Good-Bye To Kleine Brogel

Well, this is it.  One last fond farewell to our lovely little base called Kleine Brogel.  We are really leaving Belgium.  I can't believe how fast the last three years have flown by.  We are so grateful for the opportunity to have been stationed here, and to live in such a warm and wonderful country.  I remember when we first got orders here, and I had to look Belgium up on the map to see exactly where it was.  (Geography is not my strong suit.)  One look and I was hooked.  Who wouldn't be excited to spend three years in the heart of Europe?  It feels like that was just yesterday.  And now it's all over.  I will miss the train trips, walking around the weekly markets in the Centrums of local towns, sharing cappuccinos, waffles and smiles with great friends.  I will miss the pottery and chocolate making classes with the ladies, where we might have talked a little more than we created.  I will miss traveling to amazing destinations that I'd only read and dreamed about in the past.  (Our trip to Ireland with the Smiths will be a memory I will cherish forever.) And there are so many more memories that I will hold in my heart.   Thank you to the wonderful ladies and gentlemen that we had the honor to be stationed with at KB.  You were our family while we were living such a long way from home.  And thank you to the friendly locals who tolerated our attempts at speaking Nederlands, and welcomed us into their country and community.  We will miss all of you.  Thank you to our friends and family who followed us along on this fantastic adventure by reading my silly little blog.  I still haven't decided if I will continue this tradition by starting one when we move to Florida.  I'll post a link on here if I do.  Good-bye lovely Belgium.  We loved being a part of your life, even if it was for such a short time.  Tot Ziens!

Stanley Sees More of Belgium...

We had a slight break in the rain yesterday morning, so Stanley and I took advantage of it. I drove him over to check out a few of my favorite spots in the local area. Remember when I said that each town has a church in their Centrum? This is Sint Ursulakerk in Kleine Brogel. In English, that's the Church of Saint Ursula. This church was built in 1908, with stones from the quarries in Valkenburg. (I blogged about the Valkenberg castle and caves a few months ago. For more details about it, check out that entry.) Our next stop was at the Wedelse Molen in Overpelt. Stanley was very excited to see a real water mill. This one is very old, dating back to 1259. It was originally a mill that local servants brought their grain to, so that it could be ground into flour. It was a fully functioning mill until 1974. It was turned into a Tavern in 1974. The water was directed around the water wheel when Stanley and I visited. The owner keeps the mill in excellent condition, and he will redirect the water to power the mill so you can see how it all works. It's very interesting to see all of the wheels turning together inside.

Down the road, just a few minutes from the Wedelse Molen, is De Windmolen Van Sevens. You can't visit Belgium without seeing a windmill. (I think it's the law!) It was built around 1745, and is a gristmill. If you want to learn more about it, then check out this site.

You can read a little bit about the windmill's history on this sign. Stanley found it quite helpful.

NATO Tiger Meet Galabal 2009

For the last two weeks, Kleine Brogel AB has been hosting the 2009 NATO Tiger Meet. To say that this is a big deal is a HUGE understatement. Last night, they wrapped up the festivities with the Tiger Meet Galabal, and we were lucky enough to get invited to the party. Now I think I've said this before, but just in case you haven't been paying attention...when Belgians throw a party, they REALLY throw a party. This was the most impressive event I've ever been to!

The Ball was set up in a huge tent, just beside the KB flight line, complete with crystal and candelabras. After walking down the candle lit red carpet leading to the entrance of the tent, we were handed little boxes of chocolate and ushered out to the deck between the tent and the flight line. The theme of this years event was "Fly Me to the Moon." All around the tent, they had set up video monitors that showed pictures and movies about the military and space.

Did I mention that it had an open bar? The drinks were included in the ticket. I told you that these people know how to throw a party.
Out on the deck, we were treated to a constant flow of hors d'oeuvres and champagne. The waiters brought everything from oysters on the half shell to little chicken filled pastries. As the sun began to set, we were treated to a private air show. I could really get used to this lifestyle!

When the show was over, we headed back inside for a fantastic meal. Once again, this was not the type of food that you normally get at military functions. There were several courses, and each was presented with a different wine selection. We had fish with white wine, veal with red, croquettes next, then wrapped it all up with a raspberry torte. Yummmmm!

At 10 pm, the band started up and the dancing began. Now it was time to work off all of that food!
The ball was a complete success, and we thank our hosts for letting us come to their party. They put on quite the show!

NATO Tiger Meet 2009

Today was Family Day at the 2009 NATO Tiger Meet at Kleine Brogel. It's hosted by a different European country each time, and this year it was Belgium's turn. It's a pretty big deal, and Tiger Meet has lots of activities that span from September 14 - 25. Today was our day to go out with all the locals and check out the aircraft. Tiger Meet was originally started in 1959 as a way to build relations between the individual squadrons in NATO. The squadrons shared the Tiger as their symbol. It stands for "strength, speed and hunting prowess." What started as a small social event has become a pretty big show over the years. More and more countries are getting involved. And yes, that is one snazzy little paint job!
Tiger Meet isn't just a social event. It has evolved into a flying exercise, as well as a competition. They fly combat exercises, or "Tiger Games." The squadron that does the best is awarded the Silver Tiger Trophy at the end of the Meet. Belgium's 31st Tiger Squadron has won the trophy 8 times. We're really proud of our local fellows.

I know it's hard to see, but this is the new tail flash that was unveiled at this years Tiger Meet. It's the side of a white tiger's head.
This one was pretty impressive as well. It's a painting of a Hawk in flight.

This pilot was heading to the flight line when we ran into him. I took this through the windshield, so excuse the fact that it's a little blurry. He was flying by so fast, it was all I could do to get the picture before he was gone. (Check out his copilot.) For most people, it would be hard to drive this and still look cool. I'm happy to say that this fellow pulled it off quite nicely. If you would like to learn more about the NATO Tiger Meet 2009, here is a link to their official website. http://www.natotigers.org/

One Rocking Weekend!

This weekend has been VERY busy, to say the least! Friday was Brandon's first day of school, and we had an Open House there at noon with hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch. We met his teacher and the rest of the staff there and had a great meal. Then it was on to KB for more fun. Each year they hold a Friendship Day, where we invite our landlords and other locals who are a part of our lives here in Belgium, and celebrate with great food and fun. It's an awesome way to get to know them better, and everyone has a super time. The fellows at the chow hall put on a great spread. They had barbecue chicken, ribs, potato salad, beans, and the list goes on. Of course, there was lots of beer. It wouldn't be Belgium without it.

There was karaoke, face painting and a bouncy castle for the little ones, and a dunking take full of officers and Senior NCO's. One of the highlights of the evening was the live band made up of our airmen. They were fantastic! We wrapped the evening up with a beautiful fireworks display. (The only one who didn't enjoy it was the poor deer who ran running for his life at the first explosion!) Saturday brought a day of running errands and then another party. Our neighbors put on a great Barbecue Saturday night. More fun and great food! (And yes, beer!) Whew! Is it any wonder that we slept late this morning? I'm tired just writing this all down! It's early yet today, so we might just fit in another adventure. That is, if the boy ever gets out of bed!