It really cooled down overnight but it warmed up quickly. We got on our bikes to check out some of the major WW1 sites.

The bike paths are very good – one on either side of main roads.

We found Black Watch Corner – a memorial to the 8960 black watch soldiers who lost their lives in WWI.

This was at the corner of Polygon Wood where a big offensive took place including many nationalities of the allies.

It was devastated in WW1 but has been allowed to grow back into a wood. There are still relics in there like the New Zealand bunkers made with corrugated iron with concrete poured over them.

At the other side of the woods we found the Polygon Wood Cemetery. The graves are not in rows as the burials were made while the battle was still going on.

Across the road is the Buttes New English Cemetery- a much grander affair.

There’s all nationalities of the allies in here – but a lot of Australians.

We then rode on to the Passchaendale museum and were hassled by ducks looking for a feed.

We went round the museum taking around 1.5 hours. It was very informative on all things about WW1 in the region. There was a huge room with missiles of every size and colour. They also had recreated dugouts and trenches to walk along to give you the feeling of what it was like to be a soldier. It would have been a very hard life living in those conditions.

The next stop was the largest military cemetery in Europe – Tyne Cot.

The route took us down a good bike track which used to be the old rail track. We soon arrived there at the same time as lots of Harley Riders.

The cemetery is on a hill around 5 German bunkers. The location was prized due to its ability see any enemy around. It changed hands a few times.

After a consolidation of graves from other sites there are now 11,961 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in Tyne Cot Cemetery. 8,373 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to more than 80 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. 

As we were leaving the Harley’s we’re going too to their theme tune of ‘Thunder’.

We cycled back along the good bike tracks and soon we were back at our campsite exhausted and ravenous to have lunch at 3pm. It was now 33 degrees so we enjoyed sitting under the awning out of the sun.

It stayed hot and only once the temperature started dropping at 9pm did we bother with dinner.

Glenn was happy that the sheep showed up in the field next to us.

We had cold showers and then slept very soundly after all that exercise.