Tag: Military

Museums of the Western Front

December 14, 2018

The Western Front in World War one was actually quite long, stretching from the North Sea on the shores of Belgium down to the Swiss Border. That means that there is a lot of ground to cover, and considering that there was fighting along most of the front, there are lots of things to see if you, unlike me, decide to travel the whole length. From my travels there I have since discovered that while the trenches are now long gone, there are still relics, even a hundred years after the event, hidden in the fields, forests, and farms along that stretch of land. … More Museums of the Western Front

Village of Azincourt

April 1, 2018

In a way there is probably not that much that would set Azincourt apart from the multitude of small villages scattered across the French countryside, and probably even less of a reason why anybody would take their time turning off their journey to pass through it (let along getting stuck behind a combine harvester), except for one thing – around six hundred years a lot of French blood was spilt on the fields thereabout. … More Village of Azincourt

Ypres & the Fields of Flanders

October 28, 2017

I have had this desire to travel to Ypres for quite a while, and no doubt it had a lot to do with my passion for history, and in particular World War I history. One of the reasons that Ypres (actually probably the only reason) is that it was the sight of a number of battles that raged near the end of the war, and also because of an iconic picture of soldiers marching along wooden boards through a skeletal forest across a muddy terrain that had been blasted to smithereens. … More Ypres & the Fields of Flanders

Trek to the Point

August 10, 2017

I remember as a kid sitting in the car as we were driving to Melbourne and pouring over the Melbourne Street directory. In particular I remember following the Nepean Hwy all the way from the intersection with Punt Road, along the coast, down to the small town of Portsea. I then became really disappointed that the map cut off there so I couldn’t see how the peninsula that it followed came to an end. … More Trek to the Point

Arnhem – The Bridge Too Far

January 5, 2017

Okay, here is the second place that I visited because of a bridge despite the fact that I wrote a post that has effectively trashed a really famous bridge back in Australia. Well, I guess the difference is that this particular bridge has a story behind it where as the bride back in Australia really isn’t all that flash (and as I have mentioned isn’t all that colourful either, unlike the one in the United States). … More Arnhem – The Bridge Too Far

A Hidden Gem for plane enthusiasts

January 1, 2015

Housed in two hangers (I was going to use the word shed, but I don’t think that is the proper term for large metal structures located at an airport) is collection of planes from the 40s and 50s as well as a memorabilia from the airforce (and display full of models of military vehicles). I’d actually driven past the sign on Kings Road more times than I can remember and I have never thought of actually going in there so, while I was on holidays in Adelaide over Christmas I decided to take my brother in to have a look around. … More A Hidden Gem for plane enthusiasts