Bastogne, Belgium

 

All the students in my program boarded the bus at 7:30 am and we made a 2 1/2 hour drive to Luxembourg - I slept the whole way.  We stayed in Luxembourg for about an an hour - we went just to see the American War Cemetery and Memorial.  This is also where General Patton was buried.  

Brothers were buried next to each other.

There is one woman buried in this cemetary.

Anyone who was Jewish (of course didn't have the cross) had a stone in the shape of the Star of David.

 

Most of the interred died during Battle of the Bulge (WWII) Winter 1944 to Spring 1945.  The cemetery is in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg which also served as headquarters for

Ghent, Belgium

 

Ghent LOVES their bikes!  We left the train station and in every direction there were thousands of bikes in the middle of the street.  If you didn't get out of the way of the actual bikers then you would be run over!

 

We visited the Museum voor Schone Kunsten (Museum of Fine Arts) and the SMAK or Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (City Museum for Contemporary Art).  The art at both places was very.... interesting. Above, I am actually sitting on a

Antwerp, Belgium

Never Regret Anything That Made You Smile

 

 Central Station. As you are heading up the 3 flights of escalators your eyes open to more and more of the beautiful inside of Antwerp's Grand Central Station.

Antwerp is the center for diamonds. The city is located at the right bank river of the Scheldt.

Jiemin and I at the beginning of the shopping street.  Antwerp is not just known for diamonds but also FASHION.  We spent a lot of our time shopping.

 Fun Fact: Antwerp is Antwerpen in Flemish.


History of Name:

In the middle ages a mean and nasty giant controlled the river traffic on the Schelde. Sometimes he demanded tolls otherwise he just refused to allow passage. 

Something had to be done about it so a man named Brabo slew the giant, cut off the