Luxembourg & Belgium

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a bit of an obsessive person. Okay, that's putting it mildly; I'm pretty darn neurotic. About a year ago, I found out we would be blessed with another opportunity to live in Europe. Once I got the news my neurotic itch kicked in and I wasted no time planning everywhere I wanted to go. In the span of a few weeks I had our entire three years planned in detail.  On my list, were places I've visited before and feel I need to revisit and new places I've never been. I absolutely love to travel; however, planning our travels is a bit of a job.  A job that includes advanced level budgeting (Europe is really expensive) and trying to find European hotels that have space for three adults (Great news-my twelve year old daughter now counts as an adult) one child and one large dog.  Not whining here, just the facts of the challenge I happily embrace as long as I get to eat croissants and other bread products while exploring.

True to my spirit, I've had every holiday weekend and vacation planned and booked for this year for quite some time, except for the few holiday weekends that fall between Christmas and spring. I decided to leave these weekends free since you can't depend on the weather here this time of year. As last weekend approached and the weather looked like it was going to hold, my family and I started to get antsy thinking of where we might want to go on a short notice trip?  After much consternation, we decided a trip to the small country of Luxembourg would be a great getaway. 

To be honest, Luxembourg really wasn't on my list of European places to see, and I really didn't know very much about it before our visit. All I knew was it's a tiny country, sandwiched between France, Germany and Belgium, but that was about the extent of my knowledge.



I found Luxembourg to be an overlooked gem. The city of Luxembourg was very lovely. The whole country is roughly 80 miles by 50 miles, so you can really see a lot in a small amount of time. Since Luxembourg is known for it's banking industry the city itself is pretty wealthy. Because Luxembourg is so close in proximity to France, it has a lot of french influences from the food to the language. At lunchtime alone we were able to sample some quiche, croque monsieur, macaroons and my favorite Champagne!  



Luxembourg city



Luxembourg's old city walls

One of my favorite things about traveling is how much I learn about new places.  I love learning about history while traveling about. This particular trip, I learned so much about the history of the region during World War II.  I guess I didn't realize before our trip how strategically important Luxembourg, and Belgium were during the War.  It was a truly amazing experience to see with my own eyes the immense sacrifices made for the freedom of this region. In my mind, history isn't so much a study of the past, but instead an attempt to learn from previous mistakes before they repeat themselves.  The more I know about the past the better I can understand the future.

Our first priority once arriving in Luxembourg was to visit the American Cemetery located there. I really didn't have a grasp on Luxembourg and it's involvement in World War II and I was completely unaware they were occupied for 5 years before being liberated by the sacrifice of American lives. As we drove through the countryside, I tried hard to imagine what it must have been like for our soldiers to fight so desperately for the liberation of others so far from home. 

American Cemetery~Luxembourg

At the American Cemetery there are over 5,000 soldiers buried. General Patton is buried there along with 2 medal of honor recipients as well. This particular cemetery had 118 Star of David headstones, 1 woman nurse, and sadly 22 sets of brothers buried alongside each other.  Witnessing the headstones of brothers was almost to much to bear; I can't imagine the feeling of loss their families must have felt. There was even one set of brothers, with the last name Morgan, who died only 12 days apart.

I have previously been to Normandy, Arlington and several other American Military Cemeteries, so I have experienced the sadness and the sobering numbness that fills your stomach as you walk around trying to be as respectful as possible, but this was the first time my daughter has been to an American Military Cemetery at an age where she can understand the price of war. As a parent, I was proud of my daughter to see the sobering affect it had on her. I don't know if most kids would want to experience such a thing? I do know my daughter embraced her feelings and I think she learned so much from the experience. 

Castle Vianden

Town of Vianden

That night we stayed in the castle town of Vianden. Vianden was a very interesting town and we really enjoyed our time there. The next day we hiked around the mountain area and visited the palace. I am always amazed how beautifully these castles have been restored. This particular castle sits on Roman ruins dating back to the 3rd century. The castle as it stands now was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries. My children always enjoy exploring castles, I believe it turns their imaginary world into reality. 

Memorial in Vianden

As we were heading out of town to our next stop in Bastogne, we noticed a small roadside monument in honor of the American soldiers that gave their lives to liberate Vianden. Vianden was occupied for 5 years by the Nazis and it was the last town in Luxembourg to be liberated. I found it so moving, there were fresh flowers recently placed on the monument. The people of Vianden have not forgotten all the sacrifices made for the sake of their freedom.

American Memorial Batogne, Belgium

Once arriving in Bastogne we visited the American Memorial that honored the 76,890 American casualties of the Battle of the Bulge. Again, I learned that the people of Bastogne felt our American soldiers fought as though the land around Bastogne was American soil. It filled me with immense pride to see the gratitude and respect paid to our country and it's sacrifices; so proud to be an American. I always get choked up thinking about these soldiers traveling so far from their homes, yet willing to die for someone else's freedom. This history of course quickly reminded me of our present men and women of the Armed Forces who serve so valiantly.

I found myself asking how does a country let itself get occupied? How do you get yourself in such a predicament where you have to wait 5 years for someone else to come liberate you? I tell myself Americans would never go for that. Or maybe if everyone is asleep at the wheel and misses the signs and just does nothing, waiting for someone else to take the tough stand, maybe it could happen to anyone. I don't have the answers to these questions. I don't place any blame, it is what it is.  I do know I feel proud to be an American, the country that stood up and faced the enormous challenge.

Bastogne, Belgium

Yummy!!!

Before starting our long journey home, we set out to try some world famous Belgium "Frites and believe me they were well worth the wait. Speaking of food, I was so impressed with Bastogne's many bakeries. I don't think I've ever seen a finer display of baked goods in my life.  As we walked the tiny main street my family and I gasped as we past each bakery, finding each one's pies and baked goods more beautiful than the last. It was such a treat for my senses! 

   

When we got home, as I was beginning to wash clothes and unpack and settle back into reality. I could hear my son playing dress up with his play rifle. I could hear him begin to relive everything he had seen and experienced. I could hear him saying,"Fight, Fight, Fight, for freedom"! As I got a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye I thanked Luxembourg for teaching us about its history and reminding us about the sacrifices our country made for the freedom of others.





Grey Thoughts

Like everybody else I have a relatively busy life. There are kids to teach, dinners to cook, errands to run and the list goes on and on.  However, since I had the brilliant idea to put my thoughts out on display for the world to see (all five of you) I have set a goal for myself to post something at least once a week. Usually it is very easy for me to empty my mind and reveal myself through my blog. My mind is constantly analyzing and thinking about things--that is my blessing and my curse.

I remember many years ago a smart person once told me to stay away from the grey--it's the black and white, the right and wrong, the yes and the no that matters. So, for sometime I tried to live in terms of black and white and right vs wrong. But now that I am older I've found that there is so much more to life than this simple paradigm. Sorry smart guy. I have learned to embrace the space between the black and white; the grey area that holds my thoughts, my soul and the things that make me me. 

So, I came up with the idea to share some of the things I like and a few that I dislike for those weeks when I don't have anything else to post, or like today when I'm trying to pack for our next trip. I'm sure there will be a post about it next week--stay tuned.

Things I Like:
1) I love Dave Matthews. His music speaks to my soul and no other musician could come close to the place I hold for his music in my heart.
2) I love to travel (duh). I love losing myself in places where nobody knows me. I love the anonymity that travel offers.
3) I love wearing clothes one size too big. The fat girl in me is always afraid of the day they will be to small. So I live in clothes too big. So silly but true.
4) I love to hike. I've been a runner all of my adult life but I really like walking and hiking better. I will happily accept the day I can't run anymore with open arms.
5) I love milk, bread products and  German gummi candy especially licorice. I always joke that if you cut me open only bread products, milk and candy would spill out.

Things I Dislike:
1) Pushy people. I dislike people trying to control me, that is the quickest way to get me to do the opposite. No matter what the situation, I'm putting my heels in. "Don't push me" are my famous last words.
2) Pretentious people. I find it very annoying when people wear their status on their sleeve and treat you based upon it. We all came into this world the same, and we will all exit the same; with nothing but ourselves and our beliefs.
3) I strongly dislike people who judge others. I don't want to hear you make fun of someone else, quiet the ego!
4) Fake people. You know the ones that live all around you and smile and pretend to be your friend, but it is all superficial. I'm only interested in real relationships.
5) I dislike Wal-Mart. No explanation needed!

Life is simple and beautiful and far more interesting experienced in grey than in black and white.

How do they eat that way?

As many of you know, (my four loyal readers, thank you by the way) this is my second time living overseas in Europe. The first time around we lived in Frankfurt, and I was in awe of the whole experience. I was a little less ambitious back then, quite a bit younger, not nearly as worldly and a little overwhelmed by the whole amazing opportunity. I guess age changes things. I remember very well while living in Frankfurt, the question of the day was always--How in the world do these European women stay so thin while eating the way they do? This question consumed many a conversation back then. I would even call my mother back in the States hoping to find the magic answer.

I remember being mesmerized by European women walking cobblestone streets in 5 inch Gucci boots through cities like Prague, Rome and of course Paris. I remember thinking how can I be like these sophisticated women. They seemed to eat what they want, while wearing the most magnificent clothes and money seemed to be no object.

I see things a little differently this time around. I still love good food, beautiful clothes and nice things but I'm not as ready to look to someone else for answers that I now know are within me.  I suppose it must be that age thing again.

This time around, I'm not as interested in the answer to---How do they eat that way and stay so thin question. Yes, European diets are filled with beer, wine, meat, cheese, eggs, tons of dairy and I do not dare forget the Holy Grail of all items BREAD!!! Nothing here is low fat, they don't even have fat free milk in their grocery stores. Seriously. Oh, and by the way the German tradition of cake everyday in the afternoon, that's a real tradition. Or the consumption of ice cream? I've never seen more ice cream consumed in my life than the amount I've seen eaten while traveling Europe. Oh, and I better not leave off pizza, it seems that is all they really do eat in Italy. I do believe every single restaurant in Italy serves pizza, pizza, and more pizza. After our last trip to Italy I didn't want to see another pizza for quite some time. This is all less of a question to me now that needs an answer and more of an amusement to me now. However, I still find the European diet an interesting subject, but because I'm older this time around I guess I'm less in awe.

If you are reading this and are really in need of an answer to the million dollar question, the only one I can come up with for you is--Europeans don't eat preservatives. Simply stated, they eat real food. They eat a lot of vegetables mixed in with all the aforementioned yummy stuff. They generally don't eat fast food probably because fast food is not readily available here and as convenient as it is in the states. Bakeries, pizza, Turkish donner's and bratwurst is Europe's fast food in that it is convenient, relatively cheap and always available. Lastly, Europeans walk everywhere they go, sometimes even in 5 inch Gucci boots. 

I guess what I'm saying is I've seen both sides of the fence; the extreme calorie counting, hold the cream, hold the bread mindset and on the opposite side; no preservatives, cream, pork, beer and add the bread please.
This time around I don't notice the skinny women that much, I guess that's the age thing again. I'm not interested in finding the answer to the million dollar question but I do think I've found an answer for my life, which is to simply to Let it Be (thanks John Lennon) eat what you want, when you want; that piece of bread isn't going to kill you, lose the preservatives if you can and enjoy what you do whatever that may be.

Play Date

 Berfore arriving in Germany, my family and I decided that we would not waste our valuable time on stupid things.

 Together, my husband and I made the hard choice and decided we would not spend any of our precious weekends involved in kids sports programs that keep us all so busy in America. There is simply WAY to much to see here and not enough time to see it all to waste an entire Saturday playing six year old soccer. We are taking the gamble that all those soccer and baseball games will still be there a few years from now when we return home. Before you all think I'm a horrible parent, just know that my kids still get to be involved in sporty activities such as tennis, karate and fencing. However, thankfully, these are all weekend friendly sports that don't interfere with my SATURDAYS.  In the Grand Scheme of it all I believe that experiencing the sights and sounds of Europe are well worth the sacrifice.

Any who, today I witnessed the cutest experience that I thought I'd share. On Friday's my son Tommy plays tennis at the local German sports club. Tommy has made a little friend and today was their first play date. Raphael, my son's friend is German, but speaks English well because he has been in an English speaking school in Germany since he was in preschool. This is something that is very important to his parents. Now, after agreeing to the playdate I realized I was being a little exploited by Raphael's mother for being American and English speaking, but hey it could be worse.  I'm just happy my son has a new friend.

So, as Raphael is getting into my huge minivan, especially for European standards, his mother and most others here drive tiny baby cars. My car could literally eat her car for breakfast! The look on Raphael's face was priceless as he is looked into my cavernous vehicle. Then, as we started to drive to my house, my son kindly gave him some headphones so he could watch a movie which of course is the reason why we bought this jewel of a vehicle in the first place. Raphael was in pure heaven! It was beyond his wildest dreams to actually watch a movie while riding in a car. The little sounds he made while he watched G.I. Joe from the backseat of my car was so funny. Little Grunts and squeals of pure joy! It was truly priceless. I guess American children have no clue how good they have it.

Once we got to my house, Raphael sort of looked stunned when he saw my son's room. At first, I thought maybe he was disgusted by the sheer amount of toys Tommy has accumulated. So, we started playing 20 questions and tried to figure out what they wanted to play. First, we suggested Playmobil? No, he did not like Playmobil. Next we suggested Lego's? No, he did not like Lego's. Astronauts? No, he did not like Astronauts. G.I.Joe's? No, he did not like G.I.Joes either. Star Wars? Nope, Raphael didn't even like Star Wars. Hmmm...what now I thought to myself?  So I asked him--Did he want to go home? NOOOOO, he screamed loudly! He definitely didn't want to go home.

Lastly, I mentioned Toy Story, and Raphael's little face lit up and he said,"Well, I do like Toy Story". I asked him if he had seen Toy Story 3? And of course, he had not. Yay! We were in business!

Then I asked the boys if they would like some popcorn and Raphael's little face lit up and he said, "I love popcorn"!!!!! 

This was a very sweet moment. It reminded me of all the blessings of being an American. All the little things we take for granted, without even a moment thinking about it. Yes, they are material things, but they are    All-American material things.  Other cultures in the world simply don't have movies in their cars, Buzz and Woody and microwaveable popcorn at the ready.

As we watch the Middle East struggle through tulmotuous times for the foreseeable future, please count your blessings and realize nobody has it like us!