"Most rewarding day yet! Today we got to travel to Gallipoli and visit some historic monuments along the southern end of the peninsula. These monuments were extremely eye-opening, especially the Redoubt Cemetery. It would have to be the highlight of our trip so far. In a way, I feel like I have changed a lot from visiting this cemetery, because the emotions and feelings that you experience while walking through the endless rows of gravestones are indescribable. There is no way to explain it - it is a truly unique experience. I'm not generally an emotional person, but just reading the ages of the men who died, and the quotes left behind by their loved ones was heart-wrenching. Over 200 people buried in this cemetery were unidentified, which is upsetting because their families never got closure over the whereabouts of their sons."A good son. A noble brother and true friend. His goal - no more war." - B. Heinemann, age 20
"Sweet is the memory of one we love. He died that we may live." - T. Allford, age 16
"A glorious death is his who for his country falls." - T. Bell, age 25
"Memory is the sweetest flower, watered by tears of love" - T. Cheetham, age 22
But perhaps the most moving thing of all was the fact that the cemetery was so well looked after by the Turkish, and it was treated with such respect.
I'll elaborate on this experience in a later blog smile emoticon
Tomorrow we will be visiting our Turkish penpals and travelling back to Gallipoli in preparation for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service - so excited!"
"Sweet is the memory of one we love. He died that we may live." - T. Allford, age 16
"A glorious death is his who for his country falls." - T. Bell, age 25
"Memory is the sweetest flower, watered by tears of love" - T. Cheetham, age 22
But perhaps the most moving thing of all was the fact that the cemetery was so well looked after by the Turkish, and it was treated with such respect.
I'll elaborate on this experience in a later blog smile emoticon
Tomorrow we will be visiting our Turkish penpals and travelling back to Gallipoli in preparation for the ANZAC Day Dawn Service - so excited!"