George's first adventure: New Year in Ypres

We'd only owned George, our green 2004 Jaguar X-Type, for a couple of weeks when we decided to take him on his first European road trip.

With New Year approaching, we fancied doing something a little different, so we packed our bags and headed for Ypres in Belgium.

Before setting off, there was one job to do. On 27th December 2016, I gave George a fresh oil and filter service, ready for our departure the following morning. We hadn't had much time to get to know him yet, but what better way to find out if we'd made a good purchase than taking him abroad?

On 28th December, with the car loaded, we made our way down to Dover to catch the ferry to Calais. Thankfully, the crossing was smooth, which was a relief for Tracy, who isn't particularly fond of boats and has a habit of getting seasick.

Once we'd arrived in Calais, it was time for the drive to Ypres. It's not a particularly long journey, provided your navigator doesn't miss a turning and add another toll road and 40 minutes to the trip. I won't name names, but I wasn't the one navigating.

Exploring Ypres

Eventually, we arrived in Ypres and checked into the Novotel, which would be our home for the next few days. We dropped our bags in the room and headed straight out to explore the town.

One of the highlights of our visit was attending the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate. Held every evening, the ceremony honours the soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. Standing there listening to The Last Post was incredibly moving, particularly when you think about the thousands of men who never returned home.

It was a sombre experience, but one we're very glad we had the opportunity to witness.

Afterwards, we found a lovely restaurant for dinner before heading back to the hotel for a nightcap. It had been a long day of travelling, and we were more than ready for bed.

The following morning, after a hearty breakfast, we headed out to visit the In Flanders Fields Museum. It's a fascinating place that tells the story of the First World War in the region, and we spent some time exploring the exhibits before wandering around the town.

We were also lucky enough to arrive while the Belgian Christmas market was still running. With the festive stalls, ice skating and plenty of atmosphere, Ypres was a lovely place to spend a few winter days.

That evening, after dinner, we stopped to watch the ice skating and treated ourselves to some Belgian waffles before calling it a night.

Bringing in the New Year

New Year's Eve arrived, and as we'd booked the trip at the last minute, we hadn't made any restaurant reservations. We decided an early dinner was the safest option before everywhere filled up with people who'd been a little more organised than us.

After dinner, it was back to the hotel to get changed into our glad rags for the evening.

Fortunately, the Novotel had a great bar, good music and even a dance floor, so we didn't have to venture far to celebrate. We had a brilliant evening welcoming in 2017, although we perhaps enjoyed ourselves a little too much.

We were supposed to be heading home on New Year's Day, but when morning arrived, neither of us was feeling particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of a ferry crossing and a long drive home.

"With rather sore heads and very little enthusiasm for travelling, we did the sensible thing. We changed our ferry booking and stayed another night."

It turned out to be a good decision, giving us an extra day to relax and enjoy Ypres before making the journey home.

One last stop before heading home

On our final morning, we packed up George and set off towards Calais, but there was somewhere we wanted to visit before leaving Belgium.

We arrived at Tyne Cot Cemetery a little after 6am, ready to watch the sunrise. It was a crisp, frosty morning, and the cemetery looked beautiful in the early morning light. The grass and headstones were covered in frost, and there was a stillness about the place that made it feel even more special.

As we walked among the rows of headstones, the sun slowly rose over the cemetery, creating an atmosphere that's difficult to put into words. Seeing so many graves, including those of soldiers who lost their lives in battle and whose identities remain unknown, was incredibly touching. It was hard not to think about the lives behind each headstone and the families who never saw their loved ones return home.

It was a beautiful, peaceful place to spend the early morning, and an experience that has stayed with us ever since. A fitting final stop before making our way back to Calais and the ferry home.

The final leg home

By lunchtime, we were aboard and making our way across the Channel. Unfortunately, unlike our outward crossing, the sea wasn't being quite so cooperative.

The ferry was busy, and as we made our way through the crowds towards the outside deck, I turned around to say something to Tracy. She was as white as a sheet.

It was clear the crossing wasn't agreeing with her, so getting outside became something of a priority. Thankfully, once we reached the deck and she could see the horizon, the colour gradually returned to her cheeks.

With that little drama behind us, we eventually arrived back in Dover and began the final leg of our journey home.

George had passed his first test

After several days away, a few unexpected detours, an extra night in Belgium and two very different ferry crossings, we'd made it home.

More importantly, George hadn't put a foot wrong. For a Jaguar we'd only owned for a couple of weeks, he'd taken everything in his stride and proved himself to be a lovely car for travelling.

It was a great way to welcome in 2017, and George had already given us some wonderful memories.