Our hotel/B&B is lovely, owners are very informative and friendly, enough room in our suite to spread out, IKEA furnishings, it is on the outskirts of town so is very quiet unless the farmers decide to work at night, morning birds are very happy, chipper and loud, breakfast is European fare of boiled eggs, expensive deli style meats, variety of breads, coffee, juice, cereal, fruit and yogurt.I found it amusing that the local zoo has a raccoon exhibit. Europe does not have those little masked devils in the wild.
Valkenburg is very charming, but becomes touristy in the summer months. There are many activities to enjoy and it is a wonderful area for families. The center of town host multiple outdoor cafes, variety of fantastic restaurants and interesting shops. There is also a small amusement park.
We went all touristy and checked out all the sights and sites. <dang the english language, lol
Items I am listing below are in no particular order of our activities this week.
- We had lunch at IKEA in Heerlen for the fun of it. I love IKEA.
- Saw Schaloen Castle, which was very majestic but also homey with the cows roaming in front. You can have lunch in the restaurant there and you can also spend the night. However you have to supply your own linens. Really?
- We ate
- We enjoyed a day of riding a small train through the City Caves, however it would have been much more interesting, had I known what they were saying, as the dialogue was only in Dutch. My favorite part was at the end, when we were able to walk down further into the caves and enjoy a musical light show. Most the songs were in English, so I was able to sing along. Yea, I thought I was hot stuff at that moment. LOL
- We drove through Aachen, Germany to get an impression of it and my impression was it is extremely large and busy. It is a college town, with too much traffic for me to feel comfortable in. Han says we will go back and visit the inner city which is nice. It is definitely noticeable the change in homes and architecture when crossing over into Germany. You would not think so, but it was notable to me.
- We did quite a bit of walking through Valkenburg, eating amazing food and sitting outside in cafes watching the world go by.
- I purchased a dark brown leather fringe purse. It is quite hippyish and I love it. I want to purchase at least one article of vintage clothing in each country (or town) we visit.
- We had a lovely dinner on Friday the 27th with Eef and Marlies. Han was extremely happy since he was able to have his fill of white asparagus. This was the first time meeting any of Han’s family in Europe. It was different because of their limited english and my non-existent dutch, but it was a very nice time and I enjoyed their company. Their home has remained in the family and was where Han was raised and lived until he grew up and moved away. It took me quite by surprise that this petite home had housed five boys and parents. I fell in love with it since I have a thing for smaller homes, however the winding staircase is a bit intimidating.
- Saturday the 28th we went to the countryside of Jabeek, Netherlands to have dinner with Jos and Ria (another brother and wife). He is an artist and his gallery is next to their home with the most beautiful large garden in between. It is so serene and peaceful. I seldom drink wine anymore, but we all had a pleasant tipsy time together and Jos’s meal was delicious and quite gourmet. Their home, an old square farmhouse, is a work of art itself and just pulls you in with it’s cozy feeling. I felt instantly part of the group and conversations were easy and fun. Lots of joking, Han playing guitar, with Jos singing and Ria and I gazing at our men who used to be in a band together. Ria pulled out old newspaper clippings and they all reminisced about their younger years. We hated to part, but tiredness set in quite suddenly.
- Sunday the 29th, found us back over at Eef and Marlies to have a barbecue and to meet their oldest daughter and two grandchildren. To say that there was enough meat on the grill and table to feed a small army is not an exaggeration. Lots of laughter, talking, silliness and excellent food was the agenda today.
- Visited the midwife hospital where Han was born, which has now been turned into stores and retirement apartments. It is a beautiful grand old building with lovely gardens.
- We visited the cemetery where Han’s parents were laid to rest. I have never seen so many ornate and artistic headstones in one area. I happened to see a little old lady in a wheelchair sitting by her husband’s site and it really touched my heart how she would reach out every so often to touch his resting place.
- We rented a car in Brussels and Han is finally getting his share of driving. It is actually quite nice to sit back and be the observer. Besides these people drive even faster and possibly worse than in the states and that is really saying something.
- There are machine dispensers along country roads and in towns, where you can purchase fruit, warm snacks and even wine. Try one out, they are very unique.
- There is an abundance of countryside and horses are everywhere. I have never seen such a variety of horses and cows before. I am still waiting to hug a baby cow. They are so darn cute.
- On Memorial Day Monday we set out to visit the American World War II cemetery i
On Memorial Day we visited the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in the hills of Margraten near Maastricht. It was a dreary rainy day and basically fit our days outing. I did not figure that seeing the vast amount of white crosses across the 65.50 acres of land would bring tears to my eyes, but it did. There are 8301 soldiers of WW2 laid to rest here and another 1722 engraved names upon the wall of missing in action soldiers. It caused me to have a lump in my throat from appreciation but also sadness for the families who’s soldiers were not able to be returned home.Each and every grave is decorated with flowers and flags and lovingly taken care of by Dutch families. There is a waiting list of 100+ Dutch families wanting to adopt a fallen soldiers grave. It is considered an honor here and I find it beyond touching, revealing and humbling.To the Dutch, the Americans were liberators and to this day they pay tribute in this loving tender way.
Hints and Tips:
• Contact your bank before traveling to ensure proper use of your debit or credit cards. Leave an exact list of countries you’re planing to visit.
• Exchange some handy money at the airport before leaving. Banks no longer exchange currency.
• Drink lots of water to help with jet lag. It won’t eliminate it but it encourage your body to work more efficiently.
• Don’t refrain from trying local foods, as you will be missing out on the complete experience of travel.
• Go to the store and purchase a pillow when you arrive. Most hotels have horrible pillows. So far, it has been the best 26.00 dollars I have spent.
• Bring along a small shopping bag, as you have to supply your own shopping bags when purchasing items in supermarkets, especially groceries. Otherwise you will be paying extra. I think the US should also make this mandatory. Saves so much waste.
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