Saturday, May 09, 2009
Happy (belated) Easter!
Yes, Easter was nearly a month ago, but I want to share these few photos anyway. The Easter Bunny was nice to the kids. They all received chocolate, new movies and temporary tattoos. Zachary also had a new watch waiting in his basket (his watches tend to last just about a year, and he feels lost without one so the EB obliges and regularly replaces them). MacKenzie discovered a rope necklace, and Benjamin found a “Cars” yo-yo. I think they all enjoyed their surprises. Benjamin had his pants leg rolled up since long pants “bothered” his knee -- or, in his words, his “scab is still healing.” He fell two days earlier while running to the pool and scraped it up pretty bad -- bad enough that we had to come home and tend to it rather than simply wiping it off and continuing with our plans to swim. He even went to church like that too. Also, MacKenzie’s wearing MY sandals in this photo! And yes, that’s a tree behind them -- our EASTER tree, decorated with EASTER eggs, EASTER garland and beaded crosses.
It took us a while to get around to dyeing our Easter eggs this year. Fortuantely, we had already boiled them (and baked/decorated cookies), so all we had to do was dye them. Zachary opted to not decorate any this year, which left more for MacKenzie, Benjamin and me. We had fun experimenting with the colors: more vinegar = brighter colors, less vinegar & more water = pastel colors. The kids have taken to eating boiled eggs, so we had nearly three dozen eggs to experiment with. I think they turned out magnificently this year!
However, we ran out of time to actually hide the eggs. Benjamin would remind me every few days that we still needed to have our Easter Egg Hunt. It ain’t gonna happen now. The (plastic) Easter eggs, the baskets, and even the tree are neatly stored in the garage until next year (well, the tree will come back out THIS year around Thanksgiving).Labels: Belgium, MacKenzie, Zachary
Friday, June 01, 2007
Veterans Day
On Veterans Day, we took a patriotic tour with the USO. Our first stop was the Luxembourg American Military Cemetery in Luxembourg City. Gen. George S. Patton is buried there, along with 5,076 U.S. soldiers. Patton's cross faces those of the soldiers buried there with him. Many of these Americans gave their lives in the “Battle of the Bulge” and in the advance on the Rhine.
It was a rainy and dreary day, which added to the somber mood. It was amazing to see so many crosses and stars of David representing fallen U.S. soldiers. This view is looking across the cemetery to the chapel, which is flanked by two large stone pylons showing granite maps with inscriptions recalling the achievements of the American armed forces in this region. The photo below is of MacKenzie in front of one of the pylons, on which the names of 371 missing soldiers are inscribed.
The Veterans Day ceremony was presided over by the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, complete with a full honor guard from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and a bagpipe player. It was very chilly, with mist blowing near-horizontal, so Zachary ended up pushing Benjamin in his stroller toward a more protected area out of the wind until the ceremony finished up.
From there we went to the Mardasson Memorial commemorating the Battle of the Bulge near Bastogne, Belgium. It was built in 1950 and stands as a token of gratitude by the Belgian population for the liberation of the country by the American Army and the Allies. The memorial is a five-pointed star representing the star of freedom. The points on the summit surround a circular gallery leading to scale models showing different stages of the battle, one in each point of the star. The names of the 48 states which then made up the United States are engraved on the crown. Around the outside, badges from the main battalions that participated in the Battle of the Saillant, can be found. The battle’s progression is explained in English and in ten paintings on the inner walls.
The Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16, 1944 - Jan. 28, 1945) was one of the largest battles in American history and perhaps Hitler’s greatest gamble. He believed this great German counteroffensive would divide the Allies and win the war in the West. Instead, the German Army, on the attack and vulnerable to the overwhelming superiority of American firepower, mobility, and small unit initiative, was defeated, and the Allies rolled across Central Europe and on to V-E Day.
A crypt was dug in the rock below the memorial as a reminder of the sacrifice made by the 76,890 Americans killed, injured or reported missing in the battle. Three richly-colored mosaic altars are dedicated to the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religions.
It was so cold, windy and misty that Benjamin didn’t want to uncover himself for even a moment of the tour, as is evident by this family shot in front of the memorial.
From there, we went in search of foxholes, and found quite a few! I had to chuckle when MacKenzie asked, “Where are all the foxes?” I had to explain the term “foxhole” so she understood that we weren’t traipsing through fox territory. One thing that made an impression on me as we walked through the woods was the subtle sound of tree branches snapping. The sound made me wonder what it must have been like for World War II soldiers laying low in those foxholes to hear the sounds of snapping branches. Or, worse yet, to be the enemy soldier walking through those woods and inadvertently stepping on a twig or branch. The sounds weren’t loud since everything was damp and wet from recent rains, but they were clear enough to be heard with each step.
After our foxhole hunt, we headed to a German pillbox. Pillboxes were small machine-gun bunker positions protected by hardened fortifications of steel-reinforced concrete, often camouflaged to conceal their locations and to maximize the element of surprise. This pillbox wasn’t very large, as is evident by the ceiling just above the kids' heads when they stood inside it.
Benjamin enjoyed running around it and peering through the machine-gun window to the inside. The inscription on this pillbox pays homage to Lt. Charles Boggess, whose tank was the first to break through the German line surrounding Bastogne and marks the location where, on Dec. 26, 1944, the 4th Armored Division of Gen. Patton’s 3rd Army met with the 101st Airborne Division, thus breaking the siege of Bastogne.
It was a rainy and dreary day, which added to the somber mood. It was amazing to see so many crosses and stars of David representing fallen U.S. soldiers. This view is looking across the cemetery to the chapel, which is flanked by two large stone pylons showing granite maps with inscriptions recalling the achievements of the American armed forces in this region. The photo below is of MacKenzie in front of one of the pylons, on which the names of 371 missing soldiers are inscribed.The Veterans Day ceremony was presided over by the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, complete with a full honor guard from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and a bagpipe player. It was very chilly, with mist blowing near-horizontal, so Zachary ended up pushing Benjamin in his stroller toward a more protected area out of the wind until the ceremony finished up.
From there we went to the Mardasson Memorial commemorating the Battle of the Bulge near Bastogne, Belgium. It was built in 1950 and stands as a token of gratitude by the Belgian population for the liberation of the country by the American Army and the Allies. The memorial is a five-pointed star representing the star of freedom. The points on the summit surround a circular gallery leading to scale models showing different stages of the battle, one in each point of the star. The names of the 48 states which then made up the United States are engraved on the crown. Around the outside, badges from the main battalions that participated in the Battle of the Saillant, can be found. The battle’s progression is explained in English and in ten paintings on the inner walls.The Battle of the Bulge (Dec. 16, 1944 - Jan. 28, 1945) was one of the largest battles in American history and perhaps Hitler’s greatest gamble. He believed this great German counteroffensive would divide the Allies and win the war in the West. Instead, the German Army, on the attack and vulnerable to the overwhelming superiority of American firepower, mobility, and small unit initiative, was defeated, and the Allies rolled across Central Europe and on to V-E Day.
A crypt was dug in the rock below the memorial as a reminder of the sacrifice made by the 76,890 Americans killed, injured or reported missing in the battle. Three richly-colored mosaic altars are dedicated to the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religions.It was so cold, windy and misty that Benjamin didn’t want to uncover himself for even a moment of the tour, as is evident by this family shot in front of the memorial.
From there, we went in search of foxholes, and found quite a few! I had to chuckle when MacKenzie asked, “Where are all the foxes?” I had to explain the term “foxhole” so she understood that we weren’t traipsing through fox territory. One thing that made an impression on me as we walked through the woods was the subtle sound of tree branches snapping. The sound made me wonder what it must have been like for World War II soldiers laying low in those foxholes to hear the sounds of snapping branches. Or, worse yet, to be the enemy soldier walking through those woods and inadvertently stepping on a twig or branch. The sounds weren’t loud since everything was damp and wet from recent rains, but they were clear enough to be heard with each step.
After our foxhole hunt, we headed to a German pillbox. Pillboxes were small machine-gun bunker positions protected by hardened fortifications of steel-reinforced concrete, often camouflaged to conceal their locations and to maximize the element of surprise. This pillbox wasn’t very large, as is evident by the ceiling just above the kids' heads when they stood inside it.Benjamin enjoyed running around it and peering through the machine-gun window to the inside. The inscription on this pillbox pays homage to Lt. Charles Boggess, whose tank was the first to break through the German line surrounding Bastogne and marks the location where, on Dec. 26, 1944, the 4th Armored Division of Gen. Patton’s 3rd Army met with the 101st Airborne Division, thus breaking the siege of Bastogne.
Labels: Belgium, Benjamin, Kid Quotes, Luxembourg, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary
Monday, March 05, 2007
Fun at Kassel-Lo
After our trek into downtown Brussels City, we decided to take the kids to a play park so they could burn off some energy (and our delicious and very filling Italian lunch). I have never seen anything like this before -- there were acres upon acres of nothing but forts, slides, swings and numerous other pieces of equipment for children of all ages. Benjamin surprised me the most with how adventuresome he was. He climbed across rope bridges and through rope tunnels and conquered the tallest slides, even climbing to the top on his own.I think Zachary liked this spinning contraption best. The adults took turns giving the kids a push -- think vertical merry-go-round with ropes to keep the kids enclosed.
The tire swings were fairly benign, but check out that fortress in the background behind Zachary. That was actually one of the smaller ones on the peripheral of the park.Benjamin didn’t let anything slow him down. If he saw an opportunity to climb, he took it. He wasn’t fazed when he lost his grip on the rope while pulling himself up this plank. Instead, he redoubled his efforts and made it to the top. No one had to show him how to do anything...he had it all figured out!
There was a water-play section of the park where the kids could pump the water, then watch it cascade down through various stages, including stopping at intermittent dikes. Zachary enjoyed manning the dike and releasing the water when there was enough to create a strong current.Benjamin and MacKenzie enjoyed the sand section. It was a very overgrown sandbox! It was like a working mine with the yellow carts to move sand from one area to another. MacKenzie and Shay worked with pulleys to bring sand to an upper level and release it back down below through a small tube.
Benjamin was really drawn to the slides though. I was impressed with how easily he climbed to the top of each slide...and that he preferred sliding head-first down even the tallest of slides! He could have stayed there all evening if I would have let him.
None of them were really ready to leave when dusk started settling in, so their waning energy levels worked in my favor.Talk about an ultimate place to play! I really wish we could find more parks and playgrounds like this, although I'm sure lawyers back in the states would have a field day with some of the equipment. But the kids enjoyed themselves, and I kept a careful eye on them. What fun!!
Labels: Belgium, Benjamin, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary
Sunday, March 04, 2007
More Friends in Brussels
After spending the afternoon with Ann, we drove a couple miles to visit friends from San Antonio who now live in the area. MacKenzie’s best friend from Kindergarten lives just outside Brussels, and the girls had hoped to get together one last time before Shay and her family moved back to the states. This was the perfect opportunity!The next day, Shay’s family took us on a short driving tour of the city before finding a park and exploring on foot. Here’s a photo of Cathédrale St. Michel (St. Michael Cathedral). We didn’t get to visit inside since Sunday services were ongoing, but we enjoyed seeing it from the outside nonetheless.
Below is the Royal Palace. It was built in the 18th century, then rebuilt under Leopold II when it became the official Royal Residence and the site of ceremonies and receptions. The flag flying above the palace indicates the king was onsite.
We saw several stoplights in the shape of hearts throughout downtown, which I thought was pretty neat. The waffle van parked on the other side of the light was interesting as well (think of musical ice cream trucks enticing young kids to a summertime treat!), and just goes to show how easy it is to find waffles in the city!
When we parked and began making our way downtown, we walked through a small market in Place Agora and the kids climbed over a statue of Mark Twain. Of course, MacKenzie had to sit where she could pet his dog.From there, we headed to lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant, where we enjoyed calzones, pizza and spaghetti. What’s neat about living in Europe is that anywhere we find an Italian restaurant, it’s run by Italians so the food is authentic...and awesome! This was no exception!!
After lunch, we headed just around the corner and into the Grand Platz. It was absolutely breathtaking. MacKenzie posed with Shay and Shelby with the Town Hall in the background. The Grand Platz was bombarded in 1695 by Louis XIV and was completely destroyed (except for the Town Hall). The citizens rebuilt the Grand Platz in less than five years to its current state of grandeur. The Gothic Town Hall itself was built in the 15th century. The right wing is younger and deliberately shorter, and is topped by a 90-meter belfry with a spire topped by the Archangel Saint Michael, the Patron Saint of Brussels.
The photo above shows the 17th century Houses of Corporations in the Grand Platz. If you look closely, you can see a Muslim lady wearing a black burka. I didn’t notice her until after I took this photo. Someone tried walking toward her to take a photo, but she covered her eyes (the only part of her, other than her hands, that was visible) then quickly turned away.Just off the Grand Platz is this statue of Jesus. Supposedly, it’s good luck to touch it, so Zachary picked up Benjamin so he could touch it just like the rest of us did. The photo below shows another view of the Grand Platz with the Maison du Roi (Museum of the City of Brussels) in the background.
A short walk down the street from the Grand Platz is the Manneken-Pis ("Little Man Piss"). This statue is Brussels oldest inhabitant, and symbolizes the town’s mocking and boisterous spirit. One legend is that in the 14th century Brussels was under siege by a foreign power. The city held its ground for quite some time, until the attackers thought of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Juliaanske from Brussels happened to be spying on them as they were preparing, and he urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city. MacKenzie wasn’t too thrilled about having her photo made in front of a peeing boy.
On our return walk, we all kept our eyes open for chocolate, and we definitely found a lot. Zachary and MacKenzie watched in awe through the Godiva window as the saleslady dipped strawberries in chocolate.We saw several towers of flowing chocolate. Zachary really wanted to dip his finger in the chocolate as it streamed down. I’m sure they all would have been more inclined to do so if there wasn’t a window separating them.
Our final stop was at Donetta’s favorite waffle shop. The waffles were very fresh and warm. Shay and I had ours topped in warm chocolate, which was the ultimate combination of Brussels' two famous treats: waffles and chocolate! Surprisingly, the other kids all opted for ice cream. It was a great opportunity to sit on the curb and enjoy our treats. I thought it was pretty funny that Benjamin was determined to eat his strawberry ice cream even though it was cold outside -- so cold that he needed to wear mittens to keep his hands warm!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXIf these last two posts aren’t enough to whet your appetite for chocolate, check out this link for a story profiling someone who makes Belgian chocolates. The story is the second from the bottom at http://www.afneurope.net//Article.asp?id=351836.
Labels: Belgium, Benjamin, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary
Saturday, March 03, 2007
In Search of Chocolate
About a month ago, I received an email from a PA friend, Ann, who had just returned from a deployment, sharing photos of her final days downrange. In her note, she mentioned that she was going to be TDY to Brussels, Belgium, for a NATO conference. After exchanging a few emails, we realized that Ann didn’t have extra time to head to Germany on this trip to visit us, so we decided to pack up and meet up with her on the final day of her conference. We only had a few hours together, but it was enough time to catch up on the past few years and to search out some delicious Belgian food -- namely Belgian waffles and Belgian chocolate.
There were waffle venders all over the place, just like pretzel venders in New York City! When we happened upon one selling chocolate-dipped waffles, we had to try some! But, our ultimate objective was to find a chocolate store...which wasn’t too difficult in Brussels since the city is known for its chocolate.
During our quest, we ducked inside a small shop for drinks. Ann and MacKenzie each couldn’t pass up having a glass of hot chocolate. Once MacKenzie’s cooled off, it was gone! I managed to get a small sip before she slurped the final drops from the bottom of the cup, and I understand why it didn’t last very long!
As we meandered the streets, we came across this unusual sign on the sidewalk. I’ve never seen one like it before, although it looks like a designated place for pooches to relieve themselves since there’s no slash through the circle. I’m not sure how well canines oblige though since I doubt they’re fully versed on local ordnances (if that’s indeed what it means).
In any case, it was very relaxing to stroll through the streets with Ann. The last time we saw each other, we were walking to and from the Pentagon with our eyes constantly scanning around us since the DC-sniper was still at large. It was definitely much more relaxing this time simply catching up and scanning for chocolate!
Benjamin, being an active three-year-old, opted to take his time, walk on every curb he could find, and meander back and forth across the sidewalks. He definitely reminds me of “Jeffy” in the “Family Circus” comic strips with his ability to find the longest route between points A and B…while discovering C through Z in the process. But, it was time for me to relax and catch up with Ann, so I didn’t mind.
And eventually, we found chocolate! We happened upon an awesome find: “Planete Chocolat” on Chocolate Row! It is actually three stores combined. When we headed inside, MacKenzie quickly began pointing out her preferences for purchase. Benjamin soon realized that I was actually going to do more than just look around the shop, so he began pleading his case as well. Zachary looked around, but opted not to chime in.
This stuff was absolutely delicious! The chocolates here are anything but your basic chocolates. The gourmet squares contain unusual flavorings such as kumquat, cinnamon, thyme, and -- my personal favorite – violet. My friend Carie brought me a box of samples from the same shop when she was there a couple months ago, so I immediately knew to search out the violet chocolates. Added bonus is that this variety is made with dark chocolate (my favorite!), so it doesn’t get much better than that! Of course, I bought a bag!!
We could have easily spent the rest of the afternoon in there savoring the samples. Just look at all the multitude of scrumptious-looking treats! Surprisingly, Benjamin didn’t select chocolate, but instead went right to the gummi’s. These were fruit-shaped, and very soft and delicious -- very gourmet. They were so good, I hardly wanted to let him have many since I don’t think he fully appreciated how delicious they were! But, I relented since they were his choice purchase.
Don’t Benjamin's gummi’s look enticing? They were very soft and tasted just like the fruit that they were shaped as.
After contributing greatly to Planete Chocolat’s profit margin for the day, we headed back to the hotel...again, with the kids meandering along the way. Here they all hopped up on a curb surrounding a dry fountain in front of the Royal Théâtre de la Monnaie. It was a perfect opportunity for them to burn off some energy after the five-hour van ride!
There were waffle venders all over the place, just like pretzel venders in New York City! When we happened upon one selling chocolate-dipped waffles, we had to try some! But, our ultimate objective was to find a chocolate store...which wasn’t too difficult in Brussels since the city is known for its chocolate.During our quest, we ducked inside a small shop for drinks. Ann and MacKenzie each couldn’t pass up having a glass of hot chocolate. Once MacKenzie’s cooled off, it was gone! I managed to get a small sip before she slurped the final drops from the bottom of the cup, and I understand why it didn’t last very long!
As we meandered the streets, we came across this unusual sign on the sidewalk. I’ve never seen one like it before, although it looks like a designated place for pooches to relieve themselves since there’s no slash through the circle. I’m not sure how well canines oblige though since I doubt they’re fully versed on local ordnances (if that’s indeed what it means).In any case, it was very relaxing to stroll through the streets with Ann. The last time we saw each other, we were walking to and from the Pentagon with our eyes constantly scanning around us since the DC-sniper was still at large. It was definitely much more relaxing this time simply catching up and scanning for chocolate!
Benjamin, being an active three-year-old, opted to take his time, walk on every curb he could find, and meander back and forth across the sidewalks. He definitely reminds me of “Jeffy” in the “Family Circus” comic strips with his ability to find the longest route between points A and B…while discovering C through Z in the process. But, it was time for me to relax and catch up with Ann, so I didn’t mind.
And eventually, we found chocolate! We happened upon an awesome find: “Planete Chocolat” on Chocolate Row! It is actually three stores combined. When we headed inside, MacKenzie quickly began pointing out her preferences for purchase. Benjamin soon realized that I was actually going to do more than just look around the shop, so he began pleading his case as well. Zachary looked around, but opted not to chime in.This stuff was absolutely delicious! The chocolates here are anything but your basic chocolates. The gourmet squares contain unusual flavorings such as kumquat, cinnamon, thyme, and -- my personal favorite – violet. My friend Carie brought me a box of samples from the same shop when she was there a couple months ago, so I immediately knew to search out the violet chocolates. Added bonus is that this variety is made with dark chocolate (my favorite!), so it doesn’t get much better than that! Of course, I bought a bag!!
We could have easily spent the rest of the afternoon in there savoring the samples. Just look at all the multitude of scrumptious-looking treats! Surprisingly, Benjamin didn’t select chocolate, but instead went right to the gummi’s. These were fruit-shaped, and very soft and delicious -- very gourmet. They were so good, I hardly wanted to let him have many since I don’t think he fully appreciated how delicious they were! But, I relented since they were his choice purchase.
Don’t Benjamin's gummi’s look enticing? They were very soft and tasted just like the fruit that they were shaped as.After contributing greatly to Planete Chocolat’s profit margin for the day, we headed back to the hotel...again, with the kids meandering along the way. Here they all hopped up on a curb surrounding a dry fountain in front of the Royal Théâtre de la Monnaie. It was a perfect opportunity for them to burn off some energy after the five-hour van ride!
Labels: Belgium, Benjamin, MacKenzie, Travel, Zachary
