LIfe is Good When You’re the King of Bruges
I am the undisputed King of Bruges but I used to be a run-of-the-mill, regular Joe just like the rest of you. I did all my extensive shopping at Walmart; got my six-dollar haircuts at Super Clips; and spent my annual vacations at the Shady Palms Motel, conveniently located only a breezy twenty-minute walk from the beach. I’ve never owned multiple properties (or any property not on cinder-blocks for that matter); I’ve never mingled with celebrities; and I’ve certainly never claimed to come from any line of royalty. I was an ordinary Andy, trying to do my best just to survive that daily grind. This would have been the sad and mundane story of my life, had not a simple DNA testing kit changed everything.
The kit that changed everything for me.
When my wife told me she picked up something intimate and personal for my 45th birthday, I was thinking Victoria’s Secret for sure. Every woman knows that there’s no greater gift than to dazzle her man in something made of satin and lace. Well, apparently in my wife’s inner-circle, she was never privy to such valuable information. In my wife’s inner circle, the very best birthday gifts are those that you never knew you wanted. So, you can only imagine my feigned excitement and very real surprise when I unwrapped a DNA testing kit called 23andMe. Honestly though, it was a thoughtful and unique gift. Had I known that I would soon be filling a large vial with spit, I just would’ve eaten less chocolate and Doritos prior to opening it.
(more…)Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Tall Tales and Big Fish Stories and tagged Belgium, Bruges.
Footsteps of Liberators: A Journey Through Normandy
Much has happened since Eisenhower first drafted that triumphant call to arms some seventy years ago. The world is very much a changed place. There are no more air-raid sirens blaring over the streets of London; no more war planes soaring over the skies of Dover; no more anti-aircraft batteries booming off the beaches of France. But to go back there, to see the place where 160,000 allied troops made their landing on June 6, 1944, was for a me a walk in the footsteps of liberators.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower addresses Allied troops shortly before the Normandy invasion, June 1944.
Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
“You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Letter to Allied Forces
Big John departs the white cliffs of Dover and gets underway for France.
Crossing the English Channel
When the men of D-Day entered into France they did so under the heat of battle. The Normandy landings were the largest seaborne invasion in all of recorded history, with nearly 5,000 landing craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers taking to the beach. In addition to this, nearly 1,200 aircraft left England the previous night to place three airborne divisions in drop zones behind enemy lines.
Dover, England to Calais, France aboard one of P&O’s luxurious ferries.
In stark contrast to the D-Day invasion, Big John traveled to France in style aboard one of P&O’s luxurious ferries. The entire trip took just 90 minutes and the reputable ferry line offers a host of dining and leisure activities while underway.
Many German remnants, such as the Todt Battery, were observed as I made my way towards the invasion beaches.
Located near Calais, France, the Todt Battery is a battery of coastal artillery built by the Germans in World War II. The site now operates as a war museum.
The beautiful port city of Honfluer, France
Honfluer, France is a picturesque port city welcoming travelers en route to Normandy beaches. I stayed overnight here and found the place simply charming.
German bunker still guards the beach in Longues-sur-Mer, France.
The streets of Arromanches-les-Bains on Gold Beach
Arromanches is a friendly coastal town littered with souvenir shops containing American military memorabilia, wonderful cafes, and a D-Day museum. An artificial port was installed on Gold Beach that received 9,000 tons of allied materials during the height of the invasion.
American memorabilia on display in Arromanches
The D-Day Museum in Arromanches-les-Bains
The D-Day museum in Arromanches is located in a place where history will never be forgotten. The museum, overlooking the beach and the remains of Mulberry Harbour, is at the heart of a vibrant, busy square lined with shops and cafés.
It was landing crafts, such as the one resting here, that brought liberation to the French people.
Operation Overlord as it appeared in June 1944
Traveling through quant villages under gray skies to Omaha Beach.
If you ever make it to the Normandy region of France, I recommend you take one of these pitstops along the way and purchase a bit of hard cider. The Normans are well known for making a delicious cider by combining apple juice with brandy.
I can’t imagine this scenery has changed much since the D-day landing.
Don’t miss the Big Red One Assault Museum along the way!
Battle scenes from the past adorn the side of this historic building.
Restaurants, shops, and other businesses around Normandy beaches still pay tribute to their liberators.
Your sacrifices will not be forgotten, We salute you.
There were numerous signs to guide me along the way.
There was something surreal about snapping pictures through a rain-soaked windshield in Normandy, France.
Actual scenes from Normandy Invasion affixed to structures that survived the war.
This road would carry me directly onto Omaha Beach. I had finally arrived.
An informative placard detailing a German strong point during the invasion.
Looking out towards the monument honoring the valiant Americans of the 5th Engineer Special Brigade who lost their lives during the invasion.
Big John peering down into a German bunker.
A monument to the gallant men of the Big Red One.
All is quiet now on Omaha Beach.
A storm is brewing over a windswept beach,
Entering into the rusty entrance of a battered bunker.
A lonely and naked tree stretches out against the dark skies.
Looking out to the place the Americans landed.
1944 etched in stone.
Big John is humbled standing in the path of liberators.
I felt a changed man after visiting such a solemn place.
The entrance way to Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
I found the following inscription on a wall inside the cemetery. It was perhaps the only words ever needed spoken in such a solemn place.
IF EVER PROOF WERE NEEDED THAT WE FOUGHT FOR A CAUSE AND NOT FOR CONQUEST, IT COULD BE FOUND IN THESE CEMETERIES. HERE WAS OUR ONLY CONQUEST: ALL WE ASKED … WAS ENOUGH … SOIL IN WHICH TO BURY OUR GALLANT DEAD.
General Mark W. Clark
Here lies the remains of 9,387 Americans who died so others could again be free.
Pictured above is the final resting place of those fallen liberators of Normandy. To follow in their footsteps, to revisit the places where men stood up for a cause so much greater than themselves, I leave here a humbled man. I would leave this hallowed place to return to my homeland… their homeland – a place which many would never see again.
Thank you for reading my article on Big John’s Adventures in Travel. Please feel free to leave a comment and explore other areas of my site. I hope you will visit again soon or share on social media.
Happy travels,
Big John
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Historical Journeys.
Gutsy Gladiators and Spanish Bulls or the History of Cartagena
Just off the Mediterranean coast, in the Region of Murcia, is the Spanish city of Cartagena. In addition to its natural seaport, the ancient city of Cartagena was strategically important to both Carthage and Rome due its close proximity to rich silver mines during that period of time. From Carthaginians, to Romans, to Moors, the Mediterranean city of Cartagena has a very long and colorful history. Visitors entering the city today will find remnants of that glorious past in the form of murals, mosaics, and Roman ruins. Perhaps the most fascinating of all is the Roman theatre of Cartagena which was only uncovered in recent years.
The Roman Theatre of Cartagena
The Roman Theatre of Cartagena was built between 5 and 1 B.C., at the times of Gaius and Lucius, the grandsons of Caesar Augustus. In the 3rd century A.D., a market was built over the theatre and then a cathedral in the 12th century. It wasn’t until the 1990s that excavations were begun to restore the site to its former glory. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Historical Journeys and tagged Cartagena, Spain.
Into Innsbruck’s Old Town
Neatly tucked away inside the North Chain of the Karwendal Alps lies the city of Innsbruck, Austria. The city is well-known for its winter sports and there is even an Olympic ski jump on the south side of town. Because Olympic ski jumps are highly frowned upon when one is pregnant, Rebecca and I decided to skip this particular attraction and head straight into Innsbruck’s Old Town.
Inside the Old Town of Innsbruck
To step into the Old Town of Innsbruck is to step back in time some 800 years ago. Inside the heart of Tyrol, this Austrian city is a place of both sophistication and old-world charm. Rebecca and I had an amazing time admiring its Gothic and Baroque architecture, set against the backdrop the majestic Alps. (more…)
Posted in Europe, Adventurous Places and tagged Austria, Innsbruck.
The Alps by Automobile
In January of 2019, Rebecca and I decided to embark on the ultimate road trip and explore the Alps by automobile. We began our crazy adventure in northern Italy, but before it was all over we had traveled through the snowy passes of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria. This post serves as a photographic diary of our scenic journey along the way.
We entrusted this little French 5-speeder, a Citroën, to carry us safely through the Alps. (more…)
Posted in Europe, Adventurous Places and tagged Alps, Austria, Italy, Switzerland.