Monday the 28th we went to the openluchtmuseum (open air museum) in Arnhem (about an hour drive south). This time I brought the camera, but forgot the battery in the charger back at the house. I think the wet soggy countryside is affecting my memory!

At the open air musuem they have a large collection of farms, homes, businesses, windmills, ... from all across the country. Over the years they have bought many buildings, dis-assembled them, and then re-assembled them on their site. It is very well laid out with many of the staff dressed in period costumes, cooking over a fire and or doing whatever, and prepared to talk to you about the building and the time period. It was fascinting to see a couple of hundred year old home with the living quarters for the people and animals in the same building, and the small sleeeping bunks that ring the cooking area. No chimney for the fire either in order to smoke and keep dry the meat and food hanging in the rafters. We saw how they would grind oil seeds in a horse powered mill, climbed high into a windmill, and Nancy was taken back to when whe was a little girl when she saw the snybona (sp?) machine, similar to the one that her family used to prepare beans for canning.

One of the highlights was seeing the home that Johan had owned and renovated. After Johan sold the home, the next home owner sold it to the museum as it was going to be demolished in order to make way for a new high speed rail line.

It was quite rainy today but thankfully we came prepared with our umbrellas. When the rain cleared, we made a coffee and bakery visit and the boys had fun riding the hand powered carts and the penny farthing bicycles. When we tired of walking we enjoyed our trips on the early 1900 electric streetcars and even splurged on a dress up photograh of us in 1910 period European clothing.

We had meant to see other sights in the area today but didn’t finish in the museum until late afternoon so we had dinner in Arnhem and then took the slow road home through the countryside back to Zwolle.

Tuesday the 29th we were back to in the Arnhem area (specifically Grosebeek) to visit the Canadian War Graveyard and the Nationaal Bevrijdingsmuseum (National Liberation Museum) Given the significance of the liberation to Nancy's family, it was very important to both of us to spend some time here.

It rained, nay it poured, for a good portion of the trip. Particularly near Arhem it was a severe storm with lightning, heavy rain, and even some hail on the grass at the graveyard. I was sure hoping it would slacken off or we would be a very unpleasant visit to the graveyard. And it did, there was light rain for the first bit than the sun came out and we put away the umbrellas.


There are over 2300 Canadians laid to rest in the cemetary. Many of them were airmen from the RCAF. Other soldiers we noted were killed on the same days in February and March and were from the same unit, obviously involved in very serious engagments. We spent quite a bit of time wandering and reflecting among the rows reading their names, unit, date of death and any inscriptions on their tombstone from the family. Many tombstones had personal memorials from family left on on the ground in front of the stone, or in one case, even affixed to the stone.



I found these 3 markers to be quite unique. They were grouped tightly together unlike any others, they were all airmen and all died on June 17, 1944. My suspicion is that they were all killed together in the same aircraft.

A short distance away is the National Liberation Museum that we went to next. It's an older musuem, and a tad cheesy, but it does a fair job of walking you through the rise of Nazism in Germany, the invasion of Holland and the subsequent impact on the country, Operation Market Garden (anyone ever see "A Bridge Too Far"), the eventual liberation and the rebuilding of the country. While we were outside the rain thundered down, but as we emerged, the rain tapered off and again we were treated to that elusive NL sunshine.

Groesbeek is only a few km's from the German border, the boys wanted to see Germany, and we wanted to tick it off our list and make it 5 European countries that we visited on our vacation. I think we were only in the country for 15 minutes. Long enough to take a picture of a unique building and some photos at the border.

Jonas wanted a picture with one foot in each country

After supper it was too nice an evening to not go for a bike ride. Nancy made an valiant effort to get wheel borne, but after landing in two different neighbours hedges we decided that I would double her on the back of mine. We had a great time.

Dewey and Dina left Saturday the 26th. After seeing them off in the van, which they were going to return to Schipol, we went to the Saturday market in Zwolle. It's a bustling affair and we walked up and down the stalls enjoying the smells and sights. The boys bought some souvenirs and I bought a toothbush and toothpaste to replace the one that is apparently still in France. We also sampled a plate of fried fish bits that seemed to be quite popular with the locals. When in Holland...

Back at home, the boys and I tried our hand at fishing in the canal behind the home. We had lots of bites, but they were small and hard to hook, so we turned to feeding our bread to a gaggle of swans that were cruising by.

Had a quiet evening at home watching a video (in English with Dutch subtitles).

Sunday the 27th. Today we had arranged to have our friends, Menno and Corinne from Amsterdam, join us for supper. Menno is Nancy's second cousin (their grandmothers were sisters). When Nancy and I were briefly in Holland on our way to Africa back in 1994, Menno and Corinne were our tour guides and dinner hosts. We really enjoyed our visit with them and were looking forward to seeing them again, after more than 12 years later, and meeting their children, Pepjin and Malou, who have been born since.

Menno and Corinne were coming over around 3 PM, so in the morning we headed down to Appeldoorn (about 1/2 hour south) to visit Apenhuel, a monkey/primate zoo that had been recommended to us. Apenhuel is unique in that, in parts, it is a free range park, where they allow the human and primate species to interact in the same space. We were able to watch little capuchin monkeys scamper across the path in front of us or forage for food among the leaves, lemurs in the trees overhead, or just be feet away from Japanese macaus as they groomed each other.

The highlight was to explore a large treehouse structure where the capuchins were scampering all over. We came to a place where several of them were being frisky, Nancy crouched down, and within seconds she had 2 or 3 on her looking in her hair or pockets and another 2 or 3 fighting under her. The boys crouched down too, and soon had several climbing all over them looking for edible tidbits in their hair as well.

It's all fun and games though until a child screams. Apparently the little guys were hurting Gideon and he started hollering as if they were reaching down his throat and yanking out his spleen. We had to shoo them away after that but it was magical while it lasted.

It was not the best executed outing though. We took too much comfort in the semi-clear skies and so weren't prepared when the heavens opened up; us with no umbrellas and me with no jacket. This was our first introducution to a very wet Holland and what has been the wettest August on record since they started keeping records back in 1856. Setting a 150 year weather record is noteworthy, but not when you are there on vacation! As well, I also forgot the camera and so was not able to get some photos of Nancy and the boys interacting with the capuchins on the treehouse. Bad daddy.

We had a nice visit and meal with Menno and Corinne and family. It was a plelasant evening in between rain showers so we went for a walk through the fields and along the Ijssel River ( a branch of the Rhine). Again our kids spoke no Dutch, and their's no English, but they still managed to enjoy each other's company and have fun.

Gideon, Jonas and Malou

A typical European barge. Note the owner/family's car perched above the stern.

Malou with one of the boys' caps. She looks innocent enough, but I think that she's teasing one of them!

Hi folks

Now that I have a reliable computer I've gone back and put some more photos on the more recent posts. Feel free to go back and have a look.

Now where was I...Oh yes, Aug 25.

Leaving our farm B&B at Lille we headed to Vimy Ridge. For you non-history buffs let me set the stage for you...

The battle for Vimy Ridge was fought in April, 1917, on the Easter week-end. It has been said that, at Vimy, Canada became a nation.

Vimy Ridge is a very prominent ridge and was strategic real estate in 1917. In fact, one German is quoted as saying that whoever controls Vimy, wins the war. Prior to 1917, both the British and the French had tried unsucessfully to wrestle Vimy from the Germans without success. When the Canadians offered to have a go at it, the Allies figured that it could do no harm. In preparing for the battle the Canadians employed a number of techniques that were groundbreaking at the time. In fact, they are management and organizational development tools to this day: cross training and leadership at every level. The Canadians ensured two things: that evey soldier knew what everyone else's job was so he could step into his comrade's shoes if necessary, and, that every soldier was shown the map and battle plans and knew what the overall and unit objectives were. This was unheard of in a previous top-down military culture.

As well they employed a number of unique military tactics, the most amazing of which were the extensive tunnels that they dug to hide and protect troop movements. The tunnels were so long that they were referred to as subways and we had a chance to tour one of these known as the Durange Subway.

(Many years I read Pierre Burton's "Vimy Ridge" which I would highly recommend it if the subject is of further interest)

Like Beaumont Hamel, Vimy has an excellent interpretive centre staffed by Canadian students. Our tour guide of the subway/tunnel system was Jon from New Brunswick and he delivered an informative and provocative commentary. Apart from some roof shoring done in the 1920's, the tunnels are as they were 90 years ago with the same chalk walls. It was a fascinating glimpse into the past.

We also walked around the surface through the trenches of both sides and marvelled at the mine and shell craters everywhere that make it look like the surface of the moon. Despite the enormous disturbances to the ground by the shelling, there remains untold numbers of unexploded shells beneath the surface. Frost and tree roots can heave these to the surface; to this day the danger is so great that vast areas of the site are roped off and sheep, not lawn mowers, cut the grass.

(An interesting side note to this is that, during the Battle of the Somme, we were told that the shells had an 80% dud rate, and that they were American shells. Apparently the Americans took advantage of selling their arms to both sides of the conflict. Some things never change....)

Sadly the impressive Vimy Memorial is being renovated and was under cover at the time of our visit. The memorial is about 80 years old and, over the years, acid rain has not been kind to the structure. What little glimpses we saw, and pictures we've seen, hint at a very grand monument.
They are renovating it for the 90th anniversary next year, sure to draw thousands back to the site.

Just one corner of the Vimy memorial that is visible

Leaving Vimy in mid afternoon we dove home to Zwolle. The trip was uneventful except for a nasty traffic back up in Antwerp. (Belgium). We later learned it was due to some flooding from some heavy rain the day before. It was interesting to pass through the old border between Belgium and France that existed prior to the EU. The old border buildings are still standing, except, rather than stop, you just pass between them and keep on going.

Jonas' photo of us passing into Belgium from France

We put approx 3200 km's on the van and it treated us well. The passengers were patient with the driver's many faux pas and missed gears and the boys were constantly debating over who was going to be co-pilot next (sitting between me and whoever was in the front navigating)

Scott's impressions of France:
*the toll roads were annoyiong but loved the 130 km/hr speed limit
*wherever you looked there was a centuries old church spire reaching for the heavens. A vivid reminder of the country's spiritual history
*fell in love with Normandy, the stone homes and walled farms, the well kept homes with the colourful flowers, the hedgerows, the breakfasts
*The bread, the cheese, the wine! Every small town has a boulangerie (bakery), or two or three. We lost count of how many French we saw walking down the street with a loaf under their arm or several in a basket. We also lost count of how many loaves we ate ourselves.
*the narrow country roads running off in every direction on the compass with not a grid pattern in sight. The many small towns along each road consisting of a cluster of homes and invariably a church...and a boulangerie!
*still trying to understand the French's infatuation with dogs or the public "drop" toilets
*the tragic and frequent reminders of war and death. The many WWII memorials scattered through out Normandy and the large memorials and many graveyards in the north in the Somme region. The country has had a bloody history. We are so blessed in Canada.

Until next time....