Crimson Coast Day 2
Apr. 28th, 2019 03:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smallhobbitWe began our second day in De Panne, where we were staying, because that was the site of L'Ocean Military Hospital, a former hotel, which originally had 100 rooms that could hold 200 beds. At its busiest there were 2,000 beds in the hospital.
That's TD in the picture.
From there we went to see the last remaining hospital from WWI at Zuydcoote. Pre-war it had been a hospital which was used for TB and other cases, but was taken over for care of the wounded.
Dunkirk was on our way to our next destination, so although events on the Dunkirk beaches relate to WWII we stopped to have a look.
The last picture is of the Crested Eagle, a paddle steamer which was bombed and sank. The wreck is only revealed at particularly low tide, so we were very fortunate to see it. I paddled round part of it, and can confirm the North Sea is cold.
From there we went on to Nieuwpoort, which is the point at which the trench system which would run all the way to Switzerland met the sea.
After lunch in Nieuwpoort we went to see the Westfront Visitor Centre, which demonstrates how the Belgians flooded their land (the Inundation) to slow, and in fact stop, the German advance by opening the sluice gates. The view from the tower is impressive.
The final picture is of one of the lions which surround the Albert Memorial (to King Albert, Belgium's king).
From there we went to Zeebrugge, paused to look at a Russian submarine (as you do)
and onto Ostend, where we had dinner.
That's TD in the picture.
From there we went to see the last remaining hospital from WWI at Zuydcoote. Pre-war it had been a hospital which was used for TB and other cases, but was taken over for care of the wounded.
Dunkirk was on our way to our next destination, so although events on the Dunkirk beaches relate to WWII we stopped to have a look.
The last picture is of the Crested Eagle, a paddle steamer which was bombed and sank. The wreck is only revealed at particularly low tide, so we were very fortunate to see it. I paddled round part of it, and can confirm the North Sea is cold.
From there we went on to Nieuwpoort, which is the point at which the trench system which would run all the way to Switzerland met the sea.
After lunch in Nieuwpoort we went to see the Westfront Visitor Centre, which demonstrates how the Belgians flooded their land (the Inundation) to slow, and in fact stop, the German advance by opening the sluice gates. The view from the tower is impressive.
The final picture is of one of the lions which surround the Albert Memorial (to King Albert, Belgium's king).
From there we went to Zeebrugge, paused to look at a Russian submarine (as you do)
and onto Ostend, where we had dinner.
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Date: 2019-04-29 07:41 am (UTC)