In Flanders Fields

Well, as usual my plans of daily postings have come to naught, but things have been busy. Paris was great, as always for me, but I think the Nelsons had a hard time taking it all in with the crowds. As many of you know, its hard to avoid the mobs at all the places that everyone else wants to see. I think my guests were glad to go and I can't say as I blame them. The first day we tried to follow Hitler's route during his tour of 1940-we had a driver and everything but only got about half way through the trip, which is suprising since Adolf took it all in in only a half hour. It gave me a new apprecition for just how quickly he dashed through the city.

After an afternoon at Notre Dame and some shopping it was off to Normandy. We did not stay at the Churchill, but did stop by my old haunts. Rima says hello to all our friends. One highlite of the trip was making it up to the top of the church tower at Ste. Marie du Mont on an absolutly perfect day. We had to wait for two weddings to finish up, and I think the wedding party was a bit puzzled by the mud spattered Americans, but we got up to the top and had a breathtaking view-the best I've every seen. You could see all the way to Cherbourg and Point du Hoc. Finished up the day taliking about how the 101 won the war and back to the hotel. The second day was all about Omaha, and the neat thing was that the morning before we walked the ground we got to have breakfast with a 1st Infantry Division vet who landed in the third wave at Omaha. Magnificent!

Then it was the loooooong drive many of you remember to Gosnay. We stopped along the way at Vimy Ridge-the great Canadian victory of WWI. I think the Nelson's were really awed by the enormity of hte loss on the western front. It was particularly special for me, because although I had been down into the Canadian tunnels several times, this was the first that I discovered that one of my relatives had actually been in those tunnels. I then went up to the monument and saw several names on the monument to the missing that could be relations. Must admit that I was pretty silent the rest of the day thinking about all of this, and excited to get things going on a Western Front trip next year. We are in the Medieval city of Brugge this evening. Hope the Nelsons are having a great time, because I've decided to rest up-so I don't crap out when I get to Eindhoven as many of you know I do. Tomorrow it is Waterloo and Eban Emal. If I can remember, I might actually get some pictures.

While we covered some of the same ground this time, I learn something new every time and it has been great to meet the vets and get that connecgtion to my family. ONe thing this has all taught me is about the continuity of history and how one event plays itself out in the future. In any case, I'll keep you posted on events as they come about.
Best to all in the States. Go SOX!