04 May, 2015

On a 4th of May: Bastogne


The Danes put candles in their windows the 4th of May in the evening. To commemorate the liberation of Denmark in 1945 on this day.

Living in France I have come to understand a little better how big and devestating this World War II could be, when you lived on the very scene where Allied battled Nazies.

This weekend we stumbled into it, as we decided to stop for dinner in Bastogne.


This Belgian town in the mountains of Ardennes happened to be one of the key places where the Allied fought the Nazies in the last big battle of the war. (See now and then here).

Bastogne was strategically important, because the main roads through the Ardennes pass closely by this small town thus making it important to conrol for both sides. The battle began in December 1944 and took an end in January 1945. (More about the battle of Bastogne here).


Nowadays the town proudly displays these memories of the past.

Stars and Stripes is everywhere. This is like a visit in Normandy. The city welcomes veteran visitors and their families.

Bastogne obviously prospers from these visits as well with a downtown that is wellkept and full of hotels and restaurants.

We enjoyed our visit as well. We learned a little more about this chapter from the last days and months of World War II. We'd like to be back and get to know James Earl, Joe, James, Turney and William better.

After all they shaped their part of our life now. So many 4th of Mays later.

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