Western Front Field School Day 2 !!

Well today was our first official day of touring the Western Front. With the help of our awesome guide Les we were able to gain insight into the worlds largest commonwealth cemetary, visit the Passchendaele memorial, and tour Langemark a German cemetary. It was beautiful weather today so we were able to experience everything without the fear of being rained on - unlike the tempermental weather back home. I found the German cemetary to be the most interesting of the day. The Germans took a different perspective in relation to their design for the cemetary - letting nature take its course amongst the graves, in comparison to the formal and structured "english garden" style of the commonwealth sites. The Germans also refrained from standing tomb stones - opting for a engraved piece of square stone implanted in the earth. I was expecting these sites to be gloomy and uninviting, but in contrast the spaces are quite peaceful and retain a sacred feeling like being in a cathedral. With the sun streaming through the trees and the soft warm wind the cemetaries could easily become a place of quiet contemplation. Besides the sites that we are visiting the city of Ypres is gorgeous.Gothic architecture, cobbled streets, and VERY fast traffic makes Ypre fun to walk around in. I was given Belgium chocolate today and I thought I could die and go to heaven. The locals are friendly and eager to have you in their shops, postcards are €70, while 2 stamps to send 1 postcard home was €2.40. Tomorrow we are dressing up as Aussie soldiers, we get to carry rifles, throw granades, and hike 5km or so- it should be epic !! More to follow -

Emily