We saw lots of rolling countryside and we commented that everything was so green! And I don't think that was just because we live in the desert.
On the way we stopped in Luxembourg. All the tour guides were locals and the one in Luxembourg had a marvelous sense of humor. Most of our tour mates were from the U.S. The guide instructed us on the source of our country's problems. When America was settled, they started growing tobacco and everybody smoked. We won our independence and two World Wars. Everything was going well. Then in the 70's Americans quit smoking. And there you have it. Things have been going downhill ever since.
I think I remember this building held the government offices.
And was guarded by what he described as 1/10 of the military.
We also visited the American Cemetery and Memorial honoring Americans who lost their lives during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
It was an emotional experience for us all. Over 5000 American military casualties are buried there.
Although General Patton didn't die during that battle, he is also buried here.
I just stumbled in here. Enjoying your take on bits of Europe.
ReplyDeleteAnd did you know...? Out in front of Notre Dame, there is a spot from which all distances to the rest of France are measured? It's not easy to find either, but we found it after a couple tries.
Or how about, on this side of the pond, it's not called the "Battle of the Bulge", even though as Canadians and Americans that's what we call it? (Battle of the Ardennes.)
I can certainly imagine that the driving in Paris is a bit of a shocker. But like you say, they don't seem to crash into each other. It's almost like there's a heightened sense of awareness or skill level that doesn't seem to be that common in North America. I guess we figure we got our big ole SUVs and that should be good enough.
Nice to see you enjoyed your visit.
Forgot to mention.
ReplyDeleteWe've seen padlocks on bridges and such in other cities (Ljubljana comes to mind), and it's always been a mystery. That is, up until just a minute ago when I did a search.
love padlocks
Some of the locks we saw were quite expensive. I suppose it's more permanent than flowers?
I knew Patton was buried abroad, but no idea it was in Luxembourg -- learned another thing thanks to a blogger :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad you are out of the heat for a while. And I'm enjoying your European trip and photos.
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