We stayed two nights in Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg at a charming hotel. Our room was actually in a separate building from the main hotel. The views were terrific, the room was nice, but we had more disappointments. The driving was not conducive to tourists - 1 one-way street through the entire location that a car can barely fit through. Extremely hilly - hard on the brakes and moving out of the way for pedestrians. The Wi-Fi was basically non-existent. Smoking in public in Europe is allowed unlike in the US. Even though we had a non-smoking room, the room next do us appeared to not be. Also you can be walking down the street and the person in front of you can be smoking a cigarette. We are not used to that, so it was something to begrudgingly tolerate.
Saturday was much better since we were visiting the Bastogne War Museum and spending the afternoon in Bastogne. This was our last WWII museum on this trip. This museum had incredible relics and centered mostly on Operation Mist, a/k/a Battle of the Bulge. This was another humbling journey- to walk through the rooms viewing so many relics from this particular battle of the war. There were actual original photographs of Hitler during several of his speeches preserved. At the end of the museum was a cemetery-like area which displayed civilians and enlisted men, showing their life before the war through video displayed through their "graves."
The final site to see was the American Mardasson Memorial erected behind the museum. It was a site to behold! Dedicated to the American infantry who fought in the battle. We were so very honored to have been here to experience.
WELCOME TO BELGIUM!!
That tall structure is the border of Belgium from France.
WELCOME!
300 meters to Bastogne. :)
And now we enter Luxembourg!
A few views of the Ardennes Forest
Entering Esch-sur-Sûre, Luxembourg where our hotel is located
Our room is the second window down on the right.
This is the part where you check in to the hotel
A view down the one-way street
We snuck up on this cutie napping in the afternoon. :)
The entrance to where our room is located.
Just inside the entrance looking downstairs
Our room. :)
Looking out our window. :)
The Bastogne War Museum
Relics from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin
An Olympic medal from the games
A scrapbook containing articles and military insignias
Japanese relics
Souvenirs from the liberation of Paris, 1944
German uniforms
Relics from the 101st Airborne Division
A medic kit - look at those safety pins!
John standing next to an American Sherman tank which had been hit by a German anti-tank gun in near Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, more than likely killed all the occupants inside the tank at the time.
A closer view of the tank damage
These sheets are actual copies of letters received from home.
Some personal effecta of Otto Barth, a German general in the defense force.
What an honor it would be to have been bestowed a certificate from the Army's Parachute School. A simple piece of paper, but humbling to think of what this man went through.
I would love to read one of these from that time.
General Patton
"Early tank operator's helmet with winter camouflage added. This model is extremely rare. This particular helmet was found in the Vosges region, which was the site of ferocious battles in the winter of 1944."
Newspapers with updates of the progress oversees.
These next photos depict an even darker reality to war...
The following photos are of few types of landmines discovered and are now embedded in the floor of this museum.
A cemetery-type scene of civilians and soldiers - Allies and Germans - showing us there was a life before the war and a life they left behind.
The war in Japan still goes on....
The Mardasson Memorial
That famous photo of the sailor kissing the dental assistant in Times Square has been commemorated here in statute form at the museum. It was very interesting to see different nationalities taking pictures of this iconic American scene.
This photo was taken facing the monument. Beautiful scenery around this area.
Looking down within the middle of the memorial.
The Crypt
A tour and lunch in Bastogne
Having lunch at Le Nut's Restaurant
FINALLY --- a BOTTLE of ketchup - not tiny packets. A happy man!
Ending this post on a bright note. :) Thanks for stopping by.
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