Mount Kemmel

Back in the car we head for the Mountains … Belgian style! We head out to Kammel Burg or Mount Camel. The name is misleading on two fronts. This is the highest point in Belgium but it stands at a distinctly unimpressive 160 feet above sea level. It also doesn’t have anything to do with Camels – the name is a corruption of a celtic word, similar to that of Camelford in Britian (I just wish I could remember what that was). We are driving up here to have lunch with a view. That being said it is hard to see anything because of the forest around us, but again it is a reminder that the current environment is only 90 years old. Kammel Burg was a strategically important site during WW1 and bitter fighting removed every shred of vegetation from the area.

Lunch is the Belgian equivalent of a ploughman’s. I opt for the local smoke cured ham and find myself amazing at the quality of it. It seems that only the British believe ham should be boiled or baked. We spend a very pleasant hour chatting about beer, chocolate and Bruges. Afterwards we drive across the hill, passing two more monuments on the way. First is the French Monument, an obelisk supported by the winged goddess Nike (her wings are a little more detailed than the sporting goods logo). A little further on is another slightly smaller monument, capped by a bronze cockerel, marking a French mass grave of 5294 fallen soldiers. This stands on an open plateau with a wonderful view across the surrounding countryside. It was certainly an excellent vantage point for whoever could control it.

Back in the car we head for the Mountains … Belgian style!