Going to Europe this July

Its official, my ticket is purchased and my planning is underway. I'm heading to Europe this coming July 16th and staying until August 24th, I'm so excited for this that my friends call me a little pitiful, hey I can't help it, little hick boy has never left the country before.

What I'm looking for ideas on places to see, so far the plan is starting off with staying with my Loire girl at her university for a week or two in Lyon, go to her family's cottage in the Alps for a week, and then the next almost 4 weeks are up for grabs, aside from a six day trip to Berlin fitting in there somewhere. Any of y'all from around there, or any who have visited France/Germany have any ideas of places I should go to? We are discussing going to Normandy for a few days, so I can go pay my respects to my great uncle who rests there. But if we do that, I want to find out where I might try to contact in Germany about finding another grave, I have recently learned that members of my family have kept in touch with my family in Germany ever since they left Prussia in the 1830s, up until 60 years ago. I've learned also that as such I have 3 very distant relatives who served in the Wehrmacht, and I'd like to pay respects to them if possible. Anywho, I have around 2-3 weeks where I can be doing or seeing whatever, so give me some suggestions!

Nobody remind me I missed Bastille day, I'm already disappointed enough...

 

Lucky you, the Lyon area is wonderful. Normandy is a must visit. If you drive through the Loire Valley , come in for a coffee.

 

Your missing Bastille day Tote....Enjoy it mate...You have to visit Arnhem and even Waterloo surely?

 

Are you Canadian? Surely, the area near Caen-Falaise where the Canadians fought the 12th SS for so long would be worth a visit.

 

Definitely Vimy Ridge (WW1) a must for any Canadian - also Dieppe

 

The Ardennes for sure and The US cemetery in Luxemburg, at least part of the Maginot line , car needed. I like Chateau Thierry, the trenches and cemetery there. The French armor museum at Samur is most interesting.............BUT, Otto please do not ban me for saying this, I would spend more time with the girl friend in truly romantic France !!!

Gaines

 

...and you are asking us for things to do ????

:twohearts:

 

How do you know Totes girlfriend then Gaines? Tote....watch him..

 

Yep...definately...surely...Dieppe..? As a Canadian...you'll regret it if you don't matey....

 

Thats a clever use of language there!

....and I'm just asking for things to do, in addition..... :v4victory:

 

I was thinking that we might try to follow a train route that would allow the Caen area, passing through Dieppe, and passing through Belgium and Netherlands, if that happens I could fit in Waterloo, Arnhem, and likely sites from the Bulge as well!

 

I am not sure how hefty of a gent you might be, but if you fit in my luggage, you are welcome to come along!

And yes, what excites me most is the length of the trip, my girl is quite intent on doing some basic "french immersion" while I am there so that I will come back speaking bébé francais when I return. I have also bought a camera, and many gigs of storage, so you will all have to suffer my generic tourist pics/WW2 and historically significant images.

 

You could always ship Biak over in a box. Just cut a few air holes and give him a beer and a bag of nuts. He'll do just fine.

 

ask your girlfriend to check for weekly fleamarkets and you 'll probably find some militaria too. Here are just a few hints.

Lyons area :

July 20th : flea market at Givors near Lyons .

July 28th : flea market at Chiroubles

 

Totenkopf:

Some blatant self-promoting here, but I did a trip from Brussels to Vienna last August (feel free to dig up my excessively-long picture thread). Here's what I recommend:

-Northern France: The Maginot Line is a must-see. Fort Hackenberg is excellent, but bring a jacket (the temperatures are ~10 degrees Celsius). http://maginot-hackenberg.com/presentationanglais.htm There's a lot of other 'gros ouvrages' (both open as museums and abandoned) in the area. If I had more time, I would have spent time exploring these as well.
-Belgium/Luxembourg: Obviously the Ardennes. This area is literally littered with history. You can still find bullet holes on some buildings and foxholes and shell craters in the forests. This is a must-see. Visit Bastogne, stand in the same foxholes the 101st did, drive from monument to monument (almost every town has one, and it usually takes the form of a tank or artillery piece) and spend some time in the many small museums in the area (the lady working at the La Gleize museum likes Canadians, so be sure to mention that). Plan on spending at least a day or two in the Ardennes. I spent 1 day, and that wasn't nearly enough. Additionally, visit the American cemetery in Hamm Luxembourg -- where many of the Bulge casualties are interred. Patton is also buried here. Down the road is the German cemetery at Sandweiler -- also worth a visit.

You will need a car for both of these sites, so I strongly suggest that you acquire one, through any means necessary!

Depending on where you are in the Alps, a visit to Berchtesgaden & the Obersalzberg would be worthwhile. The Intercontinental is an excellent hotel, and located just minutes away from all the WWII sites. No car is necessary for this one -- everything is in walking distance, and there's a train station in the town. Hire a taxi to take you to the hotel on the Obersalzberg, and you are all set.

Today is your lucky day! I am in the process of planning my next expedition, and I could use an 'Adjutant'. Pay your own airfare and hotel bills, and I will offer you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of carrying my bags, holding open maps and acting as my chauffeur as we advance across Europe, letting no obscure WWII site escape our attention, and leaving no camera memory card unfilled! And, naturally, for security reasons, you will be tasked with transporting whatever WWII artifacts I buy. I've decided on a panzerfaust and several hand grenades. There will be absolutely no problems bringing these on the plane when we return to North America, so these will be packing in your bag, with your name on them.

 

Watch it , I tried, I stayed

 

gtblackwell, on 29 Mar 2013 - 10:26, said:


The Ardennes for sure and The US cemetery in Luxemburg, at least part of the Maginot line , car needed. I like Chateau Thierry, the trenches and cemetery there. The French armor museum at Samur is most interesting.............BUT, Otto please do not ban me for saying this, I would spend more time with the girl friend in truly romantic France !!!

Gaines

How do you know Totes girlfriend then Gaines? Tote....watch him..

Well being a gentleman I simply cannot answer that inquiry ! If I am not considered a gentleman then , being an American.....I plead the 5TH amendment! And if I were French this would all be understood
And I am decidedly a Francophile !!!

Gaines