questions on Ypres/Albert

Hi all,

I am visiting Flanders in from 13th Sept coming in from Amsterdam by train to brussels.Gettin a car at Brussels and heading to Ypres/Polygon Wood first up.

Can anyone help with the following questions please?

1) How long to drive from Brussels to Ypres?

1A) How long to drive from Ypres to Albert?

2) What is the weather like in these areas at this time of year?

3) is there any good fishing in these areas?

4) How long does it take to drive from Normandy to Ypres?

5) are there any key tips ( cultural nuances, protocols etc ) a vistor should be aware of

6) I dont speak any french at all. Will i get by with English?

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1) About 1 1/2 hrs according to viamichelin.com. I would advise you to use its Flemish name Ieper as this is how you will find it written locally.

1a) Also 1 1/2 hrs from Ieper to Albert near Amiens (FRANCE).

2) Autumnal, but there is no way of predicting precisely, see this for up to 5 days in advance: http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/2554 (Lille seems like a useful mid-point for places you mention).

4) From Caen (Normandy is a big place!), via Albertville, Calais and Dunkerque, 4h07.

6) In Flanders, Belgium, you will certainly get by with English. For France, I suggest you try the forum for that country.

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3) Not sure you would call it good, but I forgot that in Ieper itself you can fish from the ramparts - this might interest you also because it mentions Australian soldiers in Ieper: ww1westernfront.gov.au/ieper/ramparts-cemete…

There are also the Kemmel and Westouter trout ponds and the Vijver van Dikkebus (Dikkebus lake or pond: westhoek.info/ned/… here%26#39;s what you can catch http://sport.gdubol.com/Sport-hengelen/) just outside Ieper. This is an area called Heuvelland, see heuvelland.be/tourism/847-www/227-www.html.

You might do better to enquire at the tourist office in Ieper or a fishing tackle shop like Salomez Steve,

Dikkebusseweg 76, 8900 Ieper, tel. 057 21 41 37, mobile, 0473 89 04 05, e-mail tweggy.sohie@telenet.be.

Information on rules and regulations is here: www.visitflanders.us/index.php?page=fishing