Antwerp, Belgium

From Paris, we stopped in Brussels only long enough to change trains and come to Antwerp. We were here on the recommendation of the Geisens' neighbor in Gaeta, who had related stories to us about Antwerp's pub culture. That was all the convincing we beer aficionados needed.

Antwerp is, naturally, a city on a much smaller scale than Paris, and therefore much more relaxing. The city is more friendly, but not without a snag here or there; we were quite surprised to be told that ATMs in Belgium are few and far between, so our normal method of obtaining the local currency would not work here. Fortunately, we had on hand a few US $100.00 bills (universally accepted currency) for just such an eventuality and there was an exchange window at the train station. This was certainly not what we expected in the home of the world's first stock market!

After a short walk from the station toward the water to our hotel, we ventured out into the Ould Stadt (Old City) of Antwerp. There's a massive cathedral, although only half as massive as it was once intended to be (more on that later) amidst a maze of winding streets and alleyways. There weren't too many people out for the evening, either Belgians or tourists, which may have been attributable to a dioxin scare (Belgian livestock were given tainted food). We bypassed the issue with a sumptuous mussel dinner, followed by an evening spent tasting various Trappist ales at a nearby and very friendly pub.

Our next day began at the Rockoxhuis, a museum which was once the home of Mr. Rockox, a former mayor of Antwerp and a friend of Antwerp's most famous son, Peter Paul Rubens. This small house contained a number of paintings and furnishings from that era. We then returned to the cathedral, the Onze Lieve Vrouwekathedraal, where we caught a guided tour in English that was very informative about the art and architecture of the cathedral. The highlights of the tour were two Rubens triptychs, The Raising of the Cross and The Descent from the Cross. The guide gave us a very informative lecture on the significance of the paintings in both the religious and artistic worlds. We also learned that the cathedral's façade is asymmetrical for a reason; at one point the whole thing was meant to be doubled, with a mirror image cathedral constructed right next to the current one. Alas, the funds set aside for this project were instead used to rebuild the church after a fire.

We couldn't leave Belgium without sampling some waffles, so our last stop in town was a sidewalk café serving a delicious whipped cream and chocolate creation that may, in fact, have actually had a waffle (or two!) hidden within it. If lunch was was to be chocolate and whipped cream, what should dessert be? Beer, of course! After lingering over a couple of local brews, we hit a small snag; while the café had a MasterCard/Visa sign posted, their machine was not actually working, and we had not enough Belgian currency to pay for our meal. The café's owner also turned out to be the only man in Antwerp who didn't speak English. Eventually we arrived at a solution involving a US twenty dollar bill, and we were able to take our leave of Antwerp, and Belgium, and get on our way to Amsterdam.

Paris, France, part 2

My mother and sister were taking their own trip around Europe, and all four of us arrived in Paris on my mother's birthday, so naturally, we had to meet for dinner. Fortunately, things had changed somewhat since our last visit to Paris; the Metro strike was now over, although the museum strike was still in effect. It was now much easier to get around, but there was still a severe limitation on what we could expect to see.


The four of us had a pleasant dinner at a restaurant near their rented apartment, which they invited us to share that night. Even without enough beds, it must have been comfortable as we were able to sleep in before venturing out for breakfast from a local crêpe stand. Resolute in our desire to not take Paris lying down, we ventured out for a walk to see the sights, even if the strike meant they could only be seen from the outside. We set off along the Champs-Elysées in a light intermittent rain, window shopping our way to the Hôtel des Invalides. Surprise of surprises, it was open for business! It took us a while of course to figure that out, but once we did, we toured the war museum's collection of artifacts depicting French military history, including, of all things, Napoleon's horse and dog (stuffed, of course). The last stop at the Hôtel des Invalides is Napoleon's tomb, a really massive marble sarcophagus at the center of a gallery honoring French military leaders.


Another surprise awaited us at the Champ de Mars: the Eiffel Tower was also open! (So now you're thinking, "Just what kind of a strike is this, anyway?" as we were. It seems that the strikers realized that there would be rioting among the tourists if everything was shut down, so they took it upon themselves to open certain attractions on certain days in an unpredictable and unannounced schedule. We just happened to get lucky.) Due to the strike, there was no line to get in, either, so we were quickly whisked up to the top observation level. Rain came and went, but after the heaviest downpour it subsided, leaving us with a spectacularly clear view.

Our next activity was a Bateaux-Mouche (marque deposée) tour on the river for another perspective on the city's monuments. Unfortunately, soon after we boarded, the dark clouds rolled in and the rain came down again, forcing us to the lower deck for cover. However, a short while later we were rewarded with a brilliant rainbow arcing over the Seine as we passed by decorated buildings and bridges.

On the day of our departure from Paris, we discovered that we couldn't make reservations on any train earlier that the 14:55 to Brussels, so that's what we took. We stored our bags at the station and set off to see our last Parisian sight, Sacre-Coeur. We toured the church and took in the panoramic view of Paris from the steps before returning to the station, retrieving our bags, and setting off for Belgium.

Bayeux, France, part 2

Having been dropped off at our hotel after our Normandy tour, we walked over to the Bayeux Museum of the Normandy Invasion, which housed very detailed displays of actual newspapers, communiqués, letters and even propaganda leaflets from the invasion. As is my style, I went through the displays in depth while Hannah napped in a chair. Eventually I realized that there is just too much in Normandy to see in one visit, and we agreed to return.

After touring historical sites and museums all day it was time to indulge Hannah's wishes. Next stop: the laundromat! Actually, it was high on my list, too, as we were both eager to lose that funky smell we'd picked up around Barçelona.

With one day left before the 55th anniversary of D-Day, we cast ourselves further back in time to another invasion, this one in the other direction. We visited the famous Bayeux Tapestry, the 900 year old, 70 meter long embroidered tapestry that depicts William the Conqueror's invasion and conquest of England in 1066. The gallery has the whole tapestry hung along the wall and an audio guide provides commentary in the form of a narrative paralleling the narrative of the tapestry. The tapestry itself is in remarkable condition considering its age, and the whole presentation is compelling.

From there, off we went by bus to the nearby city of Caen and the Memorial: Un Musée pour la Paix. While it has an emphasis on World War II, the museum's goal is to show the context of that war within the entire twentieth century. As such, the museum is arranged chronologically to show all of the major events of the century in a broad, sweeping vista. For me, the highlight was "Hope," a very moving retrospective film of the past 100 years.

After some time spent walking the grounds of the museum, including the Canadian and American memorial gardens, we headed into the city of Caen for a look around. Before the rain picked up, we got a look at the Church of St. Jean, Caen's answer to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Like the tower, it was built on unstable ground, and the bombardment of Caen during WWII didn't help matters any. During its post-war restoration, the church was stabilized, but it's got a permanent list.

Our last day in Normandy was also the 55th anniversary of D-Day, and while the whole region was aflutter with commemorative activities, we went to the Baron Gerard Museum to view his collection of lace, porcelain and paintings. We were among very few visitors to the museum, as everyone else for miles around was preparing for parades and observances. As we left the museum, we walked to Bayeux's central square, where vehicles were assembling for a parade later in the day. There were lots of Jeeps in excellent condition, fully outfitted with tools, radios, rifles and even .30 caliber machine guns. There were also trucks, vintage cars and an amphibious jeep. The owners of these vehicles were dressed in authentic uniforms; 1st Infantry, 82nd and 101st Airborne, British, French, and I think I even saw some German uniforms. ("Sorry, Jacques, it's your turn in the bad guy suit this year.")

Our schedule didn't permit us to stay for the parade, as we were to meet my mother and sister in Paris.

Normandy, France

Our tour of the Normandy beaches was a great thrill for me, as it allowed me to visit so many places I'd read about and always wanted to see.

Our tour driver, a woman named Crystal, picked us up at our hotel in her van, and then we collected another couple, and that would prove to be the whole tour group. Our first stop was the legendary Pointe du Hoc, where wrecked German gun emplacements still have a commanding view of the Channel. While we were there, we got to see current U.S. Army Rangers recreating the assault on the cliffs of D-Day morning. They were practicing for a commemorative event at the anniversary ceremonies two days hence. Hannah overheard one of the Rangers say to another at the top, "Now imagine doing that with people shooting at you." Next, we stopped for a close view of Omaha Beach and the German bunkers overlooking it. It was hard to imagine that peaceful seaside resort town as the scene of such violence.

The American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer is actually American territory on the European mainland, given to the U.S. by France in gratitude. Realizing that Colleville is only one of fourteen cemeteries that all together hold only 40% of the Allied dead, it is easy to see what they are so grateful for. Row upon row of graves, as far as the eye can see, and it's only one fourteenth of forty percent?

The next to last stop on the tour was Longues sur Mer, a German artillery position, the only one with the guns (now disabled, of course) still in place, left there since they were captured.

Our final stop was the seafront town of Arromanches, where the British built their prefabricated Mulberry Harbour for the offloading of supplies in the days after the initial invasion. Ruins of the piers and breakwater are still visible, and there is a small museum showing a diorama of the harbour, as well as a variety of artifacts of the invasion. All day long, we had seen restored military vehicles driving about, and here at the museum's parking lot they had informally assembled. Jeeps, deuce and a halfs, ambulances, even tanks, all were amazingly well preserved and on open display by their owners. It was just a small taste of what it must have looked like around here just after liberation. Regrettably, we couldn't stay too long before we were driven back to our hotel in Bayeux.

Bayeux, France

Bayeux would prove to be a complete change of pace from Paris. Whereas Paris was chaotic and dirty, Bayeux was clean and refreshing. We were very fortunate to secure a room at the Lion D'Or, especially since we were there during the few days leading up to the 55th anniversary of the most exciting event in local history, the D-Day Invasion.

The city of Bayeux is charming, and our hotel was a short walk from the train station, so we were able to enjoy the warm weather and the scenery on our way. While checking in at our hotel, we flipped through their guest book to see that our accommodations had been shared by President Eisenhower and Prince Charles, among others. After that, another walk around town to take in the sights and make tour reservations for our trip to Normandy the next day.