Hills 60 and 62

Driving around Ieper is interesting. The small roads are not very well marked and despite our thinking that we had enough maps to get by, we were regularly frustrated by non-marked turns. Miraculously, we were still able to find everything we wanted to see. Hills 60 and 62 (strategic strongholds for both the Allies and the Germans) were both amazing. Hill 60 (where the Australians are honoured for their efforts in holding the Hill) is a very natural park. You can walk around (and we were the only ones there) amongst the battlefield, with pill boxes still standing, many craters still in existence. You can't help but appreciate the terrain, pock-marked, hilly and treacherous. We had rain on and off today but can only imagine what it would have been like in the day after all the rain they had. Impassable. Hill 62 was interesting mainly for a small private museum filled with artifacts and photographs. But for the smell of cat piss (which was overwhelming) we could have stayed there for hours and hours taking it all in. Outside of the museum is an unspoiled Canadian trench system. It was remarkable. We only got about 10 steps into the trench before having to turn back. So much water and mud, but nothing at all like what our troops would have encountered. Iain was of course blown away by this place.