Private Tour

Today we had a private WWII tour given by Bob. Bob picked us up at 8:30 a.m. and we didn't get back until 5 p.m. The tour was personalized regarding my uncle. We started at the railway station in Saint Vith. The American forces protected this railway for three days against the Germans which gave time for American forces to join them.

The railway has been removed so now it is a bike path.

Bob has been studying world war two for 19 years.

He gives a great tour. Part of our tour was spent in Germany.

This is the Our river. Getting troops across was important in world war two because it is too deep to ford without a bridge. We think my uncle may have detonated several bridges. He also might have been involved in fixing up some rubber boats and laying wooden boards on top so American forces could get across.

We stopped at another town to visit a church. There was a woman in there mopping floors. Bob and the woman started talking. She was a young girl when the town was bombed. She and her family hid in the church basement for protection. Her father was taken as a prisoner of war by the Americans. When Christmas came they celebrated together. Only her father knew how to play the organ so he played holiday music on the organ for Americans and prisoners of war.

A beautiful red and gold banner, important to the church, was stolen during world war two. Forty years later, the cloth was returned to the church by the son of the man who stole it. The church goers were happy to see it back.

These are knee high or higher sturdy cement structures called dragon's teeth. Germany installed 5K of dragon's teeth to prevent tanks from entering Germany. The teeth are connected under the grass in both directions. They can be removed with dynamite but that gets expensive. The eventual solution was to pour tons of sand on top of them and drive over the sand.

This is an American tank pointed at the medieval town near Bastogne.

We had a fine day with Bob.

In The Market For A New Backpack

I bought this Swiss Gear back pack in 2006. This bag has been to Kenya, Seattle, San Diego, Connecticut, Sicily, Italy, Greece, Georgia, Germany, Japan, Ecuador, Michigan, Montana, Wisconsin, Rhode Island, Poland, Texas, Tasmania, New Mexico, North Dakota, Finland, Florida, Alabama, Amsterdam, Australia and Alaska. I didn't take it to Isle Royale. I bought a special backpack for Isle Royale and a strap on that new backpack broke on the second day of the trip.

But my back pack is wearing out.  You can see the fabric is starting to tear. That round hole at the top was the new thing in 2006 because you could thread your ear buds and listen to music playing inside your bag. I never did thread my ear buds through there but I could have.

I kept my cell phone in that tiny pocket on the strap! That was a cellphone where you had to press the 7 key four times to get the letter s.

The strap on the left partially melted when I rode my motorcycle to work. I must have hit the muffler with it before I got saddle bags. Sometimes that strap would whip my thighs in the wind and boy, howdy, that hurt. I am in the market for a  new backpack now. I hope the new one lasts 15 years like this one did. So long Swiss Gear back pack. Thanks for carrying all my stuff. You were real comfy.

 

What Do You Want To Do Today?

I loved being asked what I want to do today.

Especially when I am asked by someone that I know has my back.

I decided to take a train from Amsterdam to Germany.

Duisburg, Germany.

Why Duisburg? Why not Duisburg?

I learned Duisburg was the most heavily bombed city in Germany during WWII because it was a manufacturing city.  It is a strange feeling to go into a museum about the war realizing my country was the aggressor and I cannot read a single sign in this museum.I have no idea how the war was interpreted. Luckily for me there is an English speaking woman translating for her 6 year old daughter. I thank her for being here today.

Duisburg! On the banks of the Rhine and the Ruhr rivers.

I could have spent hours researching what to do in Duisburg but instead I wanted to keep it casual. We found two extraordinary museums.  We had a wonderful lunch at a great restaurant.

There is lots to do in Duisburg.

The day was sunny in Duisburg.

It is nice to have a dry day for a change.

The high temperature was about 40 degrees.

I would think people would be working but many of them are out and about shopping and having fun.

We warmed up in the shopping mall and watched the people.  

Duisburg is not a tourist town.

Oh, my sciatica! Actually it's not too bad today.

Thinking about going to Duisburg?  Do it! Do it in Duisburg!