End of the Road: Belgium, Luxembourg and Final days in Europe

Well, its hard to, believe that six weeks have flown by. It seems like only a week ago I was flying out of Houston. Now Im back home in the U.S. and enjoying good ol' American food. Its good to be back.
But all that aside, heres what we have been up to.

Germany
Although we spent the least amount of time there, Germany has been a great place to visit. We were staying in the Saarland (Western part of Germany; close the border of France) and if you didn't know any better you might think that you had stepped into the Texas Hill Country (minus the fact that its been raining almost everyday and the temperature on average 50's-60's, high 70's). Otzenhausen, the town in which were staying, is incredibly small and is surrounded by these green hills and, judging from some of the locals, makes an ideal place for old people to retire to.

The close proximity to France here gives the academy there a unique purpose. After WWII, the mutual hatred between the French and Germans hindered relations between the two countries. The new generation of French and German students after the war didn't understand the continual bitterness and therefore tried to find ways of interacting with one another across borders. Thus the academy was created for Germans and French alike to come together at the table and interact with one another. Institutions such as this have no doubt been a had huge significance in easing Post-War hatred felt by each country.

Belgium: Bastogne and the Ardennes 
Our first field trip from Germany was to Belgium and the city of Bastogne.

The Ardennes Offensive was Hitler's last gamble against the Western Allies. Under complete secrecy Hitler committed his last reserves to driving the Allies back and capturing the port of Antwerp. The Germans caught the Allies completely by surprise, sending them back into France from the German border. The timing of the offensive was right upon the onset of winter, when the weather grounded the Allied Air Forces.

Bastogne was significant in that it was one of the few places that the American forces (most notably the 101st Airborne) were able to hold up a successful defense. Conditions were not favorable for the American defenders. They did not have proper winter gear, had little food and almost ammunition. The German offensive had encircled the city as well, thus preventing any flow of American reinforcements and supplies in and wounded out. Yet in spite of this the Americans dug into the Ardennes. For 40 days, the US lost 500 men a day in holding the city. But even with these casualties the Americans endured, and held off the German from capturing Bastogne.

There are two things that I really enjoyed about this field trip. First, we actually got to see the foxholes that the American defenders (famously Easy Company from Band of Brothers) used. Walking through the Ardennes was like stepping into history almost as unique as Omaha Beach was. It was walking upon the same ground that American soldiers, many the same age as myself, fought and died for liberty almost 70 years ago.

Secondly, our tour guide was a local of Bastogne and was 9 years old during the Battle of the Bulge. He had seen the German occupation in 1940, the Americans liberation in 1944, and now saw what looked like the Germans return. Civilians were no exception to the fighting around Bastogne. While trying to melt snow for water, his father was killed by shrapnel from an exploding artillery shell.

More significant to me is the insight he provided about Belgian views of the Germans. When I asked him what the reaction of the Belgians were once the German offensive reached Bastogne he said it was unanimous disappointment. When I asked him to elaborate he replied with this:

"We HATED the Germans. From childhood we were brought up even in schools to hate the Germans because at the time, they were the occupiers."

I just thought it was a very interesting look at the legacy of the war for some people.

Luxembourg
Our visit to Luxembourg was very similar to Bastogne. The museum there we visited was administered by locals from the area. Our tour guide's parents had both been children during the Nazi occupation which added a lot to the tour. What was really cool was that a lot of the exhibits in the museum were donated by the locals. Anything from helmets to machine guns and mortars were found around the area (and there are still probably more that have not been found yet.) Our tour guide talked about when he was in elementary school he and his friend found these wooden river buoys one day and took them to school to trade with their friends. Come to find out, they were actually river mines. Fortunately the explosives had corroded and fallen out before he found them.

After the museum and spending some time in Luxembourg City, we went to the American cemetery outside of the city. This cemetery is probably most famous for it being the resting place of General Patton.

Ft. Hackenburg and Rhine River Cruise
Our last field trip was the French border to the Maginot Line. Built between the two World Wars, this extensive defense line was built by the French to prevent any attack by the Germans from the East. The Maginot line itself wasn't really designed to win a war, rather just hold off any attack long enough for the French Army to mobilize and get to the border.

Loading breech for a cannon inside 

Because the tunnels are so extensive we spent two hours inside, seeing the ammunition stores, troops quarters and all the separate parts of the fort. we had to take a small trolly rail to see the second part of our tour. We got to see how a lot of the turrets and defenses were operated which was really cool. Because the fort is underground, the temperature inside is substantially lower. Fortunately we had jackets, otherwise the tour could have been miserable. But the cold damp air did kind of mess with my lungs a little bit. But don't worry, I survived.

We left Otzenhausen two days later for Frankfurt. Instead of taking a bus the whole way, we took a river boat up the Rhine towards the city. The cruise was really enjoyable. There are plenty of small villages along the river, as well as numerous castles which were really cool to see. Fortunately the weather had cleared up and it was a beautiful day for being on the river.

By the time we got off of the boat we only had an hour bus ride to Frankfurt. I fell asleep on the way in so I missed a lot of the scenery of Frankfurt. But oh well.

Since it was our last night in Europe we all went to eat as a group. After that we all went back the hotel and just kind of did our own thing. I had to catch a shuttle to the airport at 5 so it was a short night for me. And after a very long day of flying, we made it back to the good ol' U.S. of A.

Conclusion
                                      "I have not told half of what I saw” Marco Polo

I feel like I can connect with Marco Polo here in that even with words and pictures, I can never fully describe everything I have seen or experienced on my trip to you.

This trip was an experience of a lifetime. Seeing so many new places and all of the historical sites there have made memories that I know I will not forget. I wish I could adequately describe how memorable this trip has been.

I have walked along the same ramparts as William the Conqueror. I've stood at the beaches, bridges, and cliffs that American, British, and Canadian soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, parachuted into darkness over France, and scaled the the cliffs of Point du Hoc. I've sat in the same foxholes as American soldiers fought from in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. I've even stood at the top of the Eiffel Tower and seen the lights of Paris from 896 feet above the ground.

In all, I feel like my time in Europe opened my eyes to history in a new way. I used to think World War II as being an ocean way, on some distant battlefield. But after seeing the battlefields and even talking with the few people I did that were alive during the war, I have a whole new outlook. For them the war was having your town or village occupied by the Germans, your home destroyed from bombs or artillery, or even a family member killed just because they were caught in the crossfire. The horror of war was not an ocean away, but right outside. It affected everyone, civilians and soldiers alike. Its the legacy of both World Wars that gives war a bitter taste in the mouth of many Europeans (especially the French).

Well, that about sums it all up. Thanks for all of you that have continued to follow along with my trip and for checking up on me while I was away.

-Kyle Machen

Paris, Verdun, and finally...Germany!

Hey everybody! Hope all is well back home. We just got in to Germany not too long ago and have settled into our rooms for the next few days. We just had an amazing dinner and Im afraid I may drop into a food coma if I don't hurry up and get through this so here we go...

Paris
Although it pained me to leave the beautiful St. Malo, our time in Paris was a blast. We could see the Eiffel Tower from our hotel (which was about a 15 minute walk) so being right in the center of things was great.
After we settled into our rooms, a group of us left to go see the tower and the surrounding sights by our hotel. It was quite a bit of walking but well worth it.

First, we checked out the tower. As the iconic symbol of Paris and France, the place was booming with tourists. As a result, there were plenty of gypsies around trying to sell their contraband souvenirs. It was annoying, but also very entertaining to watch them sprint away in every direction when Police officers arrived. The coolest part of the tower however was at night. In addition to being lit up, every hour addition lights begin flashing sporadically for a 5 minute period (giving the effect that the tower is 'glittering').

In addition to seeing the tower we also saw the Palais de Challot, the site where Hitler (following the surrender of France) posed for his famous picture in front of the Eiffel Tower. A grim reminder that 71 years ago this active and lively city was just coming under the dark cloak of occupation.

Next we walked to the Arc de Triomphe, which commemorates Napoleon, his armies, and their victories in similar fashion to a Roman Arc. The sculpture and detail on the monument is fascinating to behold. In his day, Napoleon had many of the streets of Paris were rerouted to pass around the arc, making it central to Parisian life.

Days 2-3: Walking tour, the Louvre & Versailles 
The next two days were full of sight seeing.
Day 2- began with a walking tour of the city's WWII history. Our tour guide was an American from California so we had no trouble understanding what he was saying. He provided a whole lot of insight on what life was like in Paris during the German occupation. One interesting fact was that Hitler ordered explosives set on all the major monuments and buildings so that once the Allies got close the Germans could destroy the city as they retreated. Obviously the city's famous monuments were not destroyed by the Germans due mostly to the refusal of the Germans to do so.

Our tour guide for the walking tour of WWII

Our walking tour ended at Notre Dame, where the group was dismissed to do our own thing. Since we were close by, we decided to hit up the Louvre. Fortunately our guide told us about this little known stairwell that allowed you to bypass the large line waiting to get to the ticket area. We didn't really want to see the whole thing, so we went to the Mona Lisa and then viewed all the Greco-Roman sculptures. There was also a wing devoted to the apartments of Napoleon III which was really cool to see what the palace was like when he lived there.

Mona Lisa

Augustus (my favorite of the Roman Emperors)

Day 3- Since a group had gone the day before, we decided to take the subway outside of Paris to the Palace at Versailles.

First off, it would be more appropriate to call this a city rather than a palace. Everything you would ever need was pretty much there. While it does appear to be nothing more than an expression of opulence, the palace itself was more of a political tool. Having been frightened by a riot in Paris as a young child, Louis XIV moved his residence from the Louvre to the hunting chateau, where he greatly expanded it to the 700 room structure you see today. In order to consolidate his power as an absolute monarch, he used Versailles almost like a country club (only those who swore an oath of allegiance to him could get in). So while it does seem over the top for our standards, you have to realize it was all a ploy by Louis to get the nobles. Because of its shear size we did not see all of the gardens but the parts we did see were amazing.

Fountain at the head of the Gardens

The Hall of Mirrors (where some of the most important decisions leading to the Great Wars were made)

We took the train back to town and, after wandering around a bit, found Notre Dame. Although the line was really long we made it inside in about 5 minutes. What was really neat was that they were conducting a mass during that time, so the entire cathedral was filled with the songs of a choir and congregation. The smell of incense however was very potent so we didn't spend too much time in there.

Notre Dame during evening mass

It doesn't sound like it, but trust me they were 2 very full days with lots of walking involved. All in all, Paris was a blast.

Departing from France/Verdun
After a great couple of weeks, we have finally left France for good. But we could not leave the country without first visiting the WWI memorial at Verdun. Although it was a major battle of the war, Verdun itself served no real strategic purpose. The Germans attacked the French there because they knew it was a city in which they would have to fight for. Because of this, the Germans aimed to "bleed the French white" (destroy as much of the French Army as possible, regardless of loss). Although the French ultimately succeeded in driving back the Germans, there was no real victor as both sides suffered horrendous casualties (306,000 total dead).

Bones piled in chambers at the Ossuary at Verdun. By the time the battle ended these were all that remained of some of the men who had perished there. A very grim symbol of an extremely morbid and macabre battle

Verdun is a symbol of the horror of war. It was this horror that made the French convinced that WWI was truly the war to end war. It was a hell on earth, where life and youth perished in the inferno of artillery barrages (the blast craters are still there in large numbers). It was madness. And while Verdun and WWI are not part of of the course, one cannot fully understand the events and causes that led to the Second World War.

Germany
After our somber visit to Verdun we got back on the road to Germany. I awoke from a nap to find the green tree covered hills had a surprisingly similar resemblance to parts of the Texas Hill Country (sorta reminding of home).

By far the best part of Germany thus far: the food. After weeks of eating the SAME, EXACT, stuff EVERY, SINGLE day in France, we have finally come to a place where the food is both good and filling. Our meal tonight was pretty much a German BBQ: two types of sausage, pork chops, turkey breast and a variety of salads, bread, pastas, and potatoes. I don't think a word was hardly spoken at dinner because everyone was stuffing there face with this delicious food.

Because we are in the final weeks of our study abroad our primary focus is to finish out the classes strong. I'll do my best to update you all on Bastogne and the Ardennes as well as the remaining field trips we have but understand that if you dont notice a new blog for a while its because I am busy working on the school work.

Well thats all for now!