Tracing the journeys of the War Poets

Greetings from France!

Greetings from France! And a big, warm welcome to the new readers! It's a pleasure to have you all here.

This is just a quick update following up on the past three posts, our War Poets series, where we delved into the lives of Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, and Robert Graves, as today I found myself walking the very same fields that inspired the powerful verses of these amazing poets during the Great War.

From walking the haunting and gorgeous surroundings of Mametz Wood, observing the stillness of High Wood, and standing near Wilfred Owen’s grave, it's been one heck of an emotional rollercoaster, to be honest. Although I can't really describe what I felt, all I can say is that this experience has been overwhelming, humbling, and has made my heart heavy with respect for the men and women who got caught up in this mess - many of whom unfortunately never made it out alive.

I’ve always read about these places and have seen them in pictures a million times, but being here with my friend Paul Reed, who is a brilliant guide, accompanied by an amazing group of history enthusiasts who truly understand how unique this is and what the places we're visiting really mean, makes everything even more moving and special.

I took quite a lot of photos today that I'll be posting here soon. But here's the thing: while I'm very much looking forward to sharing everything with you, it's a challenge to do this while we're on the move. But don’t worry, once the tour is over, I’m planning a big recap with all my favorite moments and pics. For those who can't wait (and trust me, I get it!), hop over to my Instagram where I’m dropping live updates throughout the day.

We’re heading out to Normandy tomorrow, where we’re going to explore some of the WW2 poets and history as well.

Stick with me on this one. I’ll be sharing as much as possible with you all.

Marina x