A hearty English breakfast, compliments of Maureen Hooson.
Baked beans, fried bread, fried eggs, bacon, and sausage. Mmmm!
Gingerbread persons for sale at the bakery.... not gingerbread men.
Me, Maureen and Grandson Harrison enjoying the Knaresborough market.
King's College Chapel in Cambridge.
(FYI: Did you know that Cambridge University is actually a union of 30+ individual colleges? Each with their own degrees, programs, admissions, housing, etc? There isn't one single Cambridge University)
Walking through the Jesus College
Punting on the River Cam ("Cam" + "Bridge" = Cambridge).
The Bridge of Sighs, from St. James' College
Austin punting
Me trying my hand at punting (notice how straight the boat was when Austin was punting in the photo above... now look at the boat when Angie starts punting...hmm...)
Me and Austin aboard the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk. Did we get to see those famous white cliffs? Nope.... there was too much fog.
Excited as a little school boy. On our way to France and Belgium!
La Bois de la Paix, or The Peace Woods, Bastogne, Belgium.
We followed some signs and stumbled upon this man-made forest. Some 4000 trees were planted in 1994 as a monument to peace. To read more about the project, visit http://voices.yahoo.com/the-peace-wood-oasis-quiet-remembrance-5314823.html?cat=16
It was a very touching visit.... probably one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. If you are ever near Bastogne, Belgium, you must come see this beautiful living monument.
There are several hundred of these stone slabs. Each has a name of a WWII veteran engraved on it.
Just 1/4 mile from the Peace Woods stands this monument. It honors the men from 101st Airborne Division Easy company for their bravery and sacrifice in the Battle of the Bulge. Finding this monument was a tender mercy for us... Austin and I have a great respect for the men from the Easy Company. Our lives were changed forever after watching HBO's "Band of Brothers", a series which follows the Easy company from the D-Day to the Battle of the Bulge and beyond. Austin had read several books about this company, so when we were planning this trip we felt very strongly about retracing their steps through Bastogne, La Bois Jacques, and Foy.
We love these men and are so grateful for their bravery and sacrifice. We have a great reverence for veterans, particularly those who fought in WWII.
La Bois Jacques, or Jack's Wood. The Easy company spent the winter of 1944 in these woods, trying to hold off the German offense. They endured severely cold temperatures, hunger and disease, not mention gunfire, bombs, etc.
The sign says that this land is a historical monument and is to be respected and remembered.
Remains of foxhole.
The green lumps you see in the foreground of the photo are the probably remains of trees that were blown to pieces during the near-constant gunfire and bombing that the Easy Company endured during that harsh winter.
This is sacred ground. When ya visit a place like this, you are reminded of the price of freedom. I'm grateful that someone other than me paid that price. Should the day came when our freedoms are jeopardized again, I pray that I will have the courage to stand up and face that fight. I will think of the Easy Company, and perhaps their memory will help me do the right thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment