YPRES

Some years ago now, my wife and I were travelling back from a holiday just outside Paris and decided to stop on the way home at Ypres, in Belgium. We wanted to experience the nightly ceremony at the Menin Gate. I had picked out an hotel on the edge of Ypres but when we arrived outside the look of the place, the overfilled bins, the flies and the smell put us of so we decided to drive into Ypres to find somewhere else. On the way into Ypres my wife spotted a British car and suggested that I follow it as it was possibly going to a hotel. It was: The Arianne and what a find.

The Arianne is a lovely hotel with superb food and pleasant staff. Since then we have returned many times and last year we celebrated our 40^th wedding anniversary there. It was on one of our visits that we found the prayer in the Cathedral I posted yesterday.

Ypres is a town well worth a visit with its connection with the First World War. From the town you can visit many of the battle site, visit the museum and experience the ceremony at the Menin Gate. There are many excellent restaurants in Ypres as well as the excellent food served at the Arianne