The Waterloo Journal | Ten Years Later

It’s hard to believe that I went on a massive trip to Europe ten years ago for three weeks. The trip’s primary purpose was to attend and participate in the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo with a large group of Canadian Reenactors and other reenactors from around the globe to mark a major anniversary of this world-changing battle. The trip also proved to be an adventure and offered many photographic chances. I also made a point to write a journal of my travels. As I was building this post, I ran a search and found out that I had written about it before and even included sections of my journal. So, for this entry, I’m going to take things a little differently and talk about the places I visited more retrospectively. And, of course, share different photos, digital, phone, and film.

Amsterdam
Amsterdam was both the first and last city I visited during the trip. After an overnight flight from Toronto to Schiphol Airport, we hit the ground running. Travelling with a tour group meant that nothing was left to chance. After clearing security, grabbing our bags we got sorted into buses and were taken out to the old city. I wanted to strech my legs a little bit to I set out on a solo photo walk to try and get some rolls through the Contax and of course grab some lunch.

Later that evening I headed back into the old city using the subway system with Colin, Laura, James and Connie. The only one missing from our happy little group was Ewan, who had a terrible time on the flight. Yes we were all tired, but the excitement of having finally made it certainly helped keep our energy high. We found a place to have dinner and wandered around a bit, almost all of use had various cameras and I did make a point to turn it towards the people who I was with.

The final two days I was in Europe were again spent in Amsterdam, including Canada Day. By this point the temperatures which had been climbing slowly were now hitting uncomfortable levels. I would do some wandering through the streets but I would also take the time to visit several museums just to get into some air conditioning. Thankfully the hotel I stayed at near the air port was modern and did have a good HVAC system.

Antwerp
After leaving Amsterdam while driving to Brussels we had the chance to stop in Antwerp, visiting the oldest part of the city centred around Het Steen a castle constructed between 1200 and 1225. Then we got to wander around the Old City. Colin, Laura, and I also checked out the beautiful Roman Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady the size and scale was like nothing I had ever seen. It wasn’t a long visit and I did transfer through the city later in the trip but I didn’t have enough time to stop in a see a bit more. Which is a shame because there was another fortification from the 1860s that would have been fun to see. But would have been a pain to get to with all my gear.

Brussels
I did not spend a lot of time in Brussels I wish I had spent a bit more time exploring the city. But when we first got there it was pretty late and we were hungry and immediately headed out for dinner. And then the others times we were coming back from a long and tiring days out at the Waterloo event and I left the cameras behind. Also the city had a bit of reputation for pick-pockets so I didn’t want to carry too much on my person. That said I did get a chance to get some photos.

I did, however, remember to bring my cameras out for the final night together as a group. After a disappointing meal, we all had to go find better food. Trust me, if you’re in Brussels, do not go to any of those fixed-price restaurants; they’re terrible. But we did find a great pub (after having an earlier experience with such a restaurant) called the Pub of Six Nations and got something better than heading back to the Delirium Village for a fun-filled evening, including some impromptu karaoke.

Waterloo
The primary purpose of our trip was to be a part of the 200th Anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Waterloo. The final big battle in a decades-long conflict was the Napoleonic Wars. We spent three days on the field, driving each day from Brussels and returning after we were done. The first day was spent working as a whole battalion with our international partners, two days in the camp and fielding for the battle. I used my phone a lot and packed the Contax for the first day on the battlefield, but it was stupid not to bring a second roll of film. Because we marched through the original La Haye Sainte farmhouse, I was out of film and foolish and didn’t take out my phone. I was so in awe of being in history. I did bring my a6000 the next day, but we didn’t go through the farmhouse.

As battles went on, we fought almost the same scenario both days and let me tell you, the battles I had been a part of in North America had nothing to do with this one. First, the scale was immense; the number of reenactors on the field was about equal to the number of troops in the historic battles of the War of 1812. And then there was the brutality; no quarter was given by either side. We screamed, shouted and fired almost directly at the folks on the other side. Also, the horses, being charged by cavalry, is terrifying with only my musket and fixed bayonet in place to defend myself. But the trick is yelling obscenities to help keep the fear down.

Bruges
After three days in uniform and despite a victory parade, I decided to take a cheap bus trip to Bruges. I wanted a quiet day solo to decompress before another night party in Brussels. I decided to wander around the city and follow my heart. I got lost at one point and nearly exited the historic town but got myself turned back around and headed back in. I also learned that using a bathroom is worth the 1-2 euros. The public bathrooms in Europe are wonderful, clean, well stocked and attended. Also learned that many places of business do insist that you order something first before they let you use their bathroom as proven by the dive bar I bought a beer at just to use the bathroom.

Arras
It was raining as I boarded the train with all my luggage in Brussels and took the long train ride south to Arras. The group had split up; some were on their own adventures, and others went home. After getting past the language barrier, I got into my hotel room and didn’t want the rain to stop me, so I loaded up a roll of Tri-X and headed out into the rain. The entire old city was quiet as I wandered through the streets. I also noted that many of the businesses were closed, and it was late afternoon at this point. As I wandered the street, I enjoyed the quietness and focus on photography. I found one open restaurant, and I even tried escargot. It didn’t go well, and I got a bottle of wine and Domino’s pizza. Yes, even in Europe, I could get Dominos. Weird.

Vimy
My trip into Vimy did not start out too well, first up I had to switch hotels, thankfully the hotel I was staying at made it seamless. Second I wanted to take a bicycle out to Vimy from Arras but there was only one place to rent a bike and they weren’t about to let their bikes leave the city. I also wasn’t about to rent a car either. I wanted this whole trip to be done without a car. So I finally figured out the trains and was off to Vimy. Then using my phone’s GPS I ended up walking the five kilometers out to Vimy Ridge. And it wasn’t by the direct or easy route, rather it was a weird route through a logging camp and a nature cross-over. But it was worth it as I openly wept at the monument. Then after exploring it I ended up finding the visitor’s centre and talking to other Canadians. Who directed me back to the town by a better easier route.

Ghent
I only went to Ghent for one reason: to get a photo of a plaque that marks the building where the American delegation to the peace talks that ultimately ended the War of 1812. Unlike the previous cities I had visited, the train station is well outside the city’s historic centre. I arrived later in the afternoon, and knowing I still had several hours before sunset, I walked from my hotel in a more modern area into the city centre. It was an enjoyable walk as the architecture moved back from the 20th into the 19th and further back in history. as I moved towards the centre. At one point, I gained a tail, and as soon as I noticed this, I went to a police officer who took immediate action. While I never felt unsafe, I soon felt much safer wandering the city. I also found a good bar and store selling many fantastic beers.

While visiting a castle was not my primary purpose, I wasn’t about to let the chance to see inside a castle. Gravensteen is the historic seat of the Count of Flanders. The castle today dates to 1180 and served in that role until 1353. Since then, it has been a court, prison, mint and even a cotton factory. It saw restoration from 1893 to 1907 under the watchful eye of architect Joseph De Waele. It became the centre-piece of the Ghent World Fair of 1913. One of the more interesting things I noted inside the castle is an original guillotine that saw actual use in the past and a plaque dedicated to British, Polish, and Canadian soldiers and airmen who were all part of the liberation of the city in World War Two.

Arnhem
It took a lot to get from Ghent back to the Netherlands and Tilburg, where I stayed. However, after getting off the train and getting to my hotel, I realised there wasn’t much for me to see in Tilburg. So I was checking out a map as I took a quick rest in my room, and I saw a city that was only an hour away by train that rang a bell. Arnhem. I’d done Napoleon and World War One; how about a World War Two battle? Arnhem was the site of the Battle of Arnhem, which was part of the failed Operation Market Garden. And the titular Bridge Too Far. I quickly grabbed my bag, returned to the station, and caught the next train. The film “A Bridge Too Far” was not filmed in Arnhem but rather in another smaller town nearby that looked far closer to what Arnhem looked like in World War Two. It was a fair hike from the station to the bridge, but I was able to raise a glass for the men who died while defending the bridge.

Tilburg
I could have found a bit more to do in Tilburg, but there was nothing too interesting where I stayed. Looking at the map now, I was close to the centre of the town, but I don’t think I wandered far enough when I got back from Arnham. But I couldn’t get away with not taking any photos here. Also, by this point in the trip, I had been city hopping for nearly a week, so I was exhausted dragging my kit around every day. So I made a point to find a central spot for the next several days to stay put so I wasn’t always dragging stuff to and from a hotel room. The sacrifice was cutting out a trip to see the Impossible Project.

Rotterdam
Rotterdam would be my home base for several days into the third week of the trip. I had enough of city hopping and I wanted to be able to put down all my kit and not have to drag it out every day to move on. I found a Holiday Inn Express a block away from the central train station and booked my rooms there. Not only was this the biggest room I had all trip, it was good to have a free breakfast available to me.

What struck me as odd was that the city seemed modern. I had seen some towns with contemporary elements, but there was still a lot of historic architecture scattered about. Had Rotterdam done a major urban renewal in the 1970s and wiped out some of the city’s historic elements? Well, the answer hit me like a bomb, literally. I turned my head at one point and saw a massive display about the Rotterdam Blitz. The city had been levelled not by the local government but by the Luftwaffe as a warning.

One of the highlights of visiting Rotterdam is meeting some family. I had a lovely visit with my mom’s cousin (Peter) and met his mother (my mom’s aunt) at the same time. Of course, the aunt didn’t speak English, so the conversation was translated through Peter or his wife. It was a lovely respite from travelling solo. I also got a full taste of how good the public transit system is; I got to use both Lightrail and Subway. I got lost a couple of times on my way back, but I eventually made it. I also took the chance several times to get off the system and explore different parts of the city, which is probably why I was turned around at some point. But it was worth it, as I did find some surviving historic sections of the city.

Den Haag
Taking advantage of having my luggage in a secure location, I could work on a better schedule with my photography. I’m always much more of an early riser and getting out in the morning. Being a block from the central train station, I caught a train to Den Haag or The Hauge, the seat of power in the Netherlands. The one thing I noticed is that there were many people in uniform. Both modern and historical, mainly from the Second World War. I asked what happened and was told that a display of military vehicles was taking place. I got off the train where the folks indicated. I wasn’t disappointed; it was a great display of modern and historic vehicles. After wandering around there for a bit, I headed out to my main goal: get up to the North Sea and the small town of Scheveningen. I took a long and weird route mainly because I wanted to grab as many photos as possible.

But I eventually made it to the spot. Until now, the weather hadn’t been too bad; it was relatively mild, thanks mainly to how far north I was compared to home. But by this point, it started heating up more. After taking off my shoes and socks, rolling up my pants and walking into the North Sea, I settled into a Muskoka Chair and had a couple of beers at a beach club. Then, I wandered through the old town section of Scheveningen before finding my way back to a tram. Then, it was a nice long ride back to a train station where I could catch a ride back to Rotterdam.

If you’ve reached this point, thank you so much for taking a walk back through my trip to Europe ten years ago. I’m happy I went. I’m even happier with the photography I achieved during the journey. Ten years ago, I was still locking my phone into square format so that I could upload it to Instagram without cropping. Yes, there was that time when you could only post in square format, and reels weren’t a thing yet. Even now, the quality of the iPhone 4s still stands up, although that case interfered with the image and made it much softer. This is only a small selection of my pictures; you can always go and look at all of them over on Flickr. It’s funny because I still look at these occasionally when I want to revisit the trip. Is it nostalgia? Probably, but also a reminder that the world is a lot bigger and a lot older than my little slice of Canada, where the oldest buildings I have are young when you compare them to the places in Europe.