So today was the first day of the field school. After a scenic busride from Paris CDG airport, we all arrived at the Bedford House Cemetery near Ypres. While the memorial site seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, it was an amazing site. When approaching the site along the long drive the number of graves and their sequential order was stunning. After spending some time there, I began to realize a few things. Primarily, what struck me was the arrangement of the graves. They all seemed to be facing in generally the same direction; towards the cross and the stone. After realizing this, I then noticed that the tombstones were arranged to form a cross. This cross, like the set up of a church, had an apse-like disection along the long main path. Beyond the arrangement of the graves, another thing that struch me was the variety in the tombstones. Each was as individual as the person. With inscriptions, ages, names, and religions. This added a very personal touch onto an already stunning place. This stunning memorial set the trip off to a wonderful start!
-Sean
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