The WWII Netherlands American Cemetery

Last week was full of appointments to look at houses, cars, and schools.  Bob was able to take off most of the week, and we spent a lot of time nailing down the details of where to live and what to drive.  In a few days, we Americans are buying a French car from a Canadian stationed in Germany and registering it in the Netherlands--multicultural in every way!  And we are waiting on a draft lease for a fantastic house in the Maastricht area.  The details of living in NL are moving along nicely.

I also began my summer quarter of graduate school.  There was a short break that perfectly coincided with the first week of our relocation to NL.  My summer term courses are Education, Culture, and Society and Education and National Development.  Both courses promise to be very interesting, as does the logistics of completing assignments in a hotel room with both boys out of school during the day.  I foresee some late nights in the hotel's lounge.

So when the weekend arrived, we looked forward to a break from logistics.  We were excited to explore the area a bit.  We had driven past the Netherlands American Cemetery outside of Margraten earlier in the week, so we decided to go back and tour it on Saturday.  

The Netherlands American Cemetery is the only American military cemetery in the country.  8,301 American soldiers who died in World War II are buried here.  There are also the names of 1,722 soldiers, whose remains were never found, engraved in the Court of Honor.

There was also an area that depicted the operations of the Allies from D Day through the end of WWII.

Walking through the cemetery was a stark reminder of the horrible reality of war.  During our visit, we learned that the average age of the soldiers was around 23.  They were really just beginning their lives when they died for the cause of freedom.

The boys each took a rubbing of a headstone so that we can learn more about two of the soldiers buried there.  It was a sobering yet interesting lesson in the history that is a constant part of the landscape here.

The perfect end to a busy first week

It's been about a week since we left the US for the Netherlands.  These first few days have been extremely busy with administrative stuff like ID cards, facility tours, briefs on programs and services, etc.  We have been going at a pretty fast pace since touching down at 7 AM last Monday, so we made a point to slow things down this weekend.

On Saturday we went to Dessel, Belgium, to visit our "Belgian family".  Katelijne, Annelies, and Jasmien were one of my host families when I traveled with Up With People.  I stayed with them for three nights back in 1998.  Annelies was 6, and Jasmien was 5.  Those "little girls" are now in their 20's, and my boys are about the same ages as the girls were when we first met.  Crazy how time flies by.

Annelies's and Jasmien's entry in my Up With People host family book,
16 years ago.

That short stay in 1998 sparked a lifelong friendship.  One of the first things I did when we found out we were moving to the Netherlands was map how far away our Belgian family would be.  Now seeing each other only takes an hour and fifteen minute drive!  Saturday was our first chance to get together, and it was awesome to just hop in the car and drive to Dessel for the day.

Annelies and Jasmien, all grown up.
We are all excited to live so close now!

Like any great friends, it was like no time had passed since our last get together.  We spent the day talking, walking, eating delicious Belgian strawberries, and just hanging out together.  The boys had a great time feeding and watching the animals in their backyard.  It was exactly what we needed after a week of appointments, errands, and busy days.

E liked feeding the ducks by hand.

C fed the rabbits carrots, one piece at a time.

The rabbits were digging out the hole as fast as the boys could fill it.
When that didn't work, the rabbits started biting the shovel.

We are looking very forward to seeing our Belgian family regularly now that we live here.  I feel so fortunate to have such longtime friends so close by.

Sunday we made a point to turn off all alarm clocks, so we all slept in and took our time getting ready this morning/early afternoon.  The boys and I took a leisurely walk along the cow pastures across from our hotel.  

A beautiful day in southern Netherlands.

Later we checked out a car that we might buy, and then we drove to the nearby town of Sittard.  We are trying to get a feel for where we might want to live.  We're not sure that Sittard is the best fit, but we had a good time exploring, at least.  And our afternoon cafe stop for Belgian beers was a perfect end to a laid back weekend.

Belgian beers in European cafes make us very happy.

Tomorrow starts our house hunting in earnest--we'll be checking out Maastricht and rental homes that are available there.  We're looking forward to seeing the city that we've heard so many good things about.  Wherever we end up, I'm already pretty sure we're going to love living here.

Netherlands vs. USA

Last night was the World Cup match between the Netherlands and Australia.  This country is awash in orange---orange flags hanging across streets, orange eyelashes on cars, orange decorations on houses, and people wearing orange everywhere!

At 6:00, as the game was starting, we headed into Heerlen.  Our plan was to get dinner somewhere where people were watching the game.  We headed towards the roar that we heard off in the distance, which led us right to Heerlen's main square.  There we found large crowds gathered in front of about 8 different cafes with TV's that were broadcasting the game.

The crowd in front of one Heerlen cafe.

We sat down at another cafe and settled in for the evening.  While we enjoy soccer, we actually found ourselves watching the Dutch people watch the game instead.  We didn't need to see a screen to know exactly what was going on.  Their reactions to goals and missed attempts were quite entertaining.

But, by far, the best show of the night was this match up:

The Netherlands vs. USA Horn-Off

Earlier in the day, C had asked us to buy a horn so he could cheer on the Dutch team.  He was very whiny and we were low on patience, so no horn was bought.  By the time we'd all cooled off and agreed to get a horn, the stores had all closed.  C, with sad tears, kept saying, "Why didn't you guys listen to me and buy me a horn when I asked?"

C was still bemoaning the fact that he had no horn when we sat down at the cafe (hours later).  All of a sudden, he spotted 2 Dutch guys in full orange walking towards the crowd.  One guy was blowing an air horn, and all of a sudden, C was gone.  Before we fully realized what was happening, C had run across the square to the man and (apparently) asked for his horn….and the very nice Dutch man gave it to him.  The joyful look on C's face was priceless.

A few minutes later, the Netherlands vs. USA Horn-Off commenced.  A little Dutch boy came over with his horn.  He and C proceeded to stand face to face and honk back and forth at each other, in a battle rhythm.  They were quite serious about trying to see who could out-honk the other.  We parents and some other spectators were laughing hysterically at the match up.  The loud American with his air horn was definitely the more powerful honker.

The Netherlands won their soccer game, 3-2.  C honked his horn all the way through downtown Heerlen.  Every time someone passed by they would yell, "Hup Holland!"  We're definitely excited for the next game on Monday.  We'll make sure C brings his horn.

The Moorhouses Have Landed

We have arrived in the Netherlands!  After two easy flights, we landed in Brussels, Belgium at about 7 AM on this morning.  Brussels International Airport is a weary traveler's dream.  From stepping off the plane to passing through immigration was less than 5 minutes.  The only minor negative was that the customs agent really didn't seem impressed or excited that I was moving to Europe.  She's been living there this whole time, after all.

C carefully studying the emergency procedures.

Looking back on our departure from Norfolk:  we survived 3 separate pack outs, all the different "lasts" in our beloved city, and saying goodbye to the dear friends who have become like family.  It was hard to leave behind the incredible people who were daily sources of love, fun, and support.  We know our friendships will endure, however, and we look forward to making new memories together in the future (hopefully some of them in Europe).

A few of my dearest friends on one of my last nights in Norfolk.

Our dear friend Venessa and her girls took us to the airport Sunday afternoon.  Nothing says "keeping it classy" like showing up at the airport with your luggage in a trailer.

This is what it takes when you're traveling with 4 people,
10 checked bags, and multiple carry-ons.

We were met at the Brussels airport by a car service, and our friendly driver Denny took us and our mountain of luggage to Heerlen, Netherlands.  We'll be living in a hotel there while we find a home to rent in the area.  The hotel is great and definitely European:

No bathroom door.
Thank goodness for the separate WC (toilet).

Our Coast Guard sponsor was waiting for us when we arrived, and since our room wasn't quite ready we decided to knock out a few administrative items at Bob's new base.  So that is how, approximately 4 hours after our grand European arrival, I found myself sitting next to a child's play area in a bowling alley, watching American baseball on TV and eating an Egg McMuffin that I paid for with US dollars.  Aaahh, American military bases overseas…..it's like you've never even left the States.  I plan on spending as little time as possible on base.

We napped this afternoon and then decided to just walk outside a bit.  We came across a friendly Dutch bee keeper, who happily showed the boys his hives and answered their questions.  And then we came to…our first castle!  Kasteel Terworm, just outside our hotel.  Complete with moat.

I have no idea why there is a gray bar,
but I'm too tired to figure it out now.

We have visited castles in the past, and their history and charm continue to impress.  However, I am fairly sure that, by the end of this two year adventure, we will all be "castled-out" and neglect to give them the same level of excitement we did today.  The hazards of living in Europe…..castle fatigue.

During our dinner in the hotel's restaurant, C repeatedly denied being tired while simultaneously flopping down exhaustedly on any horizontal surface he could find.  Our boys have been troopers, but we're all happy this travel day is over.  They are now sleeping soundly, and I am off to bed as well.  Tot ziens (see you soon)!