The first assignment of autumn then.

It was a return journey to an old favourite destination — Flanders — but with a new perspective.

I’ve been before to Bruges, Ghent and several times to Antwerp.

But I had never visited the WWI heritage sites of Flanders Fields, nor previously witnessed the moving Last Post ceremony [pictured above] at the Menin Gate in Ypres.

It was also my first river cruise assignment after several previous ocean-cruising commissions.

The story is for Telegraph Cruise and will appear in the spring of 2017, timed with the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele.

But here’s a preview:

What struck me most about the surrounding countryside was the dramatic juxtaposition of historical sites and regular suburban houses, where people lived everyday lives untouched by war. Amongst the shrines, monuments and memorials, I sometimes spotted little commemorative crosses, marked with red poppies. One read simply: “Harry. In Loving memory.”

Check out a Flickr gallery of images from the trip.

Or watch a Vimeo of the Last Post:

Read the full story at Telegraph Travel.

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