Leaving Gouda Mom said we should look at the most famous windmills in Kinderdijk since we aren't too far away, that meant another short ferry ride

We got there and could see the mills from afar, but after driving back and forth a few times and finding no legal parking space Mom said a bad word and stopped (illegally) to zoom in for a picture, and then we continued on
Obviously, this town did not want any visitors in RVs because every bigger parking lot had a bar put up restricting heights

Goodbye Holland and hello Belgium

Mom is finally agreeing with me about the "no big cities" thing. Passing Antwerp we were stuck in traffic forever 

Reminded Mom on living in NewYork

This time we stopped in a town called Brugge in Flanders which is also what their language is called

Bruges is distinguished by its canals, cobbled streets, and medieval buildings. Its port, Zeebrugge, is an important center for fishing and European trade. 

We parked in a for RVs designated place packed together like sardines, but the positive part is walking distance to town

And walk we did, 6 hours of walking which also included a few stops at watering holes

Kids love me and this little boy didn't want to let go I felt his love despite no cookie in his hand

This is a hangout for the young crowd and very close to our parking, so Mom made a note in case we get lost.............

We are never lost Mom I have a sixth sense and know how to get back to Lucy always .............

Mom had to acknowledge she have noticed how I lead the way back to Lucy when it was time to go home but it's always good to have a backup just in case

 The historic center of Bruges has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 thanks to its status as one of the commercial and cultural capitals of Europe and its enduring Gothic architecture. The Belgian city center is cited as a great example of a medieval historic settlement, even while it has evolved over the years.

The Bruges Belfort (belfry) is 83 meters high and contains a carillon with 47 fine-sounding bells, the brass weighing 27 tons in total. The victory bell, which dates from 1680, weighs six tons and has a diameter of two meters. Most of the carillon bells heard today are from the 18th century and have recently been restored. Chiming bells have been heard across the city for over 500 years 

we went for a boat ride and that gave me an opportunity to take a nap 

Mom is taking pictures of so many amazing buildings and in the end, it's impossible to know which is what, so Mom says to anyone interested in knowing more here's a link to Bruges  

https://www.visitbruges.be/unesco-world-heritage/bruges-historic-city-centre

Mom says she feels like we are on a movie set and as a matter of fact, many movies have been made here. 

 The Monuments Men is a 2014 war film directed by Georg Clooney is one of many

I really like these bikes but Mom does not seem interested in getting me one..................booohoooo

This is another city that's claiming the "Venice of the North" title. Mom says it's much nicer than Venice

The cloppety clop from the horse's hoves scared me at first but after I while I got used to it. Mom likes the sound a lot

Over the centuries, the eastern side of Market Square has been embellished by three iconic buildings: the Waterhalle (a gothic warehouse) from the 13th century to the 18th century, a monumental neo-classical housing complex during the 18th and 19th centuries, and, last of all, the current three-part neogothic complex (from 1878) with its impressive Provincial Court at the center. This was home to the county council until 1999

Having a cold brew and a small bite to eat looking out at this town square is great life Mom says 

OK, but what are we eating?

Mom avoided all the chocolate shops on the way. I thought she was doing good because it sure looked tempting

Mom didn't know what a carillion was, so Google helped out

A carillon is a musical instrument that is played using a keyboard and that consists of at least 23 bronze bells. The bells must provide a harmonic sound. The carillon first saw the limelight in the 16th century when rich cities, like Bruges, embellished their belfries and steeples with tower bells. In the 17th century, the technique was refined and by the end of the 19th century, the carillon was increasingly used as a musical instrument in its own right, not related, therefore, to towers and churches. Since November 2014, UNESCO has recognized the Belgian carillon culture as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Finally, walking home we stopped and listened to these guys for a few minutes

We had a GREAT day

Wet kisses to ya all

Henry
 
 

The roads here in Holland are often lined with gorgeous trees on each side and not a lot of traffic. It's a slow very scenic drive

But now all of a sudden?? MOooooooom you promised NO big cities............I'm keeping the promise she said.

Oh really !!!! when I see seven-lane roads wide enough to land a 747 I know it means big city

We're not stopping Mom says, we're just getting around it

Mom has been to Amsterdam before so she sees no need to now....................puuuh

They have what Mom hates the most here, a 3km. long tunnel............... 

We stopped in a town named Gouda
In the Middle Ages, a settlement was founded at the current city's location by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took their name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbor. City rights were granted in 1272 and the name of the town is Gouda

 We were going to visit the cheese market which takes place every Thursday. Unfortunately, we didn't make it in time  (it ended at 3)so this is a borrowed picture from the web.

Still not a waste of time because this town has many beautiful buildings and isn't so large it's easy to get around.

We parked by a chocolate factory ...yummy Mom thought, but as it turned out it's a library now, a great library we went there to charge the PC and were served a glass of vine.............

The world-famous Gouda cheese is not made in the city but rather in the surrounding region. It derives its name from being traded in Gouda where the city council imposes stringent quality controls

The economy of the city center is based on tourism, leisure, and retail.

It's a great town to stroll and there's read surface for pedestrians

And in one place there was a message for me Mom said..................I don't read or speak Dutch so I don't care but doesn't the picture tell you something? mom said

I don't poop on sidewalks, I know better ( unless I absolutely have to go)

In the middle of the town square, it looked like we had arrived at Disney 

The Gothic Goudse Stadhuis was already in use by 1450 but many alterations have been made through the centuries. Originally, the town hall was surrounded by a water moat but since 1603 the Stadhuis has been without barriers at the center of the triangular Markt, one of the largest market squares in The Netherlands.

The carillon with a story on the side of the building was added in the 1960s.(for the tourists we were told) The puppet play illustrates Count Floris V leaving his castle in 1272 to grand the people of Gouda a city charter. It plays two minutes after the hour and a half hour

We met a man with a cute girl poodle who lives nearby and he said he was tired of listening to all bells in town

The Waag was built in 1667 across from the Old City Hall, this building was used for weighing goods (especially cheese) to levy taxes. It now is a national monument. It currently hosts a small cheese museum

As we walked around Mom realized this town has the same feel as the much larger cities in Holland but is much more peaceful and cleaner. 

I say "Who needs the big city anyway?" 

Well, there are a couple must-see, Mom said...............oh no can't wait

Saint John's Church, dedicated to John the Baptist is the longest church in the Netherlands, is famous for its stained glass windows which were made between 1530 and 1603 and is considered the most significant stained glass collection in the Netherlands. Even in the 17th century, it already was a tourist attraction, the church was closed so w didn't get to see that

This is how kids in Holland get around, the same in Denmark 

Looks great to me, because from what I see most of them are sitting there snacking 

The Red Lion Windmill is a fine example of a working mill and stands proudly on the edge of one of the canal networks 

Although this windmill no longer produces flour, it still works and you can see the sails turn and the mechanical parts of the mill are on display.

Windmills are one of the greatest Dutch traditions and this particular windmill was constructed in 1727 and has been lovingly restored in recent decades.

Holland is covered with interesting flowers and trees (tulip season is over)

This is an unusual flower busch maybe a relative to Hydrangea?

We had a good night's sleep and now we're on to the next small village ............right Mom?

Well, Brussels is close by.............MOooooooooooooooooomm you promised 

ok ok ok ok but 2 more big cities are in the deal .......right? ...........says Mom

Life is great 

Henry

Goodbye Bremen and goodbye Germany 

Hello Holland and a slower pace is appreciated

Drawbridges are everywhere here and it's nice to stop and watch 

Dutch foam slippers anyone? 

Mom had set direction to a town called Venice of the North, actually, there are a few places called that ..... Stockholm for instance, but this particular town Mom wanted to revisit to make sure it's still as gorgeous as she remembered it.

( Especially how she remembers stuff lately)

We managed to get a spot in the marina, which was very lucky because this is a crowded tourist area.

Dutch village without roads
Giethoorn village has no roads in the center. So of course, no roads mean also no cars. Visitors and residents of Giethoorn village need to park their cars outside the village at special car parks.

You can rent whisper boats which are electric and quiet

Mom says she doesn't know how to drive a boat and after standing around looking at other drivers and the crowd we both decided it wasn't safe for us. It looked like bumper cars but boats

There were lots of choices of restaurants and cafes so we stopped for a beer and mussels, and yes I did get a taste of both. Mom really enjoyed the mussels so I didn't get much

Mom finally decided to get on the bigger boat for a ride, which we both though was boring

Giethoorn village contains hand-dug canals and all small islands which are interconnected by 176 bridges to the mainland. In fact, on all these islands, there are houses (farmhouses) which are built in the 18th and 19th centuries. A walking/cycling path named: 'Binnenpad' runs right through this area. 

So Mom decided let's get up real early before all tourists and ride this path...........which we did

All these roof thatched houses in the Venice of the North are often surrounded by deep green well-kept lawns with beautiful flowering hydrangeas. So, in combination with the many waterways with rows of weeping willows along the canals and the 176 bridges, you easily imagine yourself in a fairy tale.

I suppose it's garbage pickup on Fridays.............I have never seen a garbage boat?

 The village was created 800 years ago by manually searching for peat. In fact, the locals at that time dug by hand and created a complete channel system. In conclusion, with all this digging all islands were created. How cool to have your own moat around your house. No gators in these waters and it's only about 1 meter deep.

Thatching is the oldest form of roofing, it has been around for 10,000 years and it still exists and is still used on many buildings today, from commercial through to residential.

Thatch is a natural insulator that will keep your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter which will save you money on heating bills.
Thatch is also a sustainable resource making it extremely environmentally friendly; harvesting the thatch is also economically friendly too!
No matter what size or shape your roof is, thatch is a flexible, soft material that can be shaped on any roof. Cool designs and patterns can also be formed at the ridge and the edges, so they can be customized to your taste.

About 100-200 years ago there was poverty in Giethoorn. so, if you had little money at the time you had your house covered with reeds. In fact, it's the other way around now. In other words, placing roof tiles on a house is now cheaper than having it covered with thatch. However, residents of Giethoorn village are happy to stick to the tradition of the roof thatched houses. Therefore, they renew their roofs every 40 years.

This is a very interesting tree? no clue what it is? 

Mom was in total awe at these gorgeous gardens, the hydrangeas are huge, and roses were everywhere..........

How did the Wall Street bull end up here? 

We both thought it was a great idea to get up early to sightsee we only met a few residents walking their dogs, usually without a leash. This is my kind of town 

Mom was told she can bring me to the supermarket too??  That'll be interesting I have never been to one.

It's already 9.30 am and time to pack up and continue on to the next amazing place, wherever that'll be? 

It has finally got warm now, but still rather cool at night which is the greatest.

Life is great 

wet kisses 

Henry

we're waking up at a campsite in Bremen a city that ranks among the largest cities in Germany. Its population growth since the 19th century has been linked closely with its economic development. WWII saw a decline in the war-torn city’s population, but it rose sharply with the extensive postwar reconstruction. The vast majority of Bremen’s citizens are Protestants

Since almost all large cities in Europe have green zones in the inner city we always have to find a spot on the outside and this park is close enough that we could ride the bike into the center.

I love sitting n the basket looking at the world go by while Mom pedals as hard as she can.

There are plenty of bike paths but they are on the road and bicyclists go fast, very fast crossing roads without looking it seems. Mom got worried and got off the bike at several intersections to walk safely but we got screamed at a few times for not doing it correctly.................Mom shouted back in Swedish 

Close to camp is a huge park where you easily can get lost because there are roads going in all directions and no signs of where you are.

This is the Universum of Bremen, In our opinion the strangest looking building we have ever seen. It looks like a beached whale, it would have been interesting to go inside but "no dogs" allowed sign stopped that idea.

Continuing on we finally reached the city marketplace with amazing buildings all around, 

The City Hall is the seat of the President of the Senate and Mayor of the free Hanseatic city. It is one of the most important examples of brick Gothic and Weser Renaissance architecture in Europe. Since 1973, it has been a protected historical building. In July 2004, along with the Bremen Roland statue, the building was added to the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.

The statue of Roland was erected in 1404. It is facing the cathedral and shows Roland, paladin of the first Holy Roman Emperor and hero of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. Roland is shown as the protector of the city: his legendary sword known as Durendal is unsheathed, and his shield is emblazoned with the two-headed Imperial eagle 

This fountain is called Neptunbrunnen.........The group of figures in the fountain shows various figures from Roman and Greek mythology In the middle is the sea god Neptun (or Poseidon in Greek), who rides over the waves on his chariot pulled by two horses and raises his trident. The chariot itself is indicated by a block of granite rising above the fountains  only Poseidon himself and the team of horses are sculpted in bronze, the two horses spray water from their nostrils from time to time.

The Schutting, situated on the market square, initially served the city's merchants and tradesmen as a guild house In 1849, it became Bremen's chamber of commerce. Since 1973, it has been under monument protection.It lies directly across from the town hall

We do like to see the Ukrainian flag on many buildings in Germany, just to let their people know we're supportive and thinking of them 

The Musicians of Bremen are seen everywhere in pictures and statues, and the story is: a donkey, a dog, a cat, and a rooster, all past their prime years in life and usefulness on their respective farms, were soon to be discarded or mistreated by their masters. One by one, they leave their homes and set out together. They decide to go to Bremen, known for its freedom, to live without owners and become musicians there.

On the way to Bremen, they see a lighted cottage; they look inside and see three robbers enjoying their ill-gotten gains. Standing on each other's backs, they decide to scare the robbers away by making a din; the men run for their lives, not knowing what the strange sound is. The animals take possession of the house, eat a good meal, and settle in for the evening.

Later that night, the robbers return and send one of their members in to investigate. He sees the cat's eyes shining in the darkness and thinks he is seeing the coals of the fire. The robber reaches over to light his candle. Things happen in quick succession; the Cat scratches his face with her claws, the dog bites him on the leg, the donkey kicks him with his hooves, and the rooster crows and chases him out the door. The terrified robber tells his companions that he was beset by a horrible witch who had scratched him with her long fingernails, a dwarf who has a knife, a black monster who had hit him with a club, and worst of all, a judge calling out from the rooftop. The robbers abandon the cottage to the strange creatures who have taken it, where the animals live happily for the rest of their days.

The Schnoor quarter is the oldest part of the city, and its narrow lanes are lined with a succession of delightful little houses. This is Bremen at its most inviting, with cafés, and artisan crafts. 

we both decided this was the best part of Bremen.

This is the oldest house in Schnoor

This guy recognized me as an Ewok but said it would be even more alike if I was walking on two legs, so I did show him I could ..............look at his face 

Maybe I should start to charge people for showing off this trick? 

 Bremen Cathedral dedicated to St.Peter is a church situated in the center of the city, it belongs to the Evangelical Church a member of the Protestant umbrella organization. Since 1973, it is protected by the monument protection act

It is huge and quite impressive, the style is very much like a church in Lund Sweden

A closer look at the statues by the entrance does not look very inviting at all, Strange ??

These heralds were originally created for the World Exposition in Paris.

some sculptures are really strange, this one for example. What is it? a fat guy wondering what to do with the woman?

Suffocating her maybe?

It's exhausting to walk around a big city, with the noise, the smells, and fast-moving everything, and as in every big city there are homeless people. Also lots and lots of graffiti on almost every surface

Both me and Mom felt like doing what this white pup is doing, but neither one of us could be this relaxed, and besides it's pretty dirty in the streets. 

We both felt we had enough of this and I managed to curl up in the basket for a short nap while Mom pedaled back to Lucy. 

It's 9.30 Tuesday morning and people around us start to move on. Mom said we'll stay here one more night to relax and take walks in the beautiful park that's close by.

Not a bad idea I thought...................

Life is great and even greater in the country, I hope Mom isn't planning any more big city excursions.............

Oh well she says, there may be one or two more...........

This is for the postcards to friends..............sorry we're not sending any

Kisses to ya,all 

Henry

After a great night's sleep, we continued on to cross the border to Germany which was uneventful being within the EU.

The difference now is that the relaxing 50 and 80 km speed limit in Denmark has now turned into 70 and 100km and the roads stay the same: narrow one-lane roads. In centrum of villages, you're supposed to know it's automatic 50km because there are no 50 signs just town signs.

Our first stop is in a town called Husum a small quaint town that was first mentioned in 1252 when king Abel was murdered.

Like most towns on the North Sea  Husum was always strongly influenced by storm tides. In 1362 a disastrous storm tide, the "Grote Mandreke" flooded the town and carved out the inland harbor. Before this date, Husum was not situated directly on the coast. The people of the city took advantage of this opportunity and built a marketplace, which led to a great economic upturn.

Between 1372 and 1398 the population of Husum grew rapidly, and two villages, Eas and West Husum was created

I tried really hard to scare some life in that creature but he was stonefaced

This poor seagull was stuck behind the glass, and Mom wanted to help him out but too many ladies screeching 

This could be a good golf cart I thought, Let's check it out....... Mom............Moooooooomm

Hmmm..what is there to say about his sign? Not much Mom said

At the town square, there was a market just like at home, and Mom bought a hat to keep the wind out of her ears.

The sandwich shop serves healthy herring........Mom is grinning thinking about what most of her friends say about them
They say eeeeuuwwww she said.
Mom, let's get one and I'll be the judge if it tastes good.
Mom reminded me we just ate and said I'll eat anything no matter what which I can't deny. I'm a true gourmand

Mom tried to convince me this says "U are a schmuck"
Hmmm.....so why do they sell watches and jewelry?

Looks like Mom has been here with her yarn and crochet needle

After the walk around we continued to Gluckstadt and the ferry over the Elbe   

the wait was a couple of hours but no problem, Mom made coffee and we took a walk looking at the sheep.

watching the birds

 

So we got on the ferry last and Mom went out to check so Lucy didn't hang her tail outside.

And yes I always take over the driver seat when Mom leaves. I'm the co-pilot so I can do anything I want if Mom isn't behind the steering wheel

We arrived in Gluckstadt and continued on to Bremen but we ended up stopping at an RV store to park for the night

Maybe Lucy will be sold by the time we wake up...........haa

They just provided this service to park and sleep, we got up and left before anyone had awaken.

We are now in Bremen parked at an RV parking outside the centrum because Lucy is not allowed to drive in the centrum because she has a diesel engine and is considered bad for the environment  which we can't deny

We'll be biking in a little later but first Mom is going to make some calls to the WiFi provider that are not very good............

It's a dreary day overcast and chilly 

but life is still good

Henry

We slept well at the rest stop we found, but now both me and Mom are fed up with the constant wind blowing. Lucy hates it even more and is giving Mom a hard time by pulling in all different directions, but only once did it worry me when a specially strong side wind got a hold of her. Luckily no other cars were on the road at the time.

When we drove over the bridge we discovered the more interesting bunker was on the south side. Here you can clearly see the "footprints" of Germans

As far as wind, Denmark was a pioneer in developing commercial wind power during the 1970s, and today a substantial share of the wind turbines around the world are produced by Danish manufacturers. Here wind power produced the equivalent of 47% of Denmark's total electricity consumption in 2019, an increase from 43.4% in 2017, 39% in 2014, and 33% in 2013. In 2012, the Danish government adopted a plan to increase the share of electricity production from wind to 50% by 2022 and to 84% by 2035. Denmark had the 4th best energy architecture performance in the world in 2017 according to the Worl economic forum, and the second-best energy security in the world in 2019 according to the same agency. Norway is number one.

There are windmills almost everywhere and no increase in cancer or piles of dead birds

this is a row of mills and from this angle, they looked wild. 

We went to a Viking village  (there are several of them here in Denmark) and every tent had a smokey fire smoldering 

Mom of course hated that so she didn't bother trying out any of the things you could do here.

There isn't much to say about his place other than it's pretty well done and was worth a quick visit

their Gods weren't very good looking 

I bet the kids must love this gameplay just running around having fun and getting their picture taken by tourists like us

I tried to get some attention here thinking they must be eating something, but nope and that Mom didn't let her kid pet me?

Mom said he might have been allergic to dogs like so many seem to be here, impossible I say  

Finally, I found something to eat. This lady was chewing on a carrot and she bit off a small piece for me, but I quickly grabbed the larger one she held in her other hand. That made everyone laugh at me.

I don't care, I got the carrot.

We left this place Mom complaining about stinking like she's been stuck in an underground smoke-filled jazz club

 so I'm sure we'll end up on a campsite and showers tonight. I hope she doesn't plan to involve me in that 

The next stop on the way south was this monument she read about, but when we got to that city named Esbjerg it was packed with people everywhere. Streets cut off and impossible to get around...................What's going on? 

It was a tall ship festival

It was hell to navigate around the crowded streets so Mom was about to give up when a young man gave her advice on how to get around it all, and we eventually did it.

Unveiled in 1995 the quartet of sculptural titans known collectively as the art piece, Man Meets the Sea is a timeless tribute to man’s contemplative nature. 

The piece was designed by Svend Wiig Hansen and is meant to have a universal appeal to represent all men as opposed to any one ethnicity. They are, 27-foot-tall figures and the stark white statues are completely devoid of decoration, allowing visitors to map their own contemplative thoughts onto the figures, and their own countenances across the statues’ blankly staring faces. Although the figures may look alike, keen observers will find subtle differences among them. We didn't stay long, the wind was beating us up so we didn't look for the differences, maybe next time.

All Mom wanted now was to get the hell out of this town and to find a shower.

As we are leaving town we saw something that looked like a sea of gray whales??? 

It was wings for the wind turbines, but nowhere to stop for pictures so Mom took a not very good one as we drove by

Those are enormous............

we found a campsite and Mom got her shower and we slept great listening to the never-ending wind.

It's now 8 am and today's plan is to drive to the ferry on the Elbe in  Germany hoping it'll finally be less windy.

Nobody should be able to resist my begging face, not even Mom, right?

Life is great

Henry

We slept in a parking lot just outside the terminal, and across the river is a huge red monster 

The ferry was leaving at 4.15 so the alarm went off at 3 am and Mom had planned to make coffee but decided to do that in the queue. Ha, there was no time, the trucks were getting off at one end of the ship as they were loading on new trucks at the other?  It didn't take long before we were safely parked inside the belly of the ship.

You're not allowed to stay in your car, so from experience, Mom knows how people hog the seats, and usually, there are only a few in the dog section so we got out quickly and "ran" up 5 flights of stairs The comfortable couches were already taken by people stretched out with pillows and blankets. How did they get up here so fast?

They didn't have dogs, so surely they'll be kicked out later ................but nooooo 

The ship is fueling ..................wonder how many liters?

We checked out the lifeboats, hope we don't have to use them Mom said

WHAAAT I said, is that a possibility?.

Just kidding Mom answered..............stupid humor if you ask me

We found a seat by the window with a very wide windowsill for me to sit on. looks more like I mirror I thought. The trip was boring and uneventful so I fell asleep on my lead.

Oh, I did meet a giant Rumanian truck driver. He didn't speak one word we could understand, but he wanted to show Mom pictures of his dogs, and of course, pet me. I tried giving him a lot of kisses but after a few, he held me away.......what's up with that????

Now we are in Denmarks mainland Jutland, which  is a peninsula bounded by the North Sea  to the west, the Skagerrak to the north, the Kattegatt and  Baltic sea to the east, and Germany to the south

We're driving along the west side and our first stop is a town called Lokken

The town is renowned internationally for its beautiful broad sandy beaches where you’ll find the white bathing huts side by side like a string of pearls against a backdrop of grass-covered dunes.

On Løkken Beach you’ll still find fishing cutters being drawn up onto the beach after a trip out to sea.

We walked all the way out on the pier as the wind beat us up............cold wind too and I got sand blowing into my hair

 How many miles to America?

We could have driven Lucy down to the sand and park but Mom was afraid to get stuck and we would have had sand everywhere.

Motorcycle parking?

Lokken is a typical tourist place, with very sleepy tourists because it wasn't many people out at 9 am 

We went into a souvenir shop (Mom is looking for unusual wind chimes) and to our surprise, this was being sold in there

Granted it IS airguns, but do they have to look that scary?

As we were walking along we started to think that maybe some Americans founded this town? Or they are being copycats

This sign must have me in mind. I always get foam in my beard when I drink beer 

These streets are nice looking but not very comfortable to walk on. I found a dead fish ..........he's stoned hahaha 

Hollyhock grows everywhere in Denmark............even with almost no dirt.

Mom changed the plan to stay here for the night. Too many cars and no space, so we continued south along the coast.

We're both tired from lack of sleep so we can't drive all that long now.

Finally, we found a great place to camp by a bridge in Aggersund

We were wondering why such a nice rest stop here? and then we realized this place had a lot of history

The Danish state had begun construction of the bridge in August 1939, and the work continued during the occupation with the result that the bridge was officially opened on 18 June 1942.

The bridge had barely entered into use before German troops arrived in Aggersund to protect it. In August/September 1942, the German Air Force installed three 2 cm anti-aircraft guns to defend the bridge against aerial attack, and the German Army stationed an infantry company (approx. 50 men) at the bridge around the same time.

Work was begun to fortify the area around the bridge in early 1943, with broad barbed-wire obstacles being laid out in semi-circular patterns around the bridgeheads. Trenches and firing positions were then dug behind the barbed-wire protection. The bridge defenses were subsequently reinforced between March and October 1943 by the laying of 3,209 anti-tank mines and 1,475 anti-personnel mines.

Construction of concrete bunkers commenced in August 1943; the first was completed in December of the same year, the last in October 1944. A total of 15 large bunkers with 2 meter-thick walls and ceilings were built, as well as five smaller ones with walls approximately 30 cm thick.

Five of the large bunkers were the property of the German Air Force and served to protect the bridge against aerial bombardment. These bunkers are positioned in the immediate vicinity of the ends of the bridges.

The other bunkers were operated by the German Army and are located in the outer areas of the fortified position.

Because the water table in this area is so high, most of the large bunkers were built above ground. To camouflage them as ordinary houses, they were clad in artificial brickwork and topped with false roofs.

In January 1945, the position was served by 174 soldiers.

you were allowed to go down inside, but Mom said no way it looked dark and scary, who knows what's down there?

As we were standing there a gang of older guys came riding their mopeds. Mom said they were reminiscing back to their teenage days. Looked like they had a lot of fun

Tomorrow is another day. I know something exciting is going to happen, not sure what yet, but Mom has been looking into this box for a long time making plans. Not that it means an awful lot because everything can change on a drop of a hat when it comes to Mom I just have to paw around 

LIFE IS GREAT

HENRY

 Saying goodbye to our gracious host and repairman we're now back on the road and Lucy is her good old self again.

We didn't drive very far because Mom decided we'll take the ferry from Gothenburg to the top of Denmark's mainland instead of going down to the bridge.

The next available ferry that'll allow dogs are embarking at 4.15 am so we'll have to set the alarm for 3 am.

Mom has been to Gotheburg many times before, but nothing looked like she remembered. Everywhere there's road building and cranes and highrises and ........

The trams are still running though

Mom kept saying the Fishchurch must still be here and yes she found it, but it was closed for repair

Feskekörka is an indoor fish market that got its name from the building's resemblance to a Neo-gothic church. It opened on 1 November 1874 and was drawn by the city architect Victor von Gegerfelt. Feskekörka is an institution in Gothenburg as well as a tourist magnet, housing one of the city's oldest trades, fishing.

Apart from a fish market, there is also a fish- and seafood restaurant in the building.

Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. It is situated by Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has a population of approximately 590,000 in the city proper and about 1.1 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area.

 The architecture is very interesting Mom thinks

Gothenburg was founded as a heavily fortified, primarily Dutch, trading colony, by royal charter in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. In addition to the generous privileges (e.g. tax relaxation) given to his Dutch allies during the then-ongoing Thirty Years' War, the king also attracted significant numbers of his German and Scottish allies to populate his only town on the western coast. At a key strategic location at the mouth of the Göta älv, where Scandinavia's largest drainage basin enters the sea, the Port of Gothenburg is now the largest port in the Nordic countries.

Mom HAD to see the place she remembered so she dragged me along for 8.4miles  (according to the GPS) 

This was the view she was looking for.................the Museum of art

The square Götaplatsen was constructed for the World Fair in Gothenburg in 1923 and a fountain was placed in the same location as Poseidon before the statue was inaugurated nearly ten years later. The square is surrounded by beautiful buildings on three sides: the Concert hall, the City Theatre, and the Gothenburg Museum of Art.

Poseidon, the sea God, by Carl Milles is one of Gothenburg’s most famous landmarks, situated at the top of the main boulevard Avenyn at the square Götaplatsen. The statue was inaugurated in September 1931.

Mom thinks this Poseidon is ugly, he looks much better from the back

After a short break and some water we walked all the way back to Lucy

So many outdoor cafes and some had no people so I quickly checked for table scraps

 Some streets were no smoking streets, which of course Mom loved 

The sign says your butts end up in our fish, throw them here

FIKA is like a religion in Sweden, it's a coffee cake, a cinnamon bun. Usually it's something sweet

Gothenburg is home to many students, as the city includes the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Volvo was founded in Gothenburg in 1927. The original parent Volvo Group and the now separate Volvo Car Corporation are still headquartered on the island of Hisingen in the city

This is the city library

Not sure what kind of vehicle this is 

Surprise surprise?????................the have ODD Fellows here too

 

These guys were coaches for a soccer team and asked the kids to collect cans to make money........good idea 

Almost back home Mom spotted this art on a wall.......................show that garbage can be art too

Back in Lucy, we will now get a few hours of rest before it's time to take the 3,5-hour ferry ride.............It's going to be fun I've never been on a ferry before.  I hope Mom don't get seasick

Wet kisses to ya all

Henry