Day 2 -Brussels

As the sun rises and the flight approaches Europe, we are greeted by the beautiful mosaic of beige and green fields, separated by hedges, of southern England. After a glimpse of the Themse’s estuary, the view suddenly changes to an endless “field” of soft looking, cotton ball like clouds.
Just as we reach the coast of continental Europe, there is a break in the clouds that reveals the actual coast line. At this moment I wonder what the pilots of the Second World War thought as their planes may have taken a similar path. Relief to have left the danger of the North Sea behind? Anxiety of what was to come? Fear of the enemy?
Clearly my, albeit still somewhat tired, mind has arrived at the experience that lies ahead as I watch the countless villages and settlements drift by below me. A stark contrast to the sparsely populated part of England just thirty minutes earlier.

Upon arrival in Brussels it soon came to light that one person’s piece of luggage had not made it. After about two hours the bag was confirmed to still be in Montreal and instructions were left so that the bag can hopefully catch up to it’s owner in the next couple of days. At 11am we were finally ready to board our bus and depart for Ypres, a roughly 1.5 hour drive.