During the weekend of 8-11 November, we visited Dunkirk and Gravelines. These are located just across the Belgian border, so it was a relatively short car ride. Dunkirk and Gravelines both lie in the area that was once Flemish-speaking, still very much visible in the place names - Duinkerken and Grevelingen - but also many smaller villages such as Hondschoote or Koudekerke.
We did some beach walking and shopping, went out for some good dinners (gastronomy is an important aspect of all our trips), but of course also visited some of the military historic landmarks, of which some pictures are shown here.
As for the military nature of the Vauban fortress of Gravelines, I can refer to Henry Hyde's excellent series of articles in "Miniature Wargames with Battlegames", in issues 380-384 (published early 2015).
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Me in the museum about "Operation Dynamo".
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| Monument for the fallen in the centre of Dunkirk. |
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Still visible shipwrecks on the beaches between Bray-Dunes and Dunkirk.
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German bunkers, part of the Atlantik Wall.
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Vauban Fortifcations in Gravelines
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Gravelines again. It's somewhat difficult to capture the nature of the restorated Vauban Fortress when taking pictures from the ground and not from the air.
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More Gravelines
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November 11 in Gravelines
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November 11 in Gravelines
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Thanks for the shout-out, Phil. Annie & I visited Gravelines on a much sunnier day. I really like the place and of course the military architecture is extraordinary. I must put those articles together and create a coherent PDF. And as for the food, I think you and I would get along just fine! 😆
ReplyDeleteGood dining is indeed important! And a proper wargame is not complete unless we can open a good bottle of wine, sip from a good single malt whisky, or even better, enjoy a good Belgian beer!
DeleteHola
ReplyDeleteLas fotos se ven muy bien, parece un lugar bonito y muy interesante.
Desde luego la gastronomía es fundamental, donde vivo en España hay una gran comunidad Belga y me han hablado maravillas de la gastronomía de allí.
Un saludo desde España.
MM
Hey. Glad you enjoyed the visit in my homeland :) If you should go back, I recommend a trip to Bergues: remaining Vauban (and more) fortifications as well!
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