Bastogne, the Battle of the Bulge, and a bit of Hee-Haw

I know this is going to sound cliche, but I am going to say it anyway.  Being here really makes the pages in our history books come to life.  I had a very good teacher in high school who really got me interested in history, and more importantly, helped me to see that it was part of my history.  Being here in Germany and the surrounding countries where some of this took place is both surreal and sobering. 

This past weekend we drove to Bastogne, Belgium.  This is where The Battle of the Bulge took place, the largest and bloodiest battle fought in World War II.  We put this on our list of must-sees after hearing about foxholes left from the war.  Upon further research, the foxholes are most likely from re-enactments, but nonetheless, it was still awesome to stand on the grounds where there once were the foxholes used to protect our troops both from the enemies and also from the harsh weather. 

We had lunch at the Mardasson Monument, shaped like a 5-pointed star.  We then stopped at a donkey farm.  Here a company uses donkey milk to make lotions and soaps, which are good for certain skin conditions, such as eczema.  I didn't try any, but they did smell really good.  Next, we quickly walked through a small museum which has articles from both WWI and WWII for purchase. We spent the rest of the day strolling through the streets eating Belgium chocolates, pastries, and fries.  Did you know that "french fries" actually originated in Belgium?

God Bless,

Staci