Phots from Bastogne

 

                                                        Foxhole in the Bois Jaques near Foy

                                                    Mardasson Memorial to the American Troops

                                                    101st Airborne Easy Company Memorial 

             Tank in the Bastogne War Museum - I don't think anyone inside survived that mortar shell

Bastogne WWII sites

Bastogne was our last stop in Belgium before returning to The Netherlands for the final days of our trip.

Mike has an interest in World War II history and is also a fan of the Band of Brothers miniseries which follows the members of Easy Company as they make their way through Europe during the war.  We have toured the beaches and bunkers in Normandy, and Mike wanted to see the WWII museum in Bastogne and the foxholes dug by Easy Company during the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-45. Easy Company was engaged against German troops in the nearby village of Foy. The Americans survived freezing temperatures in foxholes dug in the icy ground, eventually storming the village by crossing open fields under fire to expel the German troops from the town and pushing them even further out of the area. 

The Bastogne War Museum was interesting and there were many exhibits to see. The exhibit includes an interactive visit with 4 different characters and they talk about their life during the war as you move through the exhibits. 

Nearby is the Mardasson Memorial which is a large monument that honors the almost 77,000 American troops that were killed, wounded or went missing in action during the Battle of the Bulge. Unfortunately the interior and stairs were closed off when we visited so we were unable to see the complete monument or the view from the top of the structure. 

We then drove to Bois Jacques to see the foxholes. There is an app that uses geolocation to show you a 3D video overlay of the battle on your phone so you can see the battlefield as it was then and how it looks now, all at the same time. It was well done and definitely helps you enjoy the experience more fully. 

Our last stop was the 101st Airborne Museum directly in the city of Bastogne. It's housed in a 3 story old house and features a lot of dioramas and posed vignettes of the paratroopers. Something that was very cool was the bomb shelter experience located in the basement. You're made to feel as though you are taking refuge from a bomb attack and the seats rumble and vibrate with the shelling. It was actually quite a good immersive experience and I'll admit the first explosion made me jump! First there was the distinctive whistling noise as the shell descended on us, then heavy silence, then BOOM! I can't imagine what it must have been like to endure days of shelling like that. (We have previously visited Verdun, France and the WWI battlefield and monuments there. If you want to learn about the phrase "shell shock", you should go there. Read a book about it or watch the documentary you can find on YouTube, it's unbelievable.)

So that's it for our last day in Belgium. We enjoyed everything that we saw and did in Belgium. But there are still many other places to explore. Perhaps a trip to the south of France next?

Photos from Villers Abbey

 

Photos from Les Jardins d'Annevoie and Dinant

 

                                                                            Dinant

                                                              Les Jardins d'Annevoie

Belgium April 2026 - Villers Abbey, Les Jardins d'Annivoie, and Dinant

We left Brussels and drove into the countryside stopping first at the abbey ruins at Villers-la-Ville.  It was a little confusing trying to find the entrance but we finally realized we had stopped on the back side of the complex instead of the front. Once we found the ticket office, we walked up a path that took us to a bridge over the road and into the ruins. On the path leading to the bridge there are signs that tell you what was happening at different points in history, both at the abbey and in the rest of world. The abbey was founded in 1146 and abandoned in 1796 so the historic timeline was pretty extensive. 

Once at the ruins we took the elevator down to the ground floor to begin exploring. It seems that quite a few of the exterior walls remain, though in various stages of ruin. Some of the building interior walls are mostly intact, and also some of the vaulted ceilings remain along with arches and rose windows. There is a separate building that became the medieval brewery and also a dormitory for the monks. I love looking at the stonework of the vaulted ceilings because I just can't understand how they actually stay in place at an angle like that.  It was a nice, sunny morning and very peaceful there without many other people. We explored for an hour or more before moving on. 

Our next stop was Les Jardins d'Annivoie. There is a private chateau which you can't enter but the attraction here is the gardens. We walked along paths near fountains, ponds, and streams.There were not as many flowers here as the gardens we had already seen, but there were lots of shrubs and statues. One note of disappointment is that nearly all of the statues are just one-sided plaster or plastic molds, there is nothing on the back of the statue but a post to keep it upright. I realize marble statues are expensive, but I think I would rather have the real thing or none at all. It was a pleasant stop but honestly not one I would repeat or bring friends to see. 

Dinant was our next destination. It's a town built on two sides of the Meuse River and I had seen photos of the imposing rock cliff that stands over the town and wanted to explore the town a bit. We had decided to have a bit of lunch when we arrived and as we were walking along the river promenade, we heard a huge boom! It actually sounded a lot like an explosion. There is an old citadel on the hill so we thought perhaps they fire off a canon sometimes? It was rather disconcerting!  We shared a pizza for lunch and then walked along the river on both sides admiring the views and watching the boats on the river. 

Soon it was time to move on to our destination for the night, Marche en Famenne. Our navigation took us to an entrance to the hotel that was barely wide enough for our rental car. It was a tight fit but not as tight as some we have negotiated. Once inside the parking lot, we saw there was another much larger entrance of course. The important thing is we didn't lose any side mirrors or scratch the tire rims. We had a nice dinner at the hotel, walked through town, and saw a community 5k race.  Tomorrow's destination is Bastogne. 

More Photos from Castle Groot Bijgarden

 

Belgium April 2026 Castle Groot-Bijgarden - a day trip from Brussels

I had planned a day trip to this castle in advance of the trip because it has a special garden event in April. It was a very welcome break from busy Brussels and there were 14 hectares of lovely gardens to wander through. It was not crowded at all and I could feel myself relaxing more and more as we went along. My soul really does belong in the countryside.

The castle itself dates from the 12th century and the current castle is 17th century Flemish-Renaissance style.  It is usually only open for events so we managed our timing well. It has quite an interesting history which includes sieges, seizures, political intrigue, and even loss of life for religious reasons. 

We entered the grounds crossing over the moat on a five-arched stone bridge that leads to the drawbridge. Once inside we wandered through many separate gardens and there were so many beautiful flowers! We saw bridges crossing the stream that feeds the moat and garden sculptures too. 

The garden event is called Floralia and there are bee sculptures hiding within the gardens for children to discover. We saw a type of goose we had never seen before and Google identified it as an Egyptian Goose. There was a whole little family of them with about 6 goslings. They were so cute! 

It was a really enjoyable day and we spent more than half a day here. On the way back to Brussels we stopped at Beersel castle on a whim, then headed back to Brussels for our last night there. 

Photos from Brussels - 2

 

                                                                   Square du Petit Sablon

                    Fountain and reflecting pool at the location of the original medieval port of Brussels 

Photos from Brussels - 1

                                         Tomb at Église Notre-Dame des Victoires au Sablon

                                                            Buildings in the Grand Place
 

                                                Grand Place - Maison des Ducs de Brabant 

Belgium April 2026 Brussels

Brussels is a large, busy city. It's the headquarters of NATO and the European Union so there were lots of businesspeople there as well as many people shopping at the high-end stores near our hotel.  We had a panorama room at the hotel so we had a nice180 degree view of the city.

On our first morning we had a walking tour of the city through WithLocals and our guide Eric was great - funny and energetic with knowledge of little corners of the city we would never have found on our own.   

Eric took us to a historic lane where one of the home's lintel stone was inscribed with the date 1596! The lane was a tiny, cute little place with wisteria vines growing from one building across to another. We were also able to visit a private courtyard where you could still see one of the canals that was used to deliver goods to the city. Most of the buildings there are now student housing.  We also saw a fountain and reflecting pool that are now all that remains of the original port of Brussels and we also saw one of the original watch towers from the city's medieval walls. 

The Grand Place was impressive and there were so many different facades of the buildings around the square! There is a 15th century Gothic Town Hall, a building that housed some of the worker's guilds, and the King's House which houses a museum. Most of the buildings have gold details on their facades which shine nicely in the evening when the square is illuminated. It was all very, well...grand! Eric did remind us to mind our belongings here as there can be pickpockets and it's a very busy place with lots of people around. Mike and I had a really good dinner at a restaurant underneath one of the buildings, the restaurant Le Cave du Roy. It's next to the historic guild hall Maison des Ducs de Brabant. We aren't gastronomes or foodies, but we do like a good meal with good service and this place delivered on both counts. 

Les Galeries Royale Saint-Hubert is one of Europe's first covered shopping malls. Opened in 1847 it was a beautiful combination of different types of marble and contained higher-end shops along with some touristy type of shops. Lots of chocolate shops too, they're very proud of the Belgian chocolate. We had a fantastic dinner here at Taverne du Passage. Superb food and good, although somewhat slow, service as they were quite busy. Both of the restaurant recommendations came from Eric so he was helpful in that regard also. 

Another tip from Eric was to visit the Église Notre-Dame des Victories au Sablon which was near our hotel. It was originally founded and built by the Crossbowmen's Guild in the 13th century and is free to enter. The church itself was light and airy but the main reason Eric suggested we go there was to see a family tomb inside that is made of the blackest marble I have ever seen. Normally black marble has quite a few streaks of white in it but this was almost completely black. It was even more striking because the sculptures on the tomb were all done in white marble. Nearby is the Square du Petit Sablon, a small park with a statuary fountain that was a nice place to stop if you wanted to sit for bit. 

One thing about Brussels: If you are driving to the city there are many tunnels you drive though that go under the streets and your car's navigation doesn't always seem to understand that you're in a tunnel so you can't possibly "exit now" as there is an actual tunnel wall in that spot! We took a day trip out of the  city one day and played a game of "where do we get off this never-ending loop of tunnels?" when we came back.  Finally I said to Mike just exit and we'll figure it out ourselves and we did! It also helped that our hotel was one of the tallest in the area so it was fairly easy to spot it. 

Overall we felt we could have done Brussels as a day trip. We aren't shoppers and the city was just too busy and crowded for our tastes. In hindsight, we would rather have visited Brussels as a day trip instead of staying in the city.

Photos from Bruges

Photos from Ghent

 

Belgium April 2026 Bruges

On our first morning in Bruges we were up early for breakfast and then out the door to meet our tour guide for a two hour guided tour of the city. I booked this tour through WithLocals again and our tour guide Igor was very interesting. He is a historian and had just come home from an archaeology dig. 

We saw many lovely canals and crossed over the oldest market bridge in the city. We visited the Beguinage which was a community where single laywomen (not nuns) stayed, saw more guild halls and many, many chocolate shops as well. We learned the history associated with the swans of Bruges and why they are legally protected, it involves the execution of a good friend of the Emporer Maximilian I of Austria and his decree in the 15th century that the swans would be cared for by the Belgians until the end of time. 

We had heard of the Madonna of Bruges because of its mention in the movie Monuments Men about the US Army group that was assigned with finding, recovering and returning priceless works of art stolen by the German Army during World War II.  It was returned to Bruges where you can see it today in the Church of Our Lady. It was sculpted by Michelangelo in the very early 1500's and I believe was his only sculpture to leave Italy in his lifetime. (Incidentally the Ghent altarpiece was found hidden in the same salt mine as the Madonna.) We were able to see the sculpture and some other interesting exhibits in that church. 

We also visited the Church of the Holy Blood where you can actually see two churches. One is the subterranean Romanesque church and the other is a small Gothic church with a possibly very important relic. We are not Catholic and we view religious relics with a skeptical eye because you never really know if they are truly what they are supposed to be. This church has a piece of cloth that is said to be soaked with the blood of Jesus. We went inside and the small chapel with the display altar was pretty full so we took a seat in the adjoining room which faced left from the first room. We decided to wait because someone said they would bring the relic out shortly. As we waited, a bell rang and a door opened in a chapel that we were facing and two priests (I don't know if the Catholic Church has female priests but one of them was a female. I don't know what she would be called if she's not a priest, sorry.) came out and one of them was holding a glass container with a stained cloth in it. Our seats were right on the aisle so the container passed within 12 inches of us as they proceeded to the display case. If it truly was the blood of Jesus then that was a remarkable moment. 

We had to do some laundry while we were in Bruges and Mike had a fun time watching a giant crane truck trying to back out of a work site onto the tiny street. I think the driver made something like twenty  attempts due to the tiny street behind it and the edges of the buildings across the street and impatient drivers. The truck driver finally managed  though without any damage to the truck or the buildings. Bravo! Everyone watching gave him round of applause.  

Bruges was really a lovely city and we wish we had spent another day here. Our hotel (Hotel Heritage) was lovely with a really comfy bed and hot eggs cooked to order for breakfast. There was also a coffee shop across the street and many restaurants on the Grand Place and surrounding streets. 

Belgium April 2026 Ghent

After leaving Kinderdjik in the Netherlands, we drove to Ghent where we would spend the night before moving on to Bruges. It was a little disconcerting when we arrived because the power was out at our hotel and the parking garage was pitch black so it was hard to see exactly where the hotel entrance was located. Everyone was walking around the garage using their phones as flashlights. We found the elevator and the lights came on just as we were trying to figure out where the stairs were located. I happily pushed the elevator button and stepped in, but Mike was a little more reluctant since the power had only just come on and the thought of getting stuck on the elevator if the power went out again was making him pretty apprehensive. I convinced him to get in and we indeed made it up to the lobby level without any issues. 

We had arranged for a city tour with a guide from WithLocals and were very pleased with our guide Benedikt. He was entertaining, knowledgeable, and friendly and just nice to spend time with. We saw historic sites, learned local legends, tried some Belgian chocolate, and learned about the different guild houses along the river bank. He took us into St. Bavo's cathedral and explained the various panels of the famous altarpiece, "The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb". The price of the admission to see the altarpiece was not included in our tour so we viewed that after Ben said goodbye. 

Unfortunately Mike was bitten by a dog as we crossed the plaza on our way to the church. He didn't even look at the dog, I don't know why it bit him. A smaller dog companion barked at us and I guess the larger dog just reacted to that. I also have no idea why the little dog barked. The dog's owner was very apologetic and stayed around while Ben found a place for Mike to go and have a better look to be sure he wasn't actually bleeding. Luckily he had thick cotton pants on and the dog's tooth scraped his skin rather than penetrating it.  I was sitting outside with Ben and wondering if our travel insurance would cover rabies vaccine but thankfully we didn't have to find out. Ben was quite upset by the incident too. 

Once we left the cathedral we decided to have lunch and found a riverside table outside of a Marriott hotel on Korenlei. I had a delicious bowl of tomato soup and we also some good chicken strips. We spent a leisurely lunch watching the boats go by and people-watching. After lunch we got the car and headed to Bruges for our next stop. We really liked Ghent and wished we had spent another day there. It's a university town so it had an energetic, fun vibe that I liked. 

Photos from Kinderdjik

                                                 Inside the living room of a windmill

Kinderdjik UNESCO World Heritage Site - April 2026

Kinderdjik was a favorite of ours. We walked along the canal path and looked at all of the windmills. We went inside one that is set up as if a family were living it. It seems pretty cramped by modern standards but these windmills were built in the 1700's so heating a larger space would be problematic and also perhaps difficult to do structurally given you have huge blades revolving around the exterior of your home! The blades are massive and make a distinctive whoosh sound as they rotate, especially impactful if you're standing directly under one! You also have to be able to climb multiple flights of stairs several times a day and listen to the sound of the wooden mechanism turning which is located inside the windmill. I stood at the kitchen sink in the windmill and the motion of the blades rotating past the window every few seconds actually made me a little dizzy! I told Mike that would probably be the hardest thing to get used to. 

We walked to the end of the path and then took the shuttle boat back to the visitor center. One of the workers on the boat saw me counting up the number of windmills on the map, and started telling us what it takes to live in one of these windmills now.  There are several windmills that still function and to live in one of those (for 500 Euro per month) you have to become a certified miller. This is because you are required to operate the windmill for a minimum of 60,000 cycles per year. In order to do that you need to know not only the operation of the mill and sails but also wind speed and other factors. I didn't realize that the entire top of the mill can rotate, not just the blades. That way you can adjust the position of the mill according to the direction of the wind. It was very interesting and we enjoyed talking to him very much. There are windmills spread around the countryside here and there but Kinderdjik is the place to go if you want to see several at once and be able to go inside one.

Photos from Keukenhof Gardens

The Netherlands April 2026 - Tulips!!

We planned the trip in April so we could see the tulip fields and the Keukenhof Gardens. I actually bought tickets for two separate days since the weather report was constantly changing before we left home.  We stayed in Haarlem as we had been to Amsterdam once before and wanted a quieter, less busy alternative. Haarlem was a great choice with things to see in the town as well as good proximity to the Keukenhof gardens. 

The first thing that hit us when we entered was the scent! The hyacinths were blooming and the smell was incredible. Tulips don't really have much of a scent but with thousands of them blooming I would say I could smell them as well. There were so many lovely beds of flowers and the place is huge. There is a lake, a windmill, a viewing platform over the nearby fields, and a boat ride to take if you like. The tulip beds are a combination of some that are just one type or one color and then there are beds of happy mixes of various types of tulips and other flowers. There are fountains and even a maze as well. There were various sculptures scattered about but not so many that they detracted in any way from the flowers. There are 79 acres of gardens so the place is truly huge, be sure to get one of the little maps when you enter as it will save you some backtracking. We started by seeing everything on the outermost paths and then working our way to the inner paths. I would say it might have been better to start with the innermost paths as those tend to be busier as the day goes on. There are lots of benches scattered about so you can sit and relax and just enjoy the beauty. Mike said it was so much better than he was expecting and he really enjoyed it. Of course I was thrilled because I'm very happy to be in a garden anytime, anywhere. I have many, many beautiful photos of this place and I'll share a few later. 

There are buildings scattered about the gardens that have floral displays, and a huge one where you can ask questions of their experts and also see samples of the various tulips. There are a few restaurants and also some food trucks so you have some dining choices if you don't want to pack a lunch.  They are a cashless business so card only and also no dairy-free milk options in the restaurants.  No cappuccino for me *sigh*.

There is also a playground and picnic tables so it's a family friendly place - as long as you can keep your children from picking the flowers! It's all paved too so it's stroller friendly and wheelchair friendly if you have older or less mobile family members. They rent wheelchairs at the garden but I believe you need to reserve them in advance. I'm not 100% sure about that since we didn't need one.

The tickets for Keukenhof are a timed entry system though you can stay as long as you want once you're inside. They do not allow you to leave and then come back in, so if you wanted to bring a picnic lunch you have to bring it in with you at the beginning. We brought along a small backpack so we had someplace to put jackets when it warmed up later in the morning. Our entry was at 9am on April 9th and we parked in the P2 parking lot which is the secondary entrance to the gardens. On our second visit we parked in P1 on April 22 and that main entry gate was definitely busier, although the whole place was busier that day than on our first visit. The only difference in the garden's appearance from one date to the next was that the daffodils were pretty much done by the second visit but the azaleas and rhododendrons were blooming so I'm not sure I would say one was date was definitely better than the other. The weather was decently warm on our first visit though it was a bit overcast. It turns out that the overcast day produced better flower photos because the sun on our second visit created a lot of shadows on the flowers from the trees. They had quite a few flowering Japaneses Cherry trees which were absolutely lovely. 

While we didn't order any bulbs directly from Keukenhof due to the shipping costs, we did make note of our favorites and ordered some from a different source when we returned home. The sad part is that tulips are considered an annual where we live (California zone 9) and it's not cold enough in the winter for a bloom the second year. I'll have to refrigerate the bulbs for several weeks before planting and then dig them up after the plant dies and find a cool, dry place to store them until the next fall when I'll repeat the refrigeration process again and hope for a some blooms. 

I would very much recommend a visit here if you're in The Netherlands during tulip season!

The Netherlands and Belgium April 2026

 We're back! I have a lot of information to share, including some info about using the new EES system (Entry Exit System) in the EU. I'll talk about that first for the people who will encounter that process soon. 

When we arrived in Amsterdam we were directed to kiosks to register for the EES system which involved scanning your passport (upside down and backwards), a photo without glasses, and a scan of the 4 fingers on your right hand. Mike of course was done in a jiffy but the scanner had a hard time with my fingerprints. It finally said I had successfully completed the process and we moved on to the passport control area.  There was a separate line for those who completed the registration process at the kiosk and, once again, Mike sailed right through (after answering four short questions on the scanner). The scanner unfortunately could not read my fingerprints again, even after multiple attempts, so I was sent off to the passport check line to see an immigration officer. This added about 45 minutes and even gave Mike enough time to walk down to the baggage claim and get our bags and then return to wait for me. 

I was talking to three other women in line and we decide that the scanner had a hard time reading our fingerprints because two of us worked in healthcare and spent years washing our hands multiple times a day and all of us had wished millions of dishes in our lifetime. I don't know if that was the real cause or not, but it gave us something to do while waiting in the line. When I finally reached the immigration officer he re-scanned my passport, took another photo and re-scanned my fingerprints. I had put on some hand lotion before reaching him so my hands were better hydrated, so try that if you have trouble with the system reading your fingerprints.  I was finally given the permission to go through and Mike and I headed to the rental car desk. The rental car was another time-consuming issue, but more about that in another post. 

When we left The Netherlands to fly home, I was dreading going through the EES system again and we had heard the horror stories of lines that were hours long at various airports. We arrived at the airport at 6:50 am for a 10:50 flight. Since we were flying first class, we were able to use the Delta Sky Priority lines to check-in and drop our bags which went quite quickly. The next stop was the security checkpoint. Schiphol Airport has an app where you can make an appointment for a 15 minute time slot to use a shorter security line. We  learned about that from talking to the Sheraton hotel staff at the airport. I had booked a 7:30 time slot but it was 7:10 at that point. The airport wasn't busy so the officer let us go ahead even though we were early. This put us in a line for the X-ray scanner that was shorter than the other lines, although the other lines were not super busy that early. Once through the X-ray scanner process, we moved on to the passport control area and luckily the scanner only required our passports and it took another photo- no fingerprints needed - hooray! So we were through the entire process in about an hour. I will say that the airport was significantly busier by 9am and the priority lines and time slot appt were definitely helpful. 

Our first stop upon returning to the USA was at Salt Lake City. We both have Global Entry for customs but I recently found out that Global Entry has an app where you can answer the customs questions ahead of time and snap a photo of yourself. When you land, you submit that information and the app gives you a receipt for a one hour time slot to go through customs in the Global Entry line but you do not stop at the kiosk first, you proceed directly to the customs officer with your receipt. You can include everyone traveling with you so you can go up together instead of separately. I feel that's very helpful because there aren't always enough kiosks and you can still get stuck in line waiting for one. We also had nothing to declare so that makes it easier as well. 

The Netherlands and Belgium for tulip time!

We are getting ready for a new trip in a couple of weeks! We're heading to the Netherlands and Belgium to see tulip fields, some picturesque villages and a couple of WWII sites.  This is probably the least amount of time I've ever had to plan a European trip, I normally research the destination for months and make a detailed plan with options and alternatives, etc. This time I don't even have the last three days booked for accommodations, we're going to see where we end up and then find a place. This is not my usual style but we may want to spend additional time somewhere and this gives us the freedom to do that. It all came about because Delta Airlines gave us e-credit vouchers for some flight changes that occurred on our last trip and the vouchers had to be used by the end of 2025 so we scrambled to decide where we wanted to go next. It did save us about $4500 though so that was awesome!

We have previously been to Amsterdam so we don't have much planned to see there, though I do want to visit the Rijksmuseum this time.  We will be going to the Keukenhof gardens and Kinderdijk and I'm hoping to get some nice photos of flowers and windmills. In Belgium we will visit Ghent, Bruges, Brussels, Dinant, and Bastogne. We're also making a day trip to Trier, Germany to see the Roman ruins there.  I'm not sure where we'll go after that but we talked about visiting Maastricht as well. 

I booked walking tours of Ghent, Bruges, and Brussels with a company I haven't used before but I've read many good reviews for them. The company is called WithLocals and you can choose your tour, the length and the private guide. The guides post a little info about themselves on the website so you can find one that suits your style/interests. I'm anxious to see how that goes. Hopefully we get great guides and learn a lot!