Day 36 - Arras to Ypres - ride total 2,852 k, 18,502 m

We got away from our Premier Classe Hotel at about 6:15 a.m. and made our way straight out of town - it was lovely riiding in the cool and fresh of the morning and there was quite a heavy fog that hung around well in to the afternoon. When I say "Fog" it was more like bush fire haze without the smell as there was no dampness at all with it and it was like a mirage in that the closer you rode to the thicker looking fog the further it moved away from you - most strange, yet as I say great riding conditions as it kept the sun away.

Before I mention too much about today's ride I will let you know what happened at 10:30 p.m. last night. There was a knock at the door and it was the guy from the front desk asking in French for payment for our room! I happened to be asleep at that point in the top bunk however as I was the one who booked and "PAID" for the room it fell on me to clamber down and sort this out - all at 10:30 p.m. at night...

I went out to the front desk where our man and another iin their French with a little English were telling me they had not been paid! I said well I have paid and here is the Booking.com "booking confirmation" and also here is a list of payments from my credit card. They still persisted in telling me they had not been paid. I quietly took myself off to the chair at the table and used Google translate to bring them up to speed (see my F B pic of the day). They were still not happy however I had, had enough by this stage and bid them "Goodnight" and took myself back off to bed.

Nothing more was heard from them so I guess they eventually found the payment in their system somewhere.

Today as expected would be one of visiting the many War Grave Sites we randomly rode past. While each of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemeteries look very similar in design each has its own sad story to tell - whether there be 57 dead souls there or 10,057 dead souls -  each one of those men sadly died long before their natural body had plans for. Some as young as 17 - Schoolboys only!

We didn't find a Boulangerie for our breakfast until we were about 40 km's in to the ride so when we sat down we were ready to eat. Unfortnately I ran in to another purchase difficulty when I was being charged about $15 NZD for one flat piece of pastry with some sliced apples on top - Nice but not at $15!. As the transaction had gone through by the time I saw the price I was paying the young lady had some difficulty explaining things to me and I had some difficuty explaining - "please pop it back on the shelf" - this went around in circles for a wee while and the chap from out the back came to assist but still no resolution. Eventually she handed me a till receipt for the $15 and from that I gathered that I now had a $15 credit to spend (it seems they learnt this technique from the airlines when Covid hit - no refund possible but here's a credit note). Fortunatelly Peter had yet to order so his order and my new order of a simple muffin managed to use up my credit.

At the bakery we saw a couple of young Belgium cyclists there also having breakfast and they were on their way to Paris to watch the Cycling Road Race tomorrow - they started their ride at 4:30 a.m. and were planning on riding about 260 km's in order to get to Paris today! Kindof puts my 80 km's into perspective doesn't it. Granted they were probably only in their twenties and they also had friends tagging along in a car with all their gear so unlike us they didn't have all that extra weight (10 kg's) to carry.

We made it to Mesen in time for an extended lunch and walk around the New Zealand and the Australian Memorials - it was of significance for Peter as a couople of his friends from Melbourne and old school mates had been the folk behind researching and erecting the memorial. 

We saw the sign to the Bethleem Cemeteries which involved a wee bit of a back track to take them in.

Over lunch we met a lovely Dutch couple wo were biking back to Holland along the line of the Western Front which extends from Switzerland near Basel through to the Channel at Belgium. They spoke excellent English and were a delight to chat with and chances are we will see them again this evening as we visit the Menin Gate.

It was a short ride from Mesen into Ypres and out Novotel Hotel for the night - a very flash one this (and proportonately more expensive than last nights) - it is lovely to spoil oneself from time to time - This room has two single beds and a good sofa bed, our own bathroom and separate toilet and air conditioing! Plus a great bike storeage room right off the main hotel lobby.

After all the mud from yesterday our bikes are set to have a good clean and service shortly.

If you have read this far and want to read more then you will need to come back later as I have yet to report back on the closing of this day... 

This is now that later bit. 

Our hotel is very close to the main square so we walked in there and had a quick meal before heading off to the Menen Gate at 7:30 as we wanted to be there for the end of day ceremony at 8:00 p.m. They're was quite a crowd there by that time and more by 8:00 when the last post was played, "we will remember them" recited and the formal laying of the wreaths. Tonight there was a delegation of MP's from Victoria which just happened to coincide with Peter and Stephen's visit. The ceremony was not as moving as perhaps what I was expecting it would be (remember I'm a Jones and don't do moving stuff very well without getting itchy eyes) 😢

At the ceremony and after almost 3,000 km's of cycling through five countries it was here at the Menen Gate that we bumped into people we knew. It was of course our good friends (well that's how it feels) Alex and Renz from Holland! It has to be said though we kind of knew they would be along here tonight as that is what they told us when we meet them at lunchtime today! Still it was fun to be able to point out someone we knew in the crowd. 

After that there was time for an ice cream and then a walk around the carnival which was all go in the central city square.