Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Pictures

Luxembourg is a great city. The train ride here was beautiful. Through vineyards, hills, tunnels, along the Rhine with castles on hills in the distance. Very lovely. Then I make it to Luxembourg and see the gorgeous buildings, walls, bridges and old structures. It too is a workout up and down the hills, but really nice walking. There is a really nice park down in a valley where once you are in it you can not see any buildings and just the wall, water, trees and greenery.

A place always gets defined by the people you meet in it and I met a very nice man from The States last night in Luxembourg. We shared the walk through the park and a beer. He has an interesting story and it was great to hangout with him. He is a financial controller for NATO in Iraq and will now be working in Luxembourg for NATO. He was here for a job interview and got the job. His stories of Iraq (he has lived there for four years) and his experiences with the Navy living on a submarine and aircraft carrier were very interesting.

I went to the Casements. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a series of underground tunnels created by Count Siegfried in 963. The casements offered shelter to 1000's at a time over centuries. The most recent being shelter during the world war. Originally they were made to protect the fortress. There is a very nice Abbey in town, many churches and walking paths.

There is money in Luxembourg. I had no idea it is as successful as it is. The highest income per capita in Europe. A real banking town and many a suit around.

Click here to see the pictures from Luxembourg

Weekend with Erin, Pictures

You have got to love Europe. I have been hopping countries left right and center this weekend. I had the opportunity to have a last visit with Erin in Germany on the weekend so I took the train from Amsterdam to meet her on Saturday. It was a good visit. She also had a friend Julie from Vancouver staying with her for the weekend. We had an interesting little outing to a Retro Gaming place where you pay three Euro for unlimited gaming. You name it it is there, Packman, Pinball, Sega, etc etc. If you know me I am not a video game person and I sucked, but it was fun and I did improve.

Sunday we decided to go to France for lunch. You know, don't you just go to France for lunch? Got to love it. It was about an half and hour drive. We went to Wissembourg, a quaint town, walked around and took in the lovely flowers and buildings. Then we hit a man made beach at a quarry in France for some sun and swimming.

Monday I headed to Bonn Germany by train. I was to take a boat cruise on the Rhine to get there, but couldn't make the connection as there was "danger on the tracks" and trains were not running to the station I needed. This was a big walking day for me with my pack and extra bag I now have. I am feeling it in the legs. I had a 15 minute walk in the train station at the airport to switch from a long distance train to a regional train. It is all inside and part of the airport, up and down escalators and all around. Once arriving at the Regional Train area I was sent back to the Long distance trains and another 15 minute walk do to this "danger on the tracks." Anyway. Made it to Bonn, also a lovely town. It is where Beethoven was born. Once arriving in the town I continued my weighed down work out as the street the hostel was on was like no other I have seen before. It was really two streets far apart. Making kind of an L shape. I could find buildings 6 and 8 and odd numbers from 21, but not the 7 I was looking for. Finally I found it a good 10 minute walk from where 6 or 8 are and dropped off those bags. My shoulders were thanking me for that by this point.

From there I headed to Luxembourg because why not. It is lovely and I love when you are pleasantly surprised by a place. I didn't have any former knowledge or expectations and it is fantastic.

Click here to the pictures from the weekend with Erin

Brugge Belgium, Amsterdam Holland and Pictures.

Visited Brugge Belgium and am now in Amsterdam. I am sure lots of you have seen the movie In Brugge. I will have to check it out once home.
Brugge is a lovely, quant town with many canals. They call it the Venice of the North, but they think Venice should be called the Brugge of the South as it is older. Anyway it is a great city with wonderful chocolate shops and architecture. Some of that Belgium chocolate got wasted today. It melted in my backpack and created a mess, what a waste.
Did you know that a bad smell can keep you awake? Well I learned this the other night. A guy came into the room at 3am and he was rank. Now you will think with booze. No. It was some other awful odor that two Aussies that were in the room too described as rotting road kill. They had his feet close to their heads and I had is bag, backpack, shoes and his stuff by my head. I got up and moved the shoes, but it was more than that. He needed to shower, do laundry maybe throw out socks, shoes or everything.
So carrying on with smells, Amsterdam… The smell of pot is prevalent. The Red Light district is interesting to say the least, quite the entertainment around here. No pictures of the ladies in the windows though. They will come after you and throw urine on you or smash your camera. I guess they keep cups of urine beside them in case, lovely. It is quite interesting to see the negotiations and coming and goings, 15 minutes and if you are not finished you must renegotiate. The Red Light district has existed since 1600. There is a church in the heart of the Red Light district. It was for the sailors to go to confession before they headed back out to sea and if they were going early in the morning they could have their confessions listened to in advance, for a sum. There are quite the interesting shows in this district too and the tricks they can do. G readers so you will have to ask specifics of me in person.
A lot of the buildings are on a lean towards the road and have a hook at the roof in Amsterdam. This was for merchants to get their shipments into the building without using the stairs. Still used for houses today, coaches, fridges etc.
Taxes in Amsterdam are based on how wide your house or building is. There is one house that is only as wide as the door.
The Frank’s hid out in Amsterdam during World War II and the site where Anne wrote her famous diary and took refuge with her family is now a museum in town.

Click here for pictures from Brugge Belgium and Amsterdam Holland.

WW I sites, Belgium, Pictures and Videos

This picture is taken at the Memorial to John McCrae who wrote in Flander's Field. I have gone off the "backpackers" beaten track and come to Ypres a village in Belgium. So off the track there are no hostels here. I am staying in a B and B owned by a lovely old lady in a house from 1926 with 10' ceilings. I am so glad I came off the beaten track and visited Flander's fields. WOW! I was at the site today where John McRae wrote his famous poem back in 1915. Ypres is where the Last Post is played each evening at 8pm, so you know where I have been. There was so much destruction here during WW I it is hard to take it all in. Around every corner is another cemetery with some known and many only known to God soldiers gravestones. The Last Post is played at the Menin Gate each evening by buglers from the local fire brigade. There was a regiment from Eastern Belgium last night to partcipate in the ceremonies. Each day there is some type of ceremony. It was excellent. I videoed it and hopefully can post it for you to see. If you think you can use any of the pictures or videos for your purposes, as I know many a teacher is reading this, feel free. This area is so moving. At the Commonwealth Cemetery we saw two new graves that were where two soldiers were only laid to rest 10 days ago. There bodies were discovered by a farmer. On the way to the Cemetery we had to pull over to see shells that were at the side of the road. A farmer had uncovered them when plowing the field and put them at the side of the road for pick up. Three were still potentially live. It is a full time job, job for life, detonating shells. Over 200 tons are collected each year. I visited original support trenches from WW I and saw the Canadian Memorial at Vancouver Corner, where the first gas attack occurred. On a differnt note. Belgium has wonderful food, beer, chocoate and waffles. I have enjoyed trying all of these. The Kriek (Cherry) beer is great and I have been having lots for you Erin. (She cann't get it in Germany.) In Ghent on Saturday morning I walked past City Hall and they were lined up to get in and be married. It was interesting to watch the goings on of the corner all waiting to get in. One group of black people had the most life, throwing rice, dancing and singing in the street. Again the architecture is fantastic, but different in Belgium. I have found some new (old) dormer designs for the Moloney boys to incorporate into their many dormers. (They love putting dormers on places.) Well I am really enjoying my history lessons over here. I have always wanted to come to Flander's fields and I am so glad I am here. I must go the Last Post will be taking place soon.

Click here for Ypres WWI site photos and pictures from Belgium