Another very hot and sweaty day but we're doing ok since we just found a Mcdonald's where we got ice. Nowhere else do they serve anything with ice here in Europe. We got 3 of their largest cups which is like our medium. It's been so hot that our own refrigerator isn't keeping up making ice cubes.

Oh well, according to weather rapport it's supposed to cool down soon. If not we'll turn north again 

Mom is really messing up what day of the week it is and I don't care to keep a tab of that either, so let's just say "the other day"

We got up super early to walk around Omaha Beach and it was great without crowds of people.

Omaha Beach lives in legend as the site of one of the most amazing battles of World War II. And what happened here was just part of a vast effort to reclaim freedom. On June 6, 1944, the Allies crossed the English Channel and landed along 60 miles of Normandy beaches to set in motion the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. Operation Overlord included five separate landing zones and 160,000 American, British, and Canadian troops. Code names for the beaches were Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Omaha is often the focus of Americans.

Of course, being up this early, no museums were open, but we looked around outside and in the windows.

this was some kind of thing Germans used to stop more troops coming in from the water

Historians agree that the landing on the stretch of about 5 miles that is Omaha Beach was the most difficult of a day of unimaginable difficulties. This beach turned out to have the largest number of German troops. Allied bombing runs failed to take out German strong points. The beach was riddled with mines and obstacles. Also, stormy weather and navigation issues led to men drowning before they could even reach the beach. Those who gained the beach faced a fortified sea wall and high bluffs from where German artillery rained down on them. But by the end of this Day of Days, the Americans claimed a toehold of about 1.5 miles on the shores of Omaha Beach.

We climbed up on top of these dunes and it was tough (especially for Mom)in the heat and we weren't carrying any equipment

The troops must have had one hell of a time

Next, we drove to the American Cemetery in Colleville-Sur-Mer. On a windswept bluff above Omaha Beach, this peaceful cemetery is the final resting place of almost 10,000 American soldiers who gave their lives in the battle for Normandy. The rows and rows of graves attest to the price paid for liberation in one small corner of the world.

 there was a gate and the "no dogs allowed" sign again. Not much to do about that 

so on we went

Many museums and many tanks were displayed in several museums around this area but Mom's morning hours meant nothing was open. It doesn't really matter though because there are always "no dogs" signs in those places and I and Mom are a team, we go together.

These flags are flying in many states in the USA too, it's a reminder about the hometown heroes. Looks like this guy got a medal from Eisenhower? 

The next stop was about 3,5 hours away, but it took much longer because that is calculated on the speed you're allowed to drive which is 130 km and Lucy prefers 90km.

We are now at a wonderful campsite in a town named Fougeres it just so happened that Mom refused another day without a shower. Washcloth washes aren't the same, especially in this horrific heat.at worst it was 113 degrees, but on the weather rapport they promised a cooler temperature soon, and they're right it's only 91 now.

Mom says we're staying here a couple of days because we need to relax (read SHE needs to) We also need to do laundry, clean Lucy, and do nothing .........

I'll tell you about today tomorrow..

au revoir

Henry

Goodbye Belgium and hello France

We are now in Rouen or actually, we were because we are somewhere else now. We stayed the night at a marina not far from the inner city and nothing around so Mom cooked despite the heat.

it has become super hot here now, (35-40C) even warmer than in Florida, but it's still cool at night so sleeping is good.

We got up very early while it was still cool, and went for a bike ride along the river Seine into town.

Formerly one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, the population of the metropolitan area is 702,945 (2018) Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy during the Middle Ages. It was one of the capitals of the Anglo-Norman dynasties, which ruled England and large parts of modern France from the 11th to the 15th centuries. From the 13th century onwards, the city experienced a remarkable economic boom, thanks, particularly to the development of textile factories and river trade. Claimed by the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War, it was on its soil that Joan of Arc was tried and burned alive on 30 May 1431.

 Severely damaged by the wave of bombing in 1944, it nevertheless regained its economic dynamism in the post-war period thanks to its industrial sites and its large seaport, which today is the fifth largest in France

We never figured out why there was Lego pieces covering some of the bomb holes, but it added some color to all gray buildings

Saint Joan of Arc church was built by architect Louis Arretche and it sure stands out as being so different, the project was also controversial in a city that houses many beautiful medieval Gothic churches

Inside, 13 stained-glass windows from 1520-1530 form a glass wall of 500 square meters, bathing the interior in light. These fine windows were originally set in the choir of the Saint-Vincent church which was destroyed during the Second World War (its ruins are still visible today on the rue Jeanne d’Arc). However, precautions had been taken and the windows were put in safe keeping until they were incorporated into their new home some 40 years later

We peeked in through the door and were quickly told to get out. I guess their God doesn't like dogs.

Despite the devastation of the Second World War, Rouen still has about 2000 half timbered houses dating back to the late Middle Ages.

Rouen’s Notre-Dame Cathedral is another of the city’s iconic buildings, reaching 151 meters into the sky and dominating the city’s skyline. From 1876 to 1880, it was the tallest building in the world until the Cologne Cathedral stole its title. Today, it remains the tallest cathedral in France.

It was early and no one was around here so we walked in to look around. it's huge and even here some of the old stained glass windows saved from the war were used thus have stained-glass windows dating from as far back as 1210

The cathedral, built and rebuilt over a period of more than eight hundred years, has features from Early Gothic to late Flamboyant and Renaissance architecture. It also has a place in art history as the subject of a series of impressionist paintings by Claude Monet

Across from the Notre Dame Cathedral is the tourist office, also known as the oldest Renaissance building in Rouen, dating back to 1509 and now labeled a historical monument

Every street had amazing buildings and some streets felt a little dark like something bad had happened there, I have a great sense of that kind of stuff, and sure enough, there's a mummified cat and morbid carvings in the old timber walls.

The grounds of the Aitre de St. Maclou have been steadily used as burial grounds since Roman times. However, during the Black Death of 1348 when 3/4 of the area’s inhabitants died, the site became a cemetery. By the 1520s more room was needed and in 1533 construction was finished on the East, West, and North aboveground ossuary galleries.

     

       

 

But she gave in and we sat down and ordered something. French people do not speak very good English so Mom just guessed and this was a very good grilled cheese for 9 Euro 

The gothic architecture of Rouen is the Church of Saint-Maclou. The church is known for its five gabled archways on its front and flying buttresses, both of which are staples of the style; in this case from the Flamboyant period. This striking church is nestled among Norman half-timbered houses, forming a combination that perfectly embodies the aesthetics of Rouen.

Street musician plays the accordian

The astronomic clock lies on a Renaissance arch that has spanned the street since 1527.  The Gros-Horloge itself dates back to the 16th century and its movement from 1389 in fact, it contains one of the oldest mechanisms in all of France

The two faces of the clock display 24 rays of sun against a blue starred sky

The dial’s diameter is 2.50 meters. A single hand ending with a depiction of a lamb shows the hour. The moon phases are indicated in the oculus above the clock face, in a sphere of 30 centimeters in diameter. It completes a full rotation in 29 days. There is also a hand showing the week, inside an opening at the base of the dial. It is decorated by allegoric characters: Diane as the moon (Monday), Mars (Tuesday), Mercury (Wednesday), Jupiter (Thursday), Venus (Friday), Saturn (Saturday), and Apollo (Sunday)

here's a colorful street. We observed that French shopping is only what's going on in the streets. No shops open at all and that's pretty nice we thought.

The Palace of Justice, in the historic center of the city, was built in 1499 to house the Exchequer of Normandy (a judicial institution that also functions chamber of accounts).

The site became the headquarters of the Parliament under King Francis I in 1515, and it turns into a courthouse after the French Revolution.

Symbol of prosperity in the early sixteenth century, the building is an example of the Louis XII style. Historical Monument in 1840, the palace is very affected by the bombings in April and August 1944 and must be then an identical restoration which will only be completed in 1970 and will justify a new ranking.

This was all fenced in no visitors were allowed at all?

after several hours walking around we biked back to Lucy and packed her up ready to drive to next place 

Goodbye Rouen, it was a great visit.

The next stop was Omaha Beach and it was crowded very crowded and they weren't happy with RVs at all because every parking lot had a bar across the entrance preventing Lucys' height to make it in.

Mom didn't give up though. we went back to town and parked at the library, made coffee, and had Fika

She figured most people will leave in the evening and she was right.

We drove back and found a spot for the night, I think our neighbor was living there for a while,but had no problem with us staying the night.

I had a great time running on the beach.

Mom was very impressed with this father and son building a fort together in the sand. They were our neighbors too

Early morning we drove back to the memorial and had breakfast in Lucy with a spectacular view. After a few pictures we continued on to where we are now. 

Mom is tired of writing so I'll tell you more tomorrow.

It is horrible hot here but fortunately, it cools down a lot at night 

Sun is down and we're so ready for bed

 Au Revoir à demain

Henry

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