Flanders Fields

As we were driving back to Hasselt from Westvleteren, we saw several cemeteries along the road. It was cold, windy, and rainy that day, but we pulled off and took pictures of a few.

As we continued on we noticed signs pointing the way to other cemeteries. They seemed to be in the middle of nowhere on little roads that appeared to lead nowhere.

We didn't visit all of them and we weren't quite sure of why there were so many and why they were there. It was late so we continued on.

I decided to find out a little more after we returned home. I learned we had passed just outside the city of Ieper (Ypres), Belgium. It was apparently completely destroyed during World War I, but most of it was rebuilt exactly as it was before the war.

I regret we didn't have more time that day and I hope we can go back for another visit.

You've probably heard of "In Flanders Fields", a famous poem about World War I. You may also recall poppies as a symbol of the war. Apparently poppy seeds can lay dormant for years and then bloom beautifully when the earth is churned. This is the reference in the poem to military battles churning the earth and causing the poppies to bloom.

Maybe this churned earth will be full of poppies when we go back for our next visit.