Tanks in Town

For the past 10 years Mons, Belgium, has hosted "Tanks in Town," to commemorate the city's liberation in early September 1944 by U.S. armor units. We visited the huge military flea market and display of military vehicles this afternoon, along with probably two or three thousand other curious folks. It was by far the biggest military display I've ever seen on this side of the pond. Our son, Robb, came home with a 3-Euro gas mask (what every 19 year-old obviously needs) and his friend found a French newspaper dated August 30, 1939, the day before WWII began. Definitely a non-typical Belgian experience!

Nature's Zoo

Besides the obvious joy of visiting family, I love every trip to California and never cease to be amazed at the "natural zoo" that anyone can experience. Whether at a bird feeder in Camarillo, in a kayak near at Moss Landing, or walking near the wharf in Monterey, it's all there, free for the asking. Just get out your camera and shoot! If this doesn't reduce your stress and give you at least a temporary lift, you're probably beyond hope. I guess everyone needs an unattainable dream, if for no other reason than to keep them humble. Mine is to live somewhere near Monterey, able to experience all of this on a daily basis. I figure I'm only a few million dollars short right now. But I can dream...

First Impressions From The Last Visit...

I just got back from a brief trip home to the U.S., my first in almost exactly a year. It was fun for me to notice exactly what I noticed - what things immediately caught my attention, that I was able to compare-and-contrast with Belgium. So, in no particular order, here are those first impressions:
1. vehicles: God, how how we love our vans, SUVs, and other big, gas-guzzling vehicles! I made a random count along Rte 97 and, out of 200 vehicles, 102 were vans, pick-ups, or SUVs. Each probably averaging all of 15-20 MPG. Sadly, we still don't get it. In Belgium, for every 200 vehicles, maybe 15 would be in that category.
2. large people: just like large cars, we have loads of them. Once in awhile you will see a very overweight Belgian, but it's almost an oddity. Not quite the case in Maryland, to put it nicely...
3. no weird yield-to-the-right rules: thank God! This is one area where the U.S. has its act together and Europe really should take a lesson. Anyone who has driven in residential areas in this part of Europe knows what I'm talking about: having to slam on the brakes for a car entering the road from the right, even if you're on a wide thoroughfare and he's coming in from something just bigger than an alley, the right of way is all his. I would estimate that well over 50% of all crashes are the result of this ridiculous rule. Someone will have to explain the logic behind it to me someday.
4. breakfast restaurants: if you stay at a small hotel almost anywhere in Europe, breakfast is included in the price, which is great, as is the food. But stay at a larger, more expensive hotel, and you're on your own. Good luck finding any place outside that hotel to get anything close to a full breakfast. Obviously, not a problem back home.
5. bumper stickers: though they're not nearly as popular as they were, say, 30 years ago, you still see a fair amount in the States. I counted over 30 Obama stickers. Not a single McCain. No comment. But here in Belgium, no clever bon mots or witty phrases. I guess cars are for the business of travel over here, not at all for anything like pleasure.
6. lawyer ads on TV: no such thing in Europe. What a concept! How do they survive here without them? Very nicely, thank you.
7. general politeness: face it, we Americans can be crude, culture-less, and hung up on creature comforts and shopping. But we are nice. To friends, strangers, customers, whomever. It's just part of our culture, I think. Over here, well, they just have a very different culture. There is no expectation of politeness, even among store clerks or restaurant staffs; I guess there's just no history of it. Granted, this is a gross over-simplification without any backing data, but it certainly caught my immediate attention when I was back in the States. From the young kid in the WalMart to the waiter at Chevy's (I admit it: I did Mexican almost every day!) to the check-in lady at Dulles Airport to the maid in the hotel.
Bottom line: no two countries or continents are alike; each has its strengths, weaknesses, blemishes, beauties, foibles, and quirks. I love Europe and all the exciting new things to experience and see. But it will never be home-sweet-home.

Like Yertle the Turtle...

...our cats are the rulers of all that they see!
While the two 17 year-olds rarely show enough energy to take advantage of our marvelous back yard, the two younger ones, Max and Gina, spend nearly every waking minute (all 6 or 7 of them per day) outdoors, when given the chance. Max is usually content to simply laze under the shrubs or roll on the warm deck. Gina is the hunter of the family, often found stalking bugs of varying sizes and smells. Just yesterday she "blessed" us with her first official big game kill: a mole. While we were on the phone with our son in the States, she ceremoniously delivered her Cargo of Carcass to our feet, in the house. The poor little mole was at least partially still alive when delivered; I rushed him outside and deposited him in the yard next door where he hopefully has recovered, with one heck of a tale to tell his grandmoles. Gina, as you can imagine, was none too pleased with Dad - if this is how he thanks her for such hard-earned gifts, she just might think twice before bringing us another. Or so we hope.

Watch Out, Lance Armstrong!

Well, maybe not quite yet. We are, to put it politely, novices on two wheels. You've heard of the Wild Hogs? Maybe we should have the moniker the Timid Lambs, or perhaps the Speedy Slugs. We've only ventured out a couple of times together on our bikes and we set our personal best today, with something like 8 or 9 miles covered. Not exactly ready for the Tour de France, I guess. Fortunately, if you're going to go biking, whether seriously or like us, this is the country: not a hill as far as the eye can see. While there are bike lanes on many roads, Belgians drivers are certainly not nearly as bike-friendly as those in neighboring countries. So I guess the tres chic helmets are a must...
By the way, notice the healthy crops in the field behind me? On the right, it's obviously wheat. What about on the left? At long last, we've solved this mystery: they're potatoes. They have beautiful white and yellow blossoms, all apparently for naught, since the vegetable is growing underground.

Where Napoleon Met His...

We live in Waterloo, only about a mile from the actual site of the famous June 1815 battle where Napoleon, once and for all, was given the boot, never to return to power. Napoleon's northward march from France had forced the attendees at the Congress of Vienna to put a hasty halt to their parties and soirees and send an allied army (primarily British under Wellington and Prussian under Bluecher) to defeat the Little One. In one of the largest single-day battles in world history, there were well over 50,000 casualties. In the vicinity there are still several original buildings which have survived from 1815 to the present, having endured a couple of other wars in the 20th century. To commemorate the battle, a large hill was formed, with a fierce lion placed atop it, facing toward Paris as if to say, "Don't even think about doing this again!" But they do:
Every few years they recreate the battle, with thousands of folks dressing up and playing the roles of French or allied troops. Even a few females participate (you'll see one in my picture), but I'm not sure how true to history that really would be. Once again, here in 2009, Napoleon lost. I'm reminded of the truism: "If at first you don't succeed, try try again. But if you still don't succeed, give up. There's no sense in being a damned fool about it!" Maybe Napoleon will think about it next time, but I doubt it...

Independence Day in the UK!

What better way to spend the 4th than in the enemy’s capital?!? OK, 220 years later I think we’re all past that now. So, it was fun to spend a marvelous, long, hot day in London; my first visit since 1999; Lucie’s first since 1985. It’s fun to compare and contrast our two countries and cultures and now, having spent about 9 hours in England, I can speak as an authority. So here is our scorecard, based on all this extensive research:
Travel – the train ride was nothing short of wonderful. Just under 2 hours from downtown Brussels to downtown London, on the smoothest set of rails I’ve ever felt. It departed exactly on time and arrived one minute early. It cost about $110 R/T per person, which certainly seems reasonable. When compared with train travel in the U.S. : ADVANTAGE – ENGLAND
Friendliness of big city folks – where in America would you find a subway station employee who not only goes out of his way to give helpful directions, but also sings two songs in praise of America, all for the benefit of these two almost-lost Yank tourists? ADVANTAGE – ENGLAND
Weather – gimme a break; this is London we’re talking about. It shouldn’t even be considered a fair fight. But yesterday it was in the low 80s with almost total sunny skies. The locals were dying of the heat; we were loving it. Just as nice as at home. ADVANTAGE – TIE
Sights – London has a wealth of sights, like every other huge city. Trying to see them all in one day is an effort in futility, but our feet can attest that we almost died trying. But here’s the one downer: admission to St. Paul’s Cathedral (a church…) was 11 pounds (about $20) and Westminster Abbey ran us 15 pounds each (almost $30!!). I think the most expensive museum in all of Washington D.C. is the Spy Museum, which still charges less than half of the Abbey’s price. OK, the sights aren’t quite on an even par, but still, early every major museum in our capital costs nary a farthing, as the Brits might say. ADVANTAGE – USA
Beer – taste, as they say, lies on the tongue of the beholder. While I can appreciate a good British bitter or IPA, on a day as warm as yesterday, a *cold* one would have really hit the spot. 20 years ago, I’d have to say advantage England, but with the true wealth of American microbrews these days… ADVANTAGE – USA
Food – Don’t make me laugh. ADVANTAGE – USA
Great Way to Spend a Great Day – it really doesn’t matter. When you’re with the one you love, sharing beautiful sights and experiences, whether it’s in the UK, US, Belgium, Germany, or Outer Slobovia, who cares? ADVANTAGE – THE TWO OF US.