Throwing it Back to Summer ~ My Summer Breeze

Throwing it Back to Summer

My Summer Breeze

As I sit here in Texas on a crystal clear blue sky kind of day, it’s hard to remember that it’s actually winter. I’m wearing a t-shirt and jeans and my daughter is here with shorts on. We’ve got 4 dogs romping around in the backyard playing and the door is open a tad just to let a little breeze come into the house. It feels like a lazy day in summer. Not quite the blazing hot days of summer here in Texas but the beautiful summer days in The Netherlands.

It’s funny, but as an expat you get an assignment for a certain amount of time. Some just a few months and some very long. Ours we were told would be about 3-5 years. It truly felt like we had all the time in the world. But as news of our departure finely came to be there were so many mixed emotions for me. The first few years really our time back to the States was once a year and only at Christmas as I wanted to be with my whole family for the Holidays. We were held to only certain times during the years as my daughter was finishing her high school in The Netherlands. After she graduated, yes it’s true… I went into the Empty Nest Syndrome. Not only had she left to go back to the United States for college, she was my friend, my buddy, my best friend who had gone through all the struggles and triumph of our adventure of living abroad.

Months passed and as she fell totally in love with her school, my anxiety of having her so far away eased. But then... White tulle, lace, flowers and cake took over our lives. With two of our daughters getting married within a few months of each other a lot of time was spent back in the States planning for the weddings. One of our daughters got married this past summer but we were still blessed to be able to have best friends visit us.

Having too much fun in London!

First our friends Chris and Kathy, from my husband’s high school days came for a visit. It was their first trip to Europe and London was their choice of cities to see. So we took a fabulous weekend visit across the pond.

The Guys

As stories from High School and just good ole’ life took over the conversations, it was such a joy to see the “boys” stride side by side as they have throughout their lives. Friends for life!

The Girls

After my daughter’s wedding, I headed back to The Netherlands as our best friends Scott, Dawn and their son Trevor, who were also at the wedding would be arriving in a few days. Dawn would be arriving a few days later as grandbaby #5 would be arriving any minute. My husband had to work, so the boys and I took off for Normandy, France. Scott had booked our stay with Airbnb.com and we truly had no idea what we were getting.

Our villa in Normandy!!

Wellllll.... ummmm yes! It was stunning. We had the run of an old stunning Normandy house set on about 5 acres of beauty.

Scott and Trev in front of the stunning

garden shed.

I absolutely love Normandy and the beauty that surrounds it.

Scott, Trev and I enjoying a little "Happy Hour" outside our Villa in Normandy.

But above all the beauty for me,

American Cemetery Normandy

is the love that was poured out over the beaches and countryside of this stunning region as our US boys stormed the beaches and air during World War II ready to save people in need of our help.

Omaha Beach Normandy

This reverent land will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Heading back to Amsterdam to pick up Dawn from the airport, I started to feel a little not well. I think throwing a wedding, traveling overseas, jet lag then driving to France and back was taking its toll.

Our apartment in Rome.

But... that wasn’t going to stop me going to Rome with my besties! I did take one day off while they went roaming around Rome,

Scott and Dawn on tour at the Vatican

but the next day I rallied for the Vatican and a few other fun stops. Again, we stayed in amazing Airbnb.com just a few blocks from the Vatican City. 

Rome is amazing to me, with all the history and artistic architecture everywhere you look. I will say it was a tad hot in Rome during the summer,

Trev and I enjoying Ribs at The Hard Rock Rome

but that was to be expected. It’s just an amazing city.

St. Peter's Basilica

After we dropped the boys off at the airport, Dawn and I were excited to have just a girl’s week to explore The Netherlands. I took her to all my favorite places... The Kinderdijk to enjoy the windmills, in and around my little village of Leende, off to Nuenen where

The van Gogh Windmill in Nuenen

van Gogh lived and painted and of course my love... Monschau, Germany. It was a great, low key girl’s week and I’m blessed to have shared it with

one of my best friends.

Dawn getting some puppy love.

It was a crazy busy summer... but the kind where a summer breeze... makes me feel fine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC1K1AYvtAo

Enjoying the Texas Heat

The Old Man

Duty, loyalty and patriotism are just a few words that come to mind when thinking of General George S. Patton, so when friends asked if we would like to drive to see where Patton was buried, we said yes! As an American, what better way to celebrate Memorial Day. 

There has been a lot of information written about General Patton but I thought I would just like to include this prayer he sent his men of the Third Army on December 8, 1944. To me, this says it all… a God loving man who believed in helping others in a land far away from his family.

General Patton died on December 21, 1945, due to complications from a car accident and was laid to rest per his request with his men at the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial in Hamm, Luxembourg. 

(The view from behind General Patton's grave~looking over his men)

 It was an honor to be able to visit this magnificent cemetery that is the resting place for 5076 fallen soldiers. Among them there are 101 unknown soldiers, 22 sets of brothers and 1 female nurse, all with their leader forever watching over them.

Wars may be won with weapons, but they are fought by men"

General George Smith Patton Junior

Berlin ~ The Capital of Cool

On a recent break from school our family decided to go to Germany to visit Berlin. Many of my friends had been there and couldn’t say enough positive things about the city.

On the way we stopped at the concentration camp, Bergen Belsen. This would be our first trip to a concentration camp. As we wound our way through the German country side, we enjoyed the beautiful little villages dotted into the landscape that still show signs of yesterday. We came upon the camp site knowing that there would be a museum, memorials, and very little else.

Leading into Bergen Belsen

 The camp had been burned to the ground to get rid of diseases that ran rampid during the war. Bergen Belsen was first a prisoner of war camp and then a concentration camp. It is estimated that around 50,000 people died at Bergen Belsen.

Inside one of the women's barracks. No where to move the dead they were usually just right there among them.



 We walked through the museum silent, stunned and horrified as we watched film documents, read letters, and looked at artifacts left or donated to the museum. Outside we walked along the barren area of what remained of the camp. New trees and signs of life were among the memorials.

Walking out in the barren camp. Signs of new life.

 

 Bergen Belsen... life is destroyed

Massive mounds like small hills scattered throughout the camp. Upon closer inspection~ mass graves each holding thousands and thousands of innocent people. Among them somewhere.. Anne Frank.

 Just a marker... She's sadly buried in mass grave with close to 5,000 other people.

We then drove on to Berlin, the capital of Germany or as our walking guide called it “The Capital of Cool”. And cool it was! Our hotel was located right by tons of shopping and restaurants. Our first stop…

Hard Rock ~ Berlin Style!

 Hard Rock Café~ Berlin! I’ve made it my goal to visit these restaurants when traveling because I enjoy an American tasting hamburger (not meatloaf style) and I love picking up a new t shirt from their store.

 Shopping at my favorite Christmas store

We spent a few days just shopping and enjoying the city. But our real joy came on a recommended walking tour of Berlin.

Taking the U2 at Zoo Station

 Catching the U2 train at Zoo Station (yes.. loving the connection of the train station and the band U2) we took the train from the west to the east. This formally was not possible to do as it was blocked by the Berlin Wall. The barrier of the Berlin Wall was thrown up overnight but the complexity of a barren death zone grew over time.

Looking through The Wall

Graffiti on The Wall

Part of the Berlin Wall that remains 

Our tour guide gave a wonderful view of the history of the city of Berlin from the beginning, through the mess of World War II, The Berlin Wall and up to today. We stood over the ruins of Hitler’s bunker, and even against the warning of our tour guide as being an absolute tourist trap, we had our picture taken at Checkpoint Charlie.

Checkpoint Charlie 

Heading to the East side 

Checkpoint Charlie
(Hey.. I am a tourist!)  

We read heart wrenching stories of people trapped on one side or the other of the wall, away from family and loved ones and the attempts that were made to get through to see each other. We walked along the streets of Berlin that wound around historical buildings and eventually through the Brandenburg Gate.

Brandenburg Gate
 After the war and the separation of East and West Berlin, the gate was right at the border just inside the Russian side. After the wall came down, the people of Berlin flocked to the gate to celebrate.

The Brandenburg Gate lit up during a light show



Later, as I stood in the dark in the center of the Jewish Holocaust Memorial lost in thought, lost from our group and lost from my family; I couldn’t help but think of the 6,000,000 Jewish people murdered. Disoriented and feeling a bit helpless I felt a small sense of the turmoil that has divided this city in the past.   

In the Jewish memorial

I really enjoyed my visit to Berlin even with  the wide range of emotions that I experienced.

Berlin…. You’ve come a long way baby!

Down the Rabbit Hole

When my husband had to go to Hamburg, Germany for work, he asked me to go with him. Usually he flies there but we decided we would drive the 5 hours and enjoy the German countryside. At times I felt like Alice in Wonderland. Curiouser and curiouser. 

Germany is famous for many things…. Hummel’s, which when asked no one knew what we were talking about, Oktoberfest, which apparently is in September and the autobahn. A lot of people dream of a road without any speed limits and my husband is no exception. I quickly pulled out my pillow and closed my eyes. I was falling deep into the rabbit whole just as I heard him saying something about “The need for speed”. Luckily they’ve installed several areas where speeds are posted and there was a lot of construction and rain slowing us down a bit.

The countryside in Germany was stunning! Pockets of little villages dotted the farmland along our way to Hamburg. Arriving in Hamburg with the view of the magnificent harbor with all the cargo holds was quite impressive. You could tell this was one of the largest ports in Europe. And with that sight in front of me an old familiar gnawing in my gut returns. I’m in a foreign country and I don’t speak the language.

As the next day began I summoned up my courage to venture out on my own while my husband went to work. Some people may find this not a big deal, but to me it’s a tad intimidating. Step one, get a map and step into the map to familiarize myself with my surroundings. I felt like Joey on “Friends” when they go to London and he has to step into the map to get the right directions going. But, whatever it takes!!! Step two, make sure I’ve got the address to the hotel so if I get lost I can get my way back. Step three, make sure I’ve got money for a cab to get myself back when and if I get lost. Step four…. Go!

 I headed down the street to one of the large train stations. I found a lovely elderly couple who didn’t speak English but they pointed another person in my direction to help me find the area to buy a ticket for the Hop on Hop off Bus. Thank you so kindly to the helpful people in the world.

I wish I could say the same for the man that sold me my ticket for the bus ride. The bus stop was not near the train station and I would need to go a little bit to find it. I asked the ticket salesman where I would find the stop. He reminded me of The Caterpillar from Alice's adventures. He was rude and spoke in short confusing sentences. He haphazardly told me where to go. I said thank you and said I would return if I couldn’t find it. I went to the left as he had instructed me to do and came to a bus stop. But I knew it was not the correct one. I asked several kind people there where it might be and they had no idea. Clearly, I was not in the right area. So I went back to the ticket man. He laughed at me and said “How could you not find it!!!” It’s right there! There’s no way you could miss it!” All said while laughing. Then he resaid his directions this time adding several details he had failed to mention before. I ventured out again, and this time, after crossing a street, passing through a hotel and then venturing down two more streets I found the bus stop. No big deal… I’m alive and I’m not lost anymore. I’m hoping the ticket salesman will be blessed with the opportunity to travel to foreign country and have someone give him crappy directions and laugh when he gets lost.

I will once again give praise to the Hop on Hop off bus companies!! I love being able to ride the bus around the cities and have someone point out all the wonderful sights and Hamburg was just as delightful. The bus driver notified the tour guide that I spoke English and he immediately said the tour in German and English. Thank you so very much. He also made sure I was comfortable with my surroundings and was able to return to my hotel with ease.

The next day I had two different quests in mind. I wanted to see St. Michaelis church and I wanted to see where the Beatles made their mark on Hamburg.

We began at the beautiful St. Michaelis. We were lucky enough to visit when the church was open and when the organ player was playing. I lit a candle for my parents and sat to listen to the music. Then we climbed down the stairs to the crypts below the church. Yes, I know it sounds creepy but it’s my thing. J Wonderfully lit and well maintained it was nothing but beautiful. And it’s because of meandering like this with a love and respect for cemeteries that we came upon this unique burial site. I could do nothing but smile and say a little prayer.

Back in the light and onto the next mission… said in my best Ed Sullivan voice THE BEATLES!!!!! We ventured a short walk from the church to the Reeperbahn, a street not only famous for night life, strip clubs and sex shops but also where The Beatles got a wonderful start before becoming famous.

What was life like before... I Am The Walrus? Before... Let it Be? Before... A Hard Day's Night? We went during the day because I had no desire to be in that area at night. Apparently it was just as sketchy back then as it is now. Daylight was a little safer but I was still on high alert. 

Most of the bars where they played are long gone but there are a few areas where memories are left for people. Walking in the footsteps of the Beatles.. I’m glad I did it but not an area to be in alone.

Between shopping, beer fests and enjoying the sights, I ran out of time. I seriously considered going back to the ticket salesman on the last day to tell him I was still lost. The look on his face would have been priceless. This American Girl was not speaking Jabberwocky! I’ll save that for next time.

Twas bryllyg, and ye slythy toves

Did gyre and gymble in ye wabe:

All mimsy were ye borogoves;

And ye mome raths outgrabe.