The municipality features an industrial area, iron and steel industry, glassworks, chemicals and electrical engineering. Charleroi is in the centre of a vast coal basin, called 'pays noir' - 'the black country.' Many slag heaps still surround the city and in the middle of this sits Charleroi Airport. It is largely undistinguishable from any other airport on the planet except that it identifies strongly with the memory of the Duke of Wellington.

Irelands Ryan Air (bless them, the darlings) have decided to offer the cheapest flights possible to and from various destinations Europe wide from Dublin and we would be stupid not to take advantage of it. Our flight to Belgium has cost us one Euro each return. That's right - one Euro. Steve is laughing as we missed Ryan Airs cut off date for the one cent flights, (damn!) so his Mum offered to pay the fares for us, generously handing over a two Euro coin, which incidentally, would not have even bought a coffee at Dublin airport. Of course, there are downsides to flying with Ryan Air, but no more than any other low cost European flight company - the Ryan Air terminal at Dublin Airport is approx' a 100 kilometre walk from check in - passengers are truly 'packed in like sardines,' the on board service leaves much to be desired unless one likes paying hugely for soggy biscuits, weak tea and three Euros for a small bottle of Coke. Flight crews beg each and every passenger for a donation to this or that charity and constantly urge passengers to take part in in-flight gambling. A pain in the arse but for a one and a half hour flight costing one Euro - what the hell.

"By god! That man does war honour!"
Steve is saying as we collect our luggage after landing. I give him my bewildered 'wtf are you talking about now' look.
'Wellington' he says... 'Wellington said it - here! In Charleroi! He was speaking of Napoleon when he learned that the French had simply gone round the Prussians causing Wellington to re-think his entire campaign. Amazing!'

Gosh yes! Who'd have thought I think sarcasticly! Not me, but then I stop to actually give it consideration. Steve is as excited as me at being in Belgium. The Napoleonic wars revolutionized European armies and artillery, as well as military systems and took place on a scale never before seen and culminating in the Battle of Waterloo on June 18, 1815. He would like the chance to walk in the footsteps of these giants. Does he want to go to Waterloo I ask? It's not that far. The battlefield of Waterloo is less than one hours drive from here. 'No, next time,' he smiles displaying a Wellington like gallantry. 'This trip is for you.'

The French Marshall Ney is said to have commented to Napoleon Bonapart, 'Wellington's on the run! We caught him at Charleroi!' To which Napoleon replied, 'If Wellington is at Charleroi, what are you doing here?'

And indeed, what am I doing here? This ‘trip for me.’ I'm here to walk in the footsteps of those so called lesser men - the canon fodder from a different age. Hero's from a different time but hero's nonetheless. And I've met men from this different age, seen the photographs, heard the stories and wondered at the silence of those who would not speak of it. As well as I know my own name I know the names of places I'm just about to visit... Polygon Wood, Messines, Passchendaele, Broodseinde, The Menin Gate, Hill 60, Hellfire Corner, Sanctuary Wood, Tyne Cot and Ypres,.. yes, especially Ypres. I would call this trip a pilgrimage but it's more than that... it's a journey of appreciation and a complete to honour to be here.

Our first night is no more than a stopover for a bite to eat, a sleep and chance to stretch our legs. Destination Mons. The Belgium city of Mons is located 50 kilometers southwest of Brussels and has a population of 91,000. During the Roman age, Mons was a military camp alongside the road from Bavay to Utrecht. There has always been a settlement here of some kind. In the Dark Ages, a town was established at the top of a hill, around a 7th century monastery founded by St. Waudru. Mons has expanded over the centuries, outgrowing its fortified walls more than once and engulfing surrounding communities. The central core of the town is not large and runs in a number of rings. There is a concerted effort to keep vehicles out of the narrow streets and having driven round it, it's easy to understand why. It is bewildering!

Steve had never driven a left hand drive before we picked up the hire car, so he's frazzled, a bit panicky and I'm certainly not a help with my eyes closed to the rush of frantic traffic, the blaring horns and the fact that I've no map of Mons to navigate by. It's coming up to eight pm by the time we'd driven round trying to get our bearings and we are hungry, the traffic is wearing away at our psyches, the hire cars gear shift is playing merry hell with Steve's temper so the decision is made to simply stay at the next hotel we pass. NO worries! There's a Best Western... there's a break in the traffic... there's a parking space... there's a massive temporary road sign being picked up by the wind and hurtling towards our windscreen! Oh shit! There's me screaming Steve's name... there's him swerving to avoid it... there's the crash and scrap as it hits the hood. There's Steve swearing... there's me taking deep breaths to calm down. There's the huge dent in the right bumper and hood... And there's the traffic sign up-ended on road behind us reading - "please drive carefully." Fuckit!

"Set down your luggage and it's service with a smile! You name it and a warm dynamic staff is there to listen," reads the blog on their web page. Yes, 'listen' but pay bugger all attention! We'd like two extra pillows please. Nope! Can't be done... there are 76 rooms in this hotel and tonight - eight guests. Open up an unoccupied room and let us have those pillows. Nope... can't be done. Against hotel policy. How about an extra blanket? No! No? Against hotel policy. A suggestion is made to us - pay the tariff on an un-occupied room and then, we can have an extra pillow each from there. Steve and I share a look. Nope... won't be done! I suggest pointedly and at reception that Steve and I should just check out and get a refund... drive to another hotel. The receptionist still doesn't budge on the pillow issue and Steve's still quite shaky from the drive and the crash. I sigh... there's nothing for it, we're staying put but perhaps a walk to the Grand Place, dinner, a glass of wine and I will be too tired to bother with the thin, lumpy pillows anyway.

The Mons town square is traditionally called 'le Grand-Place,' Buildings in a panoply of styles testify that Mons was an important center all through the centuries. The Gothic Town Hall dominates the square it's construction begining in 1458. The architect was Mathieu de Layens, who also created the most beautiful Gothic building in the world, namely the Town Hall of the city of Leuven. The town hall of Mons is by far not so prestigious as the one in Leuven, because due to financial problems the original plan was never completed. The second floor of the building was never constructed. Only later, in 1718, the town hall was crowned with a small open bell-tower. The inner courtyard is an oasis of tranquillity. Through a tunnel one can reach the garden of the mayor 'Le Jardin du Mayeur' were several museums are situated. Around the town hall houses in different styles and from different times embellish the Grand-Place. On both sides of the town hall are Baroque facades from the 18th century. Some of the oldest houses date from the 16th century (the southern side, close to Rue de la Chausée). Since Mons was heavily destroyed in 1691 during the siege of the city by Louis XIV of France at the time of the Spanish Succession Wars, a lot of houses were rebuilt afterwards in the typical French styles of the 18th century (Louis XIV, XV and XVI styles).

Like most other medieval cities in the Low Countries, Mons also has a Belfry Tower (Le Beffroi). It reaches a height of 87 m and was built in late-Renaissance and Baroque style (quite unique in Belgium !) between 1661 and 1669 by architect Louis Ledoux. It replaced an older bell-tower that had collapsed at the end of the 15th century. The upper part of the tower is quite remarkable, inspiring the writer Victor Hugo to write: 'Imagine a giant coffee pot, with under it four smaller tea pots. It would be very ugly if it weren't that big.'

The Mons Monkey

The Grand Place is the centre of the historic town. The flamboyant gothic building we admire across from our restaurant is the town hall and dates from the 15th century. In front of it stands the statue of a monkey. Legend has it that this medieval monkey statue brings good fortune to those who caress him (with their left hand). Famous people have paid him a visit in the past: Emperor Charles V of Hapsburg, Emperor Napoleon of France, Emperor Akihito of Japan... myself, Steve. Dinner was a very so-so affair of roasted chicken and pasta in the company of 'Willie' a chatty, handsome, preening but friendly waiter who told us much of the history of Mons, gave us directions to Ypres, all the time alluding far to much to his vigorous sex life and why it was imperative that he get home as soon as possible.

After dinner, we strolled the Grand Place, doing a bit of angel spotting but saw none apart from a few frumpy looking angel statues in the window of a gift store we passed. One interesting note for those historians out there is that on August 23 and 24, 1914, Mons was the site of the first battle fought by the British Army in World War I. The famous Angels of Mons were supposedly a group of angels, including, St. George, Joan of Arc and the Virgin Mary who protected the British Army during the Battle of Mons. The British were forced to retreat and the town was occupied by the Germans, before being liberated by the Canadian Corps during the final days of the war. None of which explains why Mons is twined with Little Rock - Arkansas, but does explain why our pillows were so hard - stuff with little rocks, obviously.

Next morning I woke with very sore throat and cricked neck. Upon returning to The Lido after dinner, we had wrapped towels to serve as pillows, got comfortable, discovered we couldn't turn the heating off in our room, opened the windows and promptly fell asleep... and naturally woke up feeling crap! Breakfast, then the checking out.