BASTOGNE THEN AND NOW

This,
(McAuliff Square)

is this today.

(If you look you can see the same roof lines and other similarities.)

And this, 

is this,

this, 

this, 

(see Parker walk)

this,

this,
(the round, glassed building is in the
parking lot of McAuliff Square.)

 and this, 

and this.

What a difference 70 years have made.
Bastogne is a nice little city.
People are warm and welcoming and everything is walkable.

***

Augusta Marie Chiwy was a volunteer Belgian nurse during the siege of Bastogne. She worked with U.S. Army physician Dr. John Prior and Belgian nurse Renee Lemaire, treating injured soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/26/world/europe/augusta-chiwy-forgotten-wartime-nurse-dies-at-94.html?_r=0

She passed this year and her grave is in the cemetery across the road from the Bastogne Barracks.

***

 The PATTON MEMORIAL

So much love and respect for General Patton and all the people he directed to the positive ending.

***

There are several pictures among my father's things that show these streams in the sky. We could not figure out the significance of them, we just kept taking pictures of places it might have happened. 

While talking with Rony he talked about the planes flying over the area attempting to drop aid of all sorts. At some point they became planes carrying more than supplies, they had bombs on them. I am sure it was a bit frightening to have this flying over you all day and night. 

***

 We found this restaurant. 

It had excellent service, food,  and beverages. It felt like a community gathering place. We connected with a family from North Carolina while eating. He was a talker and kept us amused.

This is where we found the Airborne beer. 

I brought a "helmet" back with me. 

It now serves as my cereal bowl.

The beverages

The food

The poster

The stairway down to the bathrooms was 

a challenge, steep and very narrow. 

Not one I would want to take after many beverages.

***

Musee du Cochon

Museum of the Pig

http://www.hartman-delice.be/

Grandma Parker would have chuckled. 

Her dad was JT Hogg (there are so many funny family stories that used to fluster her) and whenever we took a trip or found something hoggish we would bring it back. 

This likely would have been framed for her.