Wallowing in the ambiance.

Today's cultural experience was at the 'in Flanders Field Museaum' and the Ieper Municipal Museum where I discovered the pastel drawing brilliance of Louise De Hem, being a total Philistine I have never bothered to look at pastels before, I was amazed at the definition and also the ability of pastels to show details of fine fabrics, if I hadn't been better edumacated I would say I was blown away or even gobsmacked by this artist's skill but I hate both of those expressions so I won't use them. After lunch I went over to Tyne Cot Cemetery, 9000+ graves and the names of over 30,000 soldiers who lie in unmarked graves, again a moving experience but still very hard for me to comprehend the scale of death that occurred in such a small portion of the front. My thoughts go out to all the families of the soldiers in unmarked graves, they have no place to go to say goodbye and have no hope of closure. Lunch today was a brootjie, at least that is how I think it is spelt, basically half a French stick filled with whatever you fancy. After all my excursions I went back to the square I visited yesterday for dinner and it was pleasant to sit in the sun sampling Belgian beers whilst reading my new book. Tomorrow is Waterloo and then Luxembourg.