Jakki, Brendan & Liam go to Europe!
A tour of the Battlefields of WWII including Battle of the Bulge, Hurtgen Forest, Operation Market Garden, and D-Day.
Including Australia & stop-overs, 11 Countries in 33 days.
25/08/2008 to 27/09/2008
Travelling with children
Travelling overseas can be a real challenge with a one year old but can be done and can be enjoyed. The first thing you have to consider is what your child will eat and how will you get the food they need? Remember, you are in counties where English is not the first language and food will be labelled accordingly. A little knowledge of the countries language you are travelling to will be handy. Or take a phrasebook from Lonely Planet. Jakki and I understand and speak a little German so we made sure we stocked up on food in Germany before travelling to Poland, Czech Republic and the like.
You need to take some toys to keep your kid entertained. We spent the first two weeks in a campervan where there is no time alone and no where to hide. Liam spent the first two weeks in a car seat for long periods but luckily for us he is a good car traveller and is able to sleep in his car seat. Liam was not walking yet but was fairly mobile and liked to ‘stretch his legs’ at all the stops. At a campsite it can be wet so you have to be prepared to have the child under your feet in he small confines of the submarine, or campervan.
When it comes to itineraries be prepared to throw then out the window. You will not always get that 7:00am start to the day you were after and you will not be able to be out till the wee hours of the morning. Feeding a one year old takes time, then there are the dishes to do and showers to be taken. Hitting the road really early is not an option.
We had to modify our itinerary somewhat but did not really miss a lot. Another important thing to remember is Europe is an old country. Some of the buildings there were built by the Romans. Electric elevators and lifts did not exist. Be prepared for lots of stairs and either taking it in turns to climb them or not climbing them at all.
In summary it can make things difficult but not to the point of making it an unenjoyable holiday. We managed and saw and did most things we wanted to see.
Day 1 - 25/08/2008 - Australia, Singapore, Dubai, Germany.
Jakki and Liam with the luggage trolley at Frankfurt am Main Airport on arrival.
Day 1
We departed Cairns and flew to Brisbane on Saturday the 23rd of August 2008. After a night in Brisbane we departed from Brisbane airport at 8:05pm on Emirates flight EKO433 to Dubai. Arrival time 6:00am. 15hrs and 15min flying time.
The trip to Dubai via Singapore was uneventful and Liam slept about 8 hours. Dubai airport is the pits. There are people sleeping everywhere, on the chairs, on the floor and in the aisles. There was a massive line up to use the little smoking room. As a result people just smoke in the line which extends back into the terminal. Jakki and I had a starbucks coffee which provided a little pick-up.
The next leg of the flight was from Dubai to Frankfurt am Main and was 6hrs and 50min. Liam did not sleep at all and was quite the little grump. We had a flight attendant from Emirates sitting next to us. Her name was Agnieszka and she was Polish and very attractive. She had flown from New York after a wedding and not slept for two days. She was out of luck on this flight also. Liam was not too bad but the kids behind us kept kicking the seats and kept poor Agnieszka awake.
Arrived in Frankfurt am Main and customs was non existent except a check of the passport. Had to catch a bus to another terminal for the campervan pick up and ended up waiting an hour as it was late. The campervan was a nice Fiat and had everything we needed…except a car seat which we had booked and paid for in advance! The owner of the van attempted to fit a car seat that had a strap missing and was in no way safe for a child. By this time it was late and we were all tired. We then found the gas did not work so there was no hot water for a shower in the camper. The owner came out and fixed that and we started to feel human again after a shower. Schnitzel, chips and wheat beer for dinner from a nearby restaurant. It was actually a candlelit dinner as we were not at a powered site and used candle-lanterns which we had brought along for just such an eventuality.
The trip to Dubai via Singapore was uneventful and Liam slept about 8 hours. Dubai airport is the pits. There are people sleeping everywhere, on the chairs, on the floor and in the aisles. There was a massive line up to use the little smoking room. As a result people just smoke in the line which extends back into the terminal. Jakki and I had a starbucks coffee which provided a little pick-up.
The next leg of the flight was from Dubai to Frankfurt am Main and was 6hrs and 50min. Liam did not sleep at all and was quite the little grump. We had a flight attendant from Emirates sitting next to us. Her name was Agnieszka and she was Polish and very attractive. She had flown from New York after a wedding and not slept for two days. She was out of luck on this flight also. Liam was not too bad but the kids behind us kept kicking the seats and kept poor Agnieszka awake.
Arrived in Frankfurt am Main and customs was non existent except a check of the passport. Had to catch a bus to another terminal for the campervan pick up and ended up waiting an hour as it was late. The campervan was a nice Fiat and had everything we needed…except a car seat which we had booked and paid for in advance! The owner of the van attempted to fit a car seat that had a strap missing and was in no way safe for a child. By this time it was late and we were all tired. We then found the gas did not work so there was no hot water for a shower in the camper. The owner came out and fixed that and we started to feel human again after a shower. Schnitzel, chips and wheat beer for dinner from a nearby restaurant. It was actually a candlelit dinner as we were not at a powered site and used candle-lanterns which we had brought along for just such an eventuality.
Day 2 - 26/08/2009 - Germany
Jakki and Liam in his dodgy seat ready to start the holiday for real!
Day 2
Day 2 began with a drive to Heidelberg. With the aid of a TomTom Go 920 it was an easy drive. Parking was hard to find near the Alte Brüke (old bridge). Eventually we found a parking place near the Bahnhof and paid 5€ and walked back. Had a look at the bridge and walked around the Alte Stadt (old town) buying a few supplies at a shop in the main square. Not enough time to go to Festung Heidelberg on the hill. The original civic planners of Heidelberg in medieval times did not envisage large campervans driving on their cobbled streets. They are extremely narrow, lots of one ways with tight turns and corners. Even the TomTom got confused.
Eventually we got out and headed off the Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Very easy to get to and find the campsite with aid of TomTom. The campsite cost 16€ and was 2km from the town itself. We parked up and walked back to town. All up hill and a warm day. Rothenburg was a roman town and is one of the few towns in Germany to still have its whole length of surrounding fortified wall. This town is a one of the major tourist hubs on the Romantische Straße. Lucky for us there was hardly anybody there. We bought a car seat from a children’s shop for 120€. Money we didn’t wasn’t to spend as this was meant to have been paid for but it was worth it for peace of mind with Liam in the car. Had a beer at a beer garden and wandered around town. Dinner was lasagne for Jakki and crumbed venison for me. Visited the Kriminalmuseum and saw the many ways a person can be horribly tortured and punished. Lots of interesting old documents from hundreds of years ago. Walked a segment of the medieval walls and walked back to the Campingplatz at about 6:30pm. Once back we showered, had a coffee and a beer and ate some Schnee balls, the local delicacy. Despite the bad rap they get they were not that bad. One was chocolate and one was vanilla.
Photographs:
1. Jakki and Liam at our first fuel stop at a petrol station.
2. Liam and I at the petrol station.
3. View of Heidelburg old bridge from where we parked
4. View of the other side of the river in Heidelburg.
5. View from the bridge.
6. Jakki on the bridge.
7. The Campingplatz in Rothenburg ob der Tauber was down this road.
8. Hauptplatz of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
9. One of the most photographed streets in the world.
10 the stocks
11. Horse and cart tours.
12. View down the street to one of the main gates.
13. Liam in his stroller. Probably waiting for mum to come out of a shop.
14. Another photo of the Hauptplatz.
15. On the city wall.
16. View over sity from the wall.
17. The walls from the inside.
18. Stairs up to the wall next to the main gate.
19. Tower in the wall.
20. Liam climbing into the camper.
21. The main office of the Campingplatz.
Eventually we got out and headed off the Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Very easy to get to and find the campsite with aid of TomTom. The campsite cost 16€ and was 2km from the town itself. We parked up and walked back to town. All up hill and a warm day. Rothenburg was a roman town and is one of the few towns in Germany to still have its whole length of surrounding fortified wall. This town is a one of the major tourist hubs on the Romantische Straße. Lucky for us there was hardly anybody there. We bought a car seat from a children’s shop for 120€. Money we didn’t wasn’t to spend as this was meant to have been paid for but it was worth it for peace of mind with Liam in the car. Had a beer at a beer garden and wandered around town. Dinner was lasagne for Jakki and crumbed venison for me. Visited the Kriminalmuseum and saw the many ways a person can be horribly tortured and punished. Lots of interesting old documents from hundreds of years ago. Walked a segment of the medieval walls and walked back to the Campingplatz at about 6:30pm. Once back we showered, had a coffee and a beer and ate some Schnee balls, the local delicacy. Despite the bad rap they get they were not that bad. One was chocolate and one was vanilla.
Photographs:
1. Jakki and Liam at our first fuel stop at a petrol station.
2. Liam and I at the petrol station.
3. View of Heidelburg old bridge from where we parked
4. View of the other side of the river in Heidelburg.
5. View from the bridge.
6. Jakki on the bridge.
7. The Campingplatz in Rothenburg ob der Tauber was down this road.
8. Hauptplatz of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
9. One of the most photographed streets in the world.
10 the stocks
11. Horse and cart tours.
12. View down the street to one of the main gates.
13. Liam in his stroller. Probably waiting for mum to come out of a shop.
14. Another photo of the Hauptplatz.
15. On the city wall.
16. View over sity from the wall.
17. The walls from the inside.
18. Stairs up to the wall next to the main gate.
19. Tower in the wall.
20. Liam climbing into the camper.
21. The main office of the Campingplatz.
Day 3 - 27/08/2008 - Germany
Hot air ballon over Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Day 3
On day three we drove down the Romantic Way to the next walled city of Dinklesbühl. A beautiful city with no tourists. Had a good look around and had coffee and cake. Lit a candle for our families at a lovely cathedral. Liam was very excited when he discovered the marvellous acoustics of the church.
Left Dinklesbühl and headed to Herrlingen which is where Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, was buried. This town is where the Desert Fox lived and was eventually either forced to commit suicide or was shot by the Gestapo after being accused of involvement in the July 20 1944 Hitler bomb plot. Had a guess at where the cemetery was and parked near a small stream in the middle of town. Walked to the nearest corner and there it was. Got some photo’s of the grave and returned to the camper. The stream we parked next to, despite being in the middle of town, was crystal clear and had trout in it. The trout were happy Liam does not eat his sandwich crusts. The next stop was Schwangau near the town of Füssen. This is where King Ludwig II built his fairy tale castle. I debated whether or not tot skip this and go straight to Lindau but decided to have a look. A tourist trap. Packed to the rafters with long lines to everything. We were not really intereseted in looking at the castle interior and had a walk around town and then a beer and coffee.
From Schwangau we drove straight to the Campingplatz at Lindau. The ground was wet and no good for Liam to play on. The campsite was really big and family orientated. Had a pizza for dinner at a restaurant on the campsite whilst a live kids concert with music etc was going on.
Photographs:
1. Main gate into Dinklesbühl
2. Rathaus of Dinklesbühl
3. Another gate on the wall
4. The mill.
5. Jakki and Liam
6. A segment of the wall
7. Sign at front of cemetery in Herrlingen
8. Rommel's grave
9. The stream we parked next to in Herrlingen
10. Trout in the stream.
11. Hohenschwangau Castle
12. Neuschwanstein Castle
13. The Jägerhaus
14. The lake at Füssen
15. Dawn at the campsite
Left Dinklesbühl and headed to Herrlingen which is where Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, the Desert Fox, was buried. This town is where the Desert Fox lived and was eventually either forced to commit suicide or was shot by the Gestapo after being accused of involvement in the July 20 1944 Hitler bomb plot. Had a guess at where the cemetery was and parked near a small stream in the middle of town. Walked to the nearest corner and there it was. Got some photo’s of the grave and returned to the camper. The stream we parked next to, despite being in the middle of town, was crystal clear and had trout in it. The trout were happy Liam does not eat his sandwich crusts. The next stop was Schwangau near the town of Füssen. This is where King Ludwig II built his fairy tale castle. I debated whether or not tot skip this and go straight to Lindau but decided to have a look. A tourist trap. Packed to the rafters with long lines to everything. We were not really intereseted in looking at the castle interior and had a walk around town and then a beer and coffee.
From Schwangau we drove straight to the Campingplatz at Lindau. The ground was wet and no good for Liam to play on. The campsite was really big and family orientated. Had a pizza for dinner at a restaurant on the campsite whilst a live kids concert with music etc was going on.
Photographs:
1. Main gate into Dinklesbühl
2. Rathaus of Dinklesbühl
3. Another gate on the wall
4. The mill.
5. Jakki and Liam
6. A segment of the wall
7. Sign at front of cemetery in Herrlingen
8. Rommel's grave
9. The stream we parked next to in Herrlingen
10. Trout in the stream.
11. Hohenschwangau Castle
12. Neuschwanstein Castle
13. The Jägerhaus
14. The lake at Füssen
15. Dawn at the campsite
Day 4 - 28/08/2008 - Germany
The Bavarian Lion and the Lighthouse guarding the entrance to Lindau Port. The hills in the background are in Switzerland.
Day 4
I woke up at about 5:00am. It was still dark and I went and had a shower and a shave for lack of anything better to do. When we had all awoken and had breakfast we drove into Lindau. Lindau is basically an island on Lake Bodensee which is the second largest lake in Europe and shares borders with Austria and Switzerland. It is connected to the mainland via a bridge. We parked on the island and took a walk around town and down to the waterfront. Took some photos of the lighthouse and the lion guarding the port entrance. Beautiful little cobbled streets.
From Lindau we drove to Furtwangen im Schwarzwald and through the Black Forest to Hexenloch which is deep in the forest with narrow roads and water wheels outside houses. We then drove onto Titisee which is a glacial lake at the southern foot of the Black Forest. Titisee is very touristy but had a nice bratwurst lunch and a beer on the lakeside. Lots of families swimming and having picnics etc.
Drove on to Freiburg im Breisgau and had dinner at the onsite restaurant. Schnitzel for both of us. Liam’s love of chips was growing.
Photographs:
1. The walk to the Bavarian Lion.
2. The Bavarian Lion.
3. View from the Lion back to Lindau.
4. View from Lindau to the Harbour entrance.
5. Segment of the Black Forest.
6. Home in the Black Forest.
7. Lake Titisee
8. Ducks on Lake Titisee.
9. A very small house.
10. The camperevan in Freiburg.
11. Liam pushing his stroller.
12. Liam.
From Lindau we drove to Furtwangen im Schwarzwald and through the Black Forest to Hexenloch which is deep in the forest with narrow roads and water wheels outside houses. We then drove onto Titisee which is a glacial lake at the southern foot of the Black Forest. Titisee is very touristy but had a nice bratwurst lunch and a beer on the lakeside. Lots of families swimming and having picnics etc.
Drove on to Freiburg im Breisgau and had dinner at the onsite restaurant. Schnitzel for both of us. Liam’s love of chips was growing.
Photographs:
1. The walk to the Bavarian Lion.
2. The Bavarian Lion.
3. View from the Lion back to Lindau.
4. View from Lindau to the Harbour entrance.
5. Segment of the Black Forest.
6. Home in the Black Forest.
7. Lake Titisee
8. Ducks on Lake Titisee.
9. A very small house.
10. The camperevan in Freiburg.
11. Liam pushing his stroller.
12. Liam.
Day 5 - 29/08/2009 - Germany, France and Luxembourg.
Crossing the border into Frankreich (France) over the river Rhine.
Day 5
Day 5:
A long drive ahead through Germany, France with the days final destination being Luxembourg. We had a missing power cable and took an hour of stuffing around to find a camping store after initially going in the wrong direction due to there being two streets with the same name in Freiburg. In the end it was all sorted and a short time later we crossed the border into Frankreich.
We were headed to Neuf Brisach which was a 600 hundred year old star shaped fortress between Freiburg, Germany and Colmar, France. What a disappointment. A typical French town. Most of the walls are intact but the inside is just like anywhere else. The one good thing was the coffee and donuts we had. The best of the trip.
From here we travelled to the outskirts of a small town called Holtzwhir. It is near this small French town that Audie Murphy, US Army, won his Congressional Medal of Honour. The area where Murphy won the MoH is at the southern end of some woods. Below is the citation:
Medal of Honor citation The official U.S. Army citation for Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor reads:
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, January 26, 1945.
Entered service at: Dallas, Texas. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Texas, G.O. No. 65, August 9, 1944.
Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.
Took some photos at the monument here and you can atually still see the ditvh and the field where the action took place. Next stop on the long drive was for lunch at the French town of Hagenau in the Alsace region. This was the town featured in episode 8 of Band of Brothers titled “The Last Patrol”. Not much to see here and stopped for lunch of nutella sandwiches in a park and let Liam have a run around. At least I can see I have been there!
Next stop was near Vickring. Fortress Hackenberg of the Maginot Line. In the 1930s the Maginot Line was viewed as a military marvel, an impregnable network of underground fortifications stretching along France's border with Germany — from Belgium to Switzerland — designed to stop the Nazi onslaught and prevent a repeat of the bloody trench warfare of World War I.
But then in 1940, the Germans simply bypassed the vast, hugely expensive network of bastions, bunkers, tunnels and artillery batteries, and the Maginot Line turned into a metaphor for exaggerated military confidence resulting in disaster.
The fortress was not open at the time and was hard to find thanks to ignorant Frenchmen who lived in the nearby town but did not know where or what it was (or so they claimed). Eventually a woman gave us directions despite not speaking English and we found it after seeing a M10 tank Destroyer on the side of the road. Took some photos and headed off to Ettelbrück, Luxembourg.
Before going to Ettelbrück we stopped off at the US War Cemetery at Hamm. Got there right on closing so decided to wait till tomorrow.
Arrived at the campsite at about 5:45pm. The site was run by a Dutch couple and ws very nice and comfy looking. The power cable we had didn’t fit and the owner lent us one and there was also an offer from a fellow camper. Very friendly and generous people here. Had a steak for dinner at the campsite and it was great. Liam screamed in the shower as he has other nights since we have been away but went to bed tired and slept well. Did some laundry and watched a movie on the portable DVD player before going to bed.
Photographs:
1. Strongpoint of the fortress at Neuf Brisach.
2. Road to Audie Murphy memorial.
3. The memorial.
4. Close-up of memorial.
5. Me in front of the memorial.
6. The tank destroyer at the road to Fortress Hackenberg.
7. The main entrance to Hackenberg.
8. Machine gun capola at Hackenberg.
9. Barbed wire obstacles at Hackenberg.
10. Another strong point entrance.
11. View from Maginot Line.
12. Driving. Note how the wheel is on the wrong side! As a matter of fact I am as well.
A long drive ahead through Germany, France with the days final destination being Luxembourg. We had a missing power cable and took an hour of stuffing around to find a camping store after initially going in the wrong direction due to there being two streets with the same name in Freiburg. In the end it was all sorted and a short time later we crossed the border into Frankreich.
We were headed to Neuf Brisach which was a 600 hundred year old star shaped fortress between Freiburg, Germany and Colmar, France. What a disappointment. A typical French town. Most of the walls are intact but the inside is just like anywhere else. The one good thing was the coffee and donuts we had. The best of the trip.
From here we travelled to the outskirts of a small town called Holtzwhir. It is near this small French town that Audie Murphy, US Army, won his Congressional Medal of Honour. The area where Murphy won the MoH is at the southern end of some woods. Below is the citation:
Medal of Honor citation The official U.S. Army citation for Audie Murphy's Medal of Honor reads:
Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 15th Infantry, 3rd Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, January 26, 1945.
Entered service at: Dallas, Texas. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Texas, G.O. No. 65, August 9, 1944.
Citation: Second Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by six tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to a prepared position in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, one of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire, which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machine gun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from three sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad that was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued his single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way back to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack, which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective.
Took some photos at the monument here and you can atually still see the ditvh and the field where the action took place. Next stop on the long drive was for lunch at the French town of Hagenau in the Alsace region. This was the town featured in episode 8 of Band of Brothers titled “The Last Patrol”. Not much to see here and stopped for lunch of nutella sandwiches in a park and let Liam have a run around. At least I can see I have been there!
Next stop was near Vickring. Fortress Hackenberg of the Maginot Line. In the 1930s the Maginot Line was viewed as a military marvel, an impregnable network of underground fortifications stretching along France's border with Germany — from Belgium to Switzerland — designed to stop the Nazi onslaught and prevent a repeat of the bloody trench warfare of World War I.
But then in 1940, the Germans simply bypassed the vast, hugely expensive network of bastions, bunkers, tunnels and artillery batteries, and the Maginot Line turned into a metaphor for exaggerated military confidence resulting in disaster.
The fortress was not open at the time and was hard to find thanks to ignorant Frenchmen who lived in the nearby town but did not know where or what it was (or so they claimed). Eventually a woman gave us directions despite not speaking English and we found it after seeing a M10 tank Destroyer on the side of the road. Took some photos and headed off to Ettelbrück, Luxembourg.
Before going to Ettelbrück we stopped off at the US War Cemetery at Hamm. Got there right on closing so decided to wait till tomorrow.
Arrived at the campsite at about 5:45pm. The site was run by a Dutch couple and ws very nice and comfy looking. The power cable we had didn’t fit and the owner lent us one and there was also an offer from a fellow camper. Very friendly and generous people here. Had a steak for dinner at the campsite and it was great. Liam screamed in the shower as he has other nights since we have been away but went to bed tired and slept well. Did some laundry and watched a movie on the portable DVD player before going to bed.
Photographs:
1. Strongpoint of the fortress at Neuf Brisach.
2. Road to Audie Murphy memorial.
3. The memorial.
4. Close-up of memorial.
5. Me in front of the memorial.
6. The tank destroyer at the road to Fortress Hackenberg.
7. The main entrance to Hackenberg.
8. Machine gun capola at Hackenberg.
9. Barbed wire obstacles at Hackenberg.
10. Another strong point entrance.
11. View from Maginot Line.
12. Driving. Note how the wheel is on the wrong side! As a matter of fact I am as well.
Day 6 - 30/08/2008 - Luxembourg
Ettelbrück Train Station.
Day 6
We walked down to the Ettelbrück train station from the campsite. It was about 2.5km and all down here which suggested a cab for the return. On the way to the station we saw the Patton Museum and decided to have a look as it was on the “Luxembourg Card” which we had bought. The card gets you discounts and free entry to a lot of attractions in Luxembourg.
Caught the train into the city and had a coffee before walking up the main street and entering the city centre. Luxembourg City is a beautiful terraced city with cobbled streets. The main walk around the terrace is called the Chemin de la Corniche. Took photographs of the Aldophe Bridge and the closest casemates from the Chemin de la Corniche. Walked to the Place de Armees which is the main square. There was a large antique market on and we had a browse. Some interesting German WWII artifacts. Luxembourg is legally allowed to sell Nazi memorabilia unlike France, Germany, Italy etc.
Walked to the Bock Casemates and went in. The casemates were cut and tunneled in the surrounding hills as a fort or shelter in times of war. In WWII they were used as air raid shelters. There are great views of the city from the cannon apertures in the walls and the tunnelling was such that we could push the stroller around with relative ease.
We had lunch in three different places with drinks first, then lunch and then dessert.
We caught the train back to Ettelbrück and went to the Patton museum. Very good collection of items mostly from the Battle of the Bulge which roared through this area in late 1944. A lot of ground dug items.
We then did some grocery shopping at a local supermarket. I bought a bottle of Battin Gambrinus (beer) and got to the check-out with the girl there gesturing to the beer and speaking French. The girl behind us spoke English and French and translated. “She is telling you that you must buy the bottle also”. How else would I take the beer???
We walked back to the train station for a taxi. The cab drivers muttered about the stroller not fitting in the boot and were busy making room and moving things about when I folded it down. “Oooohhh…compact” was the happily astonished reply.
Photographs:
1. Dad and Liam on the train.
2. View of Luxembourg City from near the main entrance.
3. Church.
4. Monument.
5. View along one of the Chemin de la Corniche.
7. Aldolphe Bridge.
8. Luxembourg Castle.
9. View from the terrace.
10. Guard post on the wall.
11. A segment of wall showing difference between upper and lower tiers.
12. Dad and Liam.
13. View of the wall from the Bock Casemates.
14. Jakki in the casemates15. Cannon in the casemates.
15. Cannon in the casemates.
16. View from the upper casemates.
17. Luxembourg Royal Coat of Arms.
18. Luxembourg Police car.
19. Me drinking a 1 litre can of Viking Lager.
20. Statue.
21. General patton statue at Patton Museum.
Caught the train into the city and had a coffee before walking up the main street and entering the city centre. Luxembourg City is a beautiful terraced city with cobbled streets. The main walk around the terrace is called the Chemin de la Corniche. Took photographs of the Aldophe Bridge and the closest casemates from the Chemin de la Corniche. Walked to the Place de Armees which is the main square. There was a large antique market on and we had a browse. Some interesting German WWII artifacts. Luxembourg is legally allowed to sell Nazi memorabilia unlike France, Germany, Italy etc.
Walked to the Bock Casemates and went in. The casemates were cut and tunneled in the surrounding hills as a fort or shelter in times of war. In WWII they were used as air raid shelters. There are great views of the city from the cannon apertures in the walls and the tunnelling was such that we could push the stroller around with relative ease.
We had lunch in three different places with drinks first, then lunch and then dessert.
We caught the train back to Ettelbrück and went to the Patton museum. Very good collection of items mostly from the Battle of the Bulge which roared through this area in late 1944. A lot of ground dug items.
We then did some grocery shopping at a local supermarket. I bought a bottle of Battin Gambrinus (beer) and got to the check-out with the girl there gesturing to the beer and speaking French. The girl behind us spoke English and French and translated. “She is telling you that you must buy the bottle also”. How else would I take the beer???
We walked back to the train station for a taxi. The cab drivers muttered about the stroller not fitting in the boot and were busy making room and moving things about when I folded it down. “Oooohhh…compact” was the happily astonished reply.
Photographs:
1. Dad and Liam on the train.
2. View of Luxembourg City from near the main entrance.
3. Church.
4. Monument.
5. View along one of the Chemin de la Corniche.
7. Aldolphe Bridge.
8. Luxembourg Castle.
9. View from the terrace.
10. Guard post on the wall.
11. A segment of wall showing difference between upper and lower tiers.
12. Dad and Liam.
13. View of the wall from the Bock Casemates.
14. Jakki in the casemates15. Cannon in the casemates.
15. Cannon in the casemates.
16. View from the upper casemates.
17. Luxembourg Royal Coat of Arms.
18. Luxembourg Police car.
19. Me drinking a 1 litre can of Viking Lager.
20. Statue.
21. General patton statue at Patton Museum.
Day 7 - 31/08/2008 - Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany.
Boursheid Castle, Luxembourg
Day 7
Got an early start and visited Boursheid Castle. Castle opened at 9:30am. So much for early start. Perched above a river and in ruins. Probably better that going to a restored castle. We were the only ones there.
From the castle we went to the famous Musee National d’Histiore Militaire in Diekirch. Fantastic museum with lots to see including armored vehicles and artillery.
Off to the small German border town of Wallendorf to find a machine gun bunker. The bunker was easy to find and is on the German side of the Our River bridge at Wallendorf. It is one of the bunkers built as part of the Westwall or Siegfried Line by Hitler and was built to look like a shed
Back to Hamm to visit the US War Cemetery. Absolutely beautiful. Row upon Row of neat graves with simple white crosses or Stars of David as the case may be. General Patton is buried here facing his men as per his request before he died. On arrival at the cemetery realised we had lost a hubcap. Made the decision to drive back towards Wallendorf. Found it on the road and put it back on. We did not want to have to pay for that after losing the water tank cap in Freiburg.
Drove to another bunker of the Westwall. The Katzenkopf bunker at Irrel, Germany. Located on a hill top with extensive views of the surrounding countryside this was the second largest bunker on the line. The occupants of this bunker surrendered to US forces without much of a fight afte some GI’s knocked on the cupola and asked them to come out. I went in for a look and Jakki and Liam stayed outside. When I cam out Liam decided now would be a good time to actually walk and he took his first steps. He was as delighted as we were.
From here to a few small Belgian towns for some “Then and Now” WWII photographs and then onto our next stop at Monschau, Germany. Monschau is located in a valley in the Hurtgen Forest and survived the war unscathed. During the Battle of the Bulge it is rumored that Generalfeldmarschall Model forbade its bombing or occupation to spare its beauty. No one spoke English at the campingplatz but with my little German we were understood enough to order dinner etc.
Photographs:
1. Boursheid Castle
2. One of hte castle towers.
3. View over a spire.
4. One of hte courtyards.
5. Me on the wall.
6. A battlement.
7. View from the other side ofthe hill.
8. Military museum in Diekirch.
9. Sherman Firefly and Dragons Teeth out the front.
10. Gunner Liam.
11. The Wallendorf machine gun bunker.
12. US Cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg.
13. General Patton's grave.
14. Graves at the cemetery.
15. The US flag.
16. A Jewish grave.
17. Mum and Liam at the Katzenkopf bunker in Irrel, Germany.
18. Memorial above the bunker.
19. Vianden Castle, Luxembourg.
20. Liam in his carseat.
21. A Belgian cow.
From the castle we went to the famous Musee National d’Histiore Militaire in Diekirch. Fantastic museum with lots to see including armored vehicles and artillery.
Off to the small German border town of Wallendorf to find a machine gun bunker. The bunker was easy to find and is on the German side of the Our River bridge at Wallendorf. It is one of the bunkers built as part of the Westwall or Siegfried Line by Hitler and was built to look like a shed
Back to Hamm to visit the US War Cemetery. Absolutely beautiful. Row upon Row of neat graves with simple white crosses or Stars of David as the case may be. General Patton is buried here facing his men as per his request before he died. On arrival at the cemetery realised we had lost a hubcap. Made the decision to drive back towards Wallendorf. Found it on the road and put it back on. We did not want to have to pay for that after losing the water tank cap in Freiburg.
Drove to another bunker of the Westwall. The Katzenkopf bunker at Irrel, Germany. Located on a hill top with extensive views of the surrounding countryside this was the second largest bunker on the line. The occupants of this bunker surrendered to US forces without much of a fight afte some GI’s knocked on the cupola and asked them to come out. I went in for a look and Jakki and Liam stayed outside. When I cam out Liam decided now would be a good time to actually walk and he took his first steps. He was as delighted as we were.
From here to a few small Belgian towns for some “Then and Now” WWII photographs and then onto our next stop at Monschau, Germany. Monschau is located in a valley in the Hurtgen Forest and survived the war unscathed. During the Battle of the Bulge it is rumored that Generalfeldmarschall Model forbade its bombing or occupation to spare its beauty. No one spoke English at the campingplatz but with my little German we were understood enough to order dinner etc.
Photographs:
1. Boursheid Castle
2. One of hte castle towers.
3. View over a spire.
4. One of hte courtyards.
5. Me on the wall.
6. A battlement.
7. View from the other side ofthe hill.
8. Military museum in Diekirch.
9. Sherman Firefly and Dragons Teeth out the front.
10. Gunner Liam.
11. The Wallendorf machine gun bunker.
12. US Cemetery at Hamm, Luxembourg.
13. General Patton's grave.
14. Graves at the cemetery.
15. The US flag.
16. A Jewish grave.
17. Mum and Liam at the Katzenkopf bunker in Irrel, Germany.
18. Memorial above the bunker.
19. Vianden Castle, Luxembourg.
20. Liam in his carseat.
21. A Belgian cow.
