremony was very impressive. The military performed most of the functions this evening. Last Post was sounded and a prayer given then a moment of silence. Then several wreaths were placed on the monument. It was over very quickly but was very moving.
We drove back to the hotel and had the St. Bernardus beers again before retiring for the night. It is almost one AM so I should get to bed.
Pictures from top: Basilica of Saint Basilius interior; two lovely fellows on the facade of Brugge Town Hall; intersting Brugge door and railing; intersting mermaid in the fountain near the market; Margaret in her new cape.
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