Memorial Day Ceremony At Margraten Cemetary, Netherlands

Russ and I went to the Memorial Day Ceremony at the American cemetery in Margraten, The Netherlands, yesterday. This area was liberated by American troops in September of 1944. Two months later, the Dutch government dedicated this land to our Army to be used as a cemetery for American troops who were killed in action in Germany. There are 8,301 men and women buried here. They served in the Air Force and Army. 40 sets of brothers are buried here. 106 unknown soldiers. All of these men and women came to Europe to fight for someone else's freedom. They gave the ultimate sacrifice for people that they had never met. This is the mirror pond in the Memorial Square. In the base of the tower is the chapel. At the foot of the tower is the bronze statute of a grieving woman. She stands next to a tree that was destroyed by war, but from which new life still emerges. Behind the tower, are the graves. There are soldiers from every state in the United States. If you think that they locals don't appreciate the sacrifices that these troops made for them, then you are mistaken. As the men and women were buried here, their graves were adopted by local families. These people didn't know the service member in life, but they keep his or her memory alive now. They tend to the graves: pulling weeds, cleaning the crosses, and bringing fresh flowers. They tell their children stories about the war, and the sacrifices that these soldiers and airmen made for them. They make sure that they don't take their freedom for granted. When they grow too old to take care of the grave properly, they pass is on to their children. They consider this not a burden, but an honor. There is a very long waiting list to adopt a grave here. These men and women will never be alone. It was not the best of weather for a ceremony. It alternated between mist and driving rain, but the people still came out to show their respect. They came from all over Europe, and the United States. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands attended, as well as Dignitaries from Belgium and France. Some of our Airmen from Kleine Brogel took part in the ceremony. They stood at attention for hours in the pouring rain, and helped carry wreaths during the presentations. They made us very proud. Try to take a little time today to remember those who died for you, so that you have the freedom you have today. If a Dutch family can devote a lifetime to the care of one of these airmen or soldiers who died for our freedom, then you can take a few minutes out from that barbecue with the neighbors to send a silent "Thank You" to them as well. I'm just saying.

Concrete Bunkers On The Canal

Things have been a bit crazy lately. With Memorial Day coming up, I thought it would be fitting to post these pics that I took last week. These are concrete bunkers along a nearby canal here in Belgium. Beautiful and peaceful now. Terrifying in a time of war. Take a moment to remember all those who fought for their country. Freedom isn't really free. Someone had to fight for it, or maybe even give their life to make sure that you get it. Be sure let them know how much you appreciate their gift.

Brussels By Train

This has been a very busy and adventurous week. Yesterday, I went Polish pottery shopping in the Netherlands, had sushi for lunch in Aachen, Germany, and then returned home to Belgium. As if that wasn't complicated enough, a friend and I decided to take the train to Brussels this morning after the kids got on their buses for school. Turns out, it's pretty easy to do, and we had a super time. (It helps if you find a kind, English speaking local who points out that the train splits in half on the return trip, and if you aren't in the front, then you will end up somewhere you don't want to be. Who on earth designed that feature?) Anyway, things worked out perfectly, and we came out of Brussels Central Station just a couple of blocks from the Grand Place. The Town Hall is the most impressive of all the buildings in this square. This is my favorite spot in Brussels. You can just stand in the center of the square and slowly spin. Everywhere you look is amazing. The last time the family and I visited this area, it was November and pretty chilly. Today, the weather was warm and there were flower vender's out in full force. This are is at the center of the old Brussels. This is the House of the King, which was originally a covered bread market. Now it's the city museum of Brussels. This statue of Everard 't Serclaes is just off of the Grand Place, at the entrance to the little road leading to the Manneken-Pis. He was a hero that was murdered in the 14th century. It's said that rubbing the statue will bring you good luck and happiness for the next year, so people crowd around to touch and rub the statue. I'm not sure why he is considered lucky, because he was murdered, but who am I to question tradition? Yes, I rubbed the statue. You never know, right? You can't talk about Brussels without showing a picture of their delicious waffles. There are several stands in the area selling these. There he is. The delightful Manneken-Pis. The last time we saw him, he had a little blue outfit on , but today...he was au natural. I suppose he, too, was enjoying the warm Spring weather. There was a group of school kids in front of the statue, and their teacher was telling them the story of behind the statue. Essentially, a rich man lost his son in a crowd during a celebration. He was found five days later, on the corner of the rue de l'Etuve, tinkling. I'm not sure why they made a statue of this, but it has proved to be quite popular, and it's known all over the world. The kid has a nice set of abs, doesn't he? We strolled around the streets of Brussels, taking in more of the sites. I thought this was pretty funny. The men will surely appreciate it. This window was more my style. I don't know what kind of food it was, but it was really pretty.The Gardens on the Mont-des Arts were beautiful, and you have a great view of the city from here. This is the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. I saw it on the last visit here, but this time, we actually got to go inside of it. Like all of the cathedrals we've visited in Europe, it was beautiful. The original structure dated back to around 615. Over the years, the church was damaged and rebuilt in different styles. This version of the church was built between the 1200's and the 1500's, in the Gothic style. There were stained glass windows all around, and the detail in them was stunning. They all told stories. You can just imagine how fantastic the organ must sound during services.

Soon, it was time to head back home, so back to the train station we went. We had a smooth and uneventful trip back to our lovely little town. It was a very exciting day in the big city of Brussels, but I really enjoy my country life. Who knows what adventures lie ahead. After all, I did rub the lucky statue...

Random Wednesday

One of my favorite movies is While You Were Sleeping. One of the best lines in the movie comes at the end, when Lucy says, "Life doesn't always turn out the way you plan. But Jack...Jack gave me the perfect gift: a stamp in my passport." I remember watching this when we first got orders to Europe. The thought of a actually having a passport was so exciting to me. (Heck, it still is.) I was thrilled when it finally came in the mail, and examined it very carefully, anticipating all of the lovely and exotic stamps that would soon fill it's pages. Now that I've been in Europe for almost a year, I've been lucky enough to have been some to some exciting locations. I've been to Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, and The Netherlands. My passport is still utterly and depressingly blank. I pass quietly through the borders of different countries. No one ever asks to see my passport. I want to approach people and thrust my passport in their faces, begging for just one stamp in my little blue book, but I don't. With my luck, they would find something amiss with my paperwork, and I would end up in a dark little cell in Poland while waiting for my call to the American consulate to be returned. So I continue to travel on. Quietly. Hoping that one day, in the not to distant future, someone will say those wonderful words to me..."Passport, please." Maybe then, I will finally get that stamp.

Paris, France...C'est Magnifique!

I have three words to say about this weekend: Paris...is...huge. OK, I have a whole

bunch more to say about the last couple of days, but that sums up my first impression of the City of Light. Holy smokes. It's HUGE. Not only that, but this is one whopping big city. We the opportunity to take part in an overnight bus trip to Paris through our lovely little Kleine Brogel, and we jumped on it. After a 5 hour ride through the quiet countryside of Belgium and France, we were dropped off right in the heart of the city...at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. How cool is that? (Did I mention how large Paris is?) Anyhoo, were were now standing in the middle of Paris, France, more than a little overwhelmed, and trying to decide where on earth to start. We had a basic itinerary in mind before we arrived, but when you are standing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, that all kind of goes out of the window. There is just so much to take in. Finally, the brains kicked in and were were able to focus once more. The lines to go up in the Eiffel tower were extremely long, so we decided to see more of the city first. We had booked tickets on the Les Cars Rouge. That's a bus tour called The Red Bus. Easy to find. Easy to remember. My kind of tour. The buses stop at 9 main tourist attractions throughout Paris, but they drive by many, many more. There is a recorded guide book, and you just plug in the provided earphones, chose your language, and roll through the streets of the city of Paris while learning all sorts of interesting facts and tidbits about the area. You can get off at any of the assigned stops, and the buses run every 10 minutes, so you can get back on whenever you wish. If you ever find yourself in France, I highly recommend this tour. (Book it online and you'll save some cash!) This is the Eglise du Dome of Invalides. It was built between 1671 and 1676. Napoleon's Ashes are buried in a crypt inside of this building. This is the Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris. It was laid out between 1754 and 1763. There was a statute of Louis XV on a horse in this square, but it was removed in 1790 (there was a revolution). This obelisk from the temple of Luxor was erected in the square in 1836. I was given to King Louis-Philippe in 1831 by the Viceroy of Egypt. It was beautiful, and the sunlight reflected off of the gilded decorations as we drove around it. If you look in the background on the left side, you can see the Arc de Triomphe in the distance. The Arc De Triomphe is in the center of a huge round about that has 11 main streets coming out of it like spokes on a tire. One of those streets is the one that we drove down...the Champs Elysees. The Champs Elysees is the more famous of all Parisian streets, with 628 shops lining the sides. The museum Petit Palais had quite the crowd starting to line up in front of it as we passed. As you travel around the streets and over the bridges of Paris, you get the occasional glimpse of the Eiffel tower. This is the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois. The tall structure in the middle is the belfry. It was built in the 12th to 16th centuries, and restored in the 19th century. The Opera house was another beautiful building that we visited. It was officially opened in 1875. Did you ever have the feeling that someone was watching you? This is the National Assembly. It's the lower house of Parliament in France. Inspired by Greek Temples, the Madeline was built in the 1400's, and dedicated in 1492 by King Charles VIII. It's absolutely enormous in person.After touring the city, we decided to head back to the Eiffel Tower and brave the lines to get to the top. After a quick stop for some delicious, warm crepes, we were soon on our way. It was definitely worth the 2 1/2 hours that we stood there, patiently waiting. This is the view of the Palais de Chaillot from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. This is also where you get off of the first elevator and line up for the second one. At least this line wasn't too bad. It went pretty quickly. And the view was great. This is the Palais de Chaillot as seen from the top of the Eiffel Tower. The tower is 320.74 meters high. It was built by Gustave Eiffel as an exhibit for the 1889 World's Fair. It was meant to be disassembled after the fair was over, but it was saved by radiotelegraphy and it's military applications. The Eiffel Tower was used to intercept coded messages during the Great War, which led to the arrest of the spy Mata-Hari. (Gustaf Eiffel also designed the structural framework for the Statue of Liberty.) Now do you see why I said that Paris is a HUGE city? It just never seems to end. The view from the top of the tower was amazing, but it was getting late in the day, so we wanted to check out a couple of other spots before it got too dark. This is one of the main things I wanted to see (after the Eiffel Tower, of course.) It's the Louvre Museum. It houses the largest museum collections in the world. Another part of the Louvre. This is another of my favorite stops here. It's the Notre Dame Cathedral. It's long and skinny, so from this angle, it doesn't look very big at all, but it is. The detail work is amazing, though. It's a beautiful cathedral, and was completed in 1330. After it was damaged in the Revolution, it was restored between 1841 and 1864. This is one of the sides of the cathedral. There were tons of creepy faces and creatures coming out of the sides of the Notre Dame Cathedral. There were gargoyles everywhere. We had a very late dinner at a little restaurant right beside the Notre Dame. I wish I had gotten a picture of it, but I was pretty tired at that point and didn't even think about it. The waiter was so nice, and joked around a lot with us. The food was delicious!

After dinner, we decided that since it was around 10 pm, we might want to figure out how to get back to our hotel. We were staying outside of the city near the CDG airport, so that meant we needed to take the Metro (or the RER). I'd done a little research earlier on, and knew that there was a Metro station near Notre Dame. This map of the metro system makes it look pretty simple, doesn't it? No problem. (Well, factor in that we'd been up since about 3 am, and it was now around 10pm, and it starts to get a little fuzzy.) Thanks to some help from some very kind metro employees, we were soon on our way.

Of all the things we did, this was probably Brandon's favorite. He's always wanted to ride the subway. It must be a boy thing. Flying through dark tunnels doesn't hold much appeal to me, but who am I to keep him from his adventures? In all, our Saturday in Paris was a lot of fun. It's a beautiful city, full of history and gorgeous architecture. We'd heard that the French can be very rude, but that was not the case at all. In fact, they were some of the nicest people that I've met in Europe. Everyone was very kind and quick to help us when we asked. It was a fantastic day, but we were pooped.

We covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time. You might not have heard this, but Paris is HUGE!