Email phishing scam targets USAA members

By Jeff Schogol
Published: December 1, 2011

Scammers are sending out an email that looks as though it is from USAA to steal your personal information.

Some USAA members have received the email, which asks you to "Click here to register and secure your account," according to USAA. Those who click on the link are asked for their PIN, card number, billing address and other important information.

"Although the email includes a USAA logo and appears to be from USAA, it is not. USAA will not ask for any personal or account information, including PINs or passwords, in an email," according to a story posted on USAA's website Thursday evening.

f you receive an email supposedly from USAA that looks suspicious, feel free to report it at:

abuse@usaa.com

Those who believe they may have given their information to the scammer should call USAA at 1-877-632-3002 or 1-800-531-8722.

Winter Driving

Winter driving in the BENELUX countries (Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg) as well as Germany can be quite hazardous; for several reasons.

1. High speed driving.  In Germany there are roads with unlimited speed and even in less than perfect weather people will drive at speeds in excess of 140 kph (87 mph). In The Netherlands the top speed is supposed to be 120 kph (74.5 mph) but I am very often passed when I am driving at that speed.  In Belgium the national speed limit is 130 kph (80.7 mph).

2. Fog. The Netherlands is as far north as Quebec, Canada.  So why isn't it as cold and snowy as Canada?  Mostly because of the Gulf Stream that brings warm water from the area of Florida, up the east coast of the US, and then crossing the Atlantic to northern Europe. This warm water puts a lot of moisture in the air as well as moderating the air temperature. The second reason for the fog is all the water in The Netherlands. Water retains heat longer than air.  All the water in the canals, lakes, ponds, drainage ditches, and rivers in this area stay warmer than the surrounding air. In the winter then, when night time temperatures drop to the 30's, the moist air coming off the water cools and hits the dew point.  At this point the air cannot hold the moisture any longer and it forms fog and dew. Typically fog flows into low lying areas.  With the shorter days in winter, due to being so far north, the sun cannot "burn off" the fog as easily.

3. Shorter Days. Because we are so far north we enjoy very long days in the summer and correspondingly short days in winter. The Winter Solstice, 22 December this year, is the shortest day of the year. In December daylight lasts for less than eight hours.  It is dark when everyone is driving to work and it is dark when everyone is driving home from work. On the chart above you can clearly see this. Also notice how long the days are in summer.  You might find it difficult to put your younger children to bed when it is still light outside, we did, but with a 19 hour day in June that happens.

4. Ice and Snow. It rarely gets very cold in The Netherlands, at least compared to our Northern States. But because you rarely have many hours of sun in the winter any snow or ice that forms can last a long time.  Moisture will accumulate on low spots of a road and freeze over night.  We also get the weird "black ice" that you so often hear about in Germany.  This is nearly invisible ice that forms on roads and sidewalks. Because we see very little sunshine in the deep winter you cannot rely on the sun to melt off snow and ice.  Usually it is rain that eventually melts the snow but that causes its own winter driving problems.

    If it is cold enough and we get a dry snow, snow drifts across roads are a big hazard.  Why are there so many windmills in The Netherlands?  Well, one reason is because it is nearly always windy here.  Last winter I saw snow drifts across the road I take to work that were two meters (a little over six feet) high.

    Another problem with snow here is that the Dutch do not routinely plow their roads, especially in the towns.  The major highways will eventually be cleared but most of the local roads are not touched. The funny thing is, they will clear the bike trails that run along the roads before the roads themselves in most cases.  Often this is done by local organizations using farm equipment.

5. Bikes, scooters, mobility chairs, and pedestrians. Even though there is snow and ice on the roads that doesn't keep bikes, scooters, and electric wheelchairs off the street.  As narrow as the roads are in this area they are even narrower in the winter when snow is on the ground.  Non-vehicle road users will move out into the more open roadway since the sides of the roads are covered in snow.  Believe it or not they sell snow tires for mopeds, scooters, and bikes here for the winter.  People that rely on their bikes for transportation, especially school children, will be out on the street peddling away. Because they are cold they often are not as careful and ruts in the snow can move them out into you lane quickly and unexpectedly.  Drive extra slow when passing bikes in the snow. Older people in their electric wheelchairs still need to shop and get to appointments so if the sidewalks are blocked they will just drive out onto the street.

The Dutch are not as accustomed to driving in the snow as Americans from the northern states.  I saw cars down in the roadside drainage ditches constantly last yesr when driving to work.

6. Drainage ditches and canals. The Dutch do not routinely emplace guardrails along the drainage ditches and canals that run beside the roads.  This is mostly because of the costs and also because they have to clean out and maintain the canals and ditches and that would be too hard to do if there were guardrails. Last year, we had a lot of snow here and it stuck around for several weeks.  There are several places on my way to work where the road makes a big sweeping turn and because the snow covered everything people drove straight ahead thinking they were still on the road and they ended up in the middle of a farmer's field or down in a ditch.

Roadside emergencies in winter. Toward the end of October I always pack my winter emergency kit and put it in my back seat.  In this bag is water, snack bars, a large candle and matches, blankets, wool hat and gloves, a thermal shirt, a wind-breaker type jacket, and a reflector belt. If you breakdown or drive off the road in the winter you need to be prepared to spend the night in your car or walk for help.

There is one AAA type business in The Netherlands that I know of; The Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB. (Disclaimer: This blog is not an endorsement of this organization and I am not a member.) You can see if you are interested in their services by going to the English page of their web-site at:

http://www.anwb.nl/over-anwb/vereniging-en-bedrijf,/unieke-vereniging/English-pages.html

There is another emergency service company called "Bosch".  Bosch is a world-wide automotive company but they apparently have an emergency service.  Go to the following website to see what they offer (this is in Dutch only so get some help if you need it):
Bosch Car Service 

As with anything else we do it always pays to be prepared.  Keep your vehicle in good running order, check your tires for servicable tread, change over to snow tires in the winter or have good all-season tires with good tread.  Slow down in winter, especially once it starts to dip below freezing at night.  Black ice cannot be seen. Stay home if the roads are too bad to drive.  This is The Netherlands, not the front line. Nobody dies if you don't get to work first thing in the morning.

Shopping at Schinnen

US Army Garrison Schinnen is a small facility that supports a relatively small number of people in the Germany/BENELUX area.  With that in mind though I think you will find that USAG Schinnen can meet most of your shopping needs. On this small camp is a PX, Shopette w/bookstore, Class 6 Store, PX-tra, Commissary, and a couple concessions.

PX

The PX is not real big but it has most of what you need.  If they don't have it on hand it can be special ordered.  The PX has two floors.  The PX is closed on Mondays and most US holidays.

    The bottom floor is the high tech section of the store (Power Zone). Here you can shop for computers, TVs, DvDs, digital cameras, GPSs, and all sorts of parts for connecting and using your electronic gear.  The TV selection is pretty good with a good assortment of flat screen TVs.  Not all of them are multi-system though so if you are going to connect to the Dutch or German TV cables systems you need to make sure you get a multi-system TV. Off and on they sell AFN satellite dishes and peripherals. They also have a pretty good selection of computer games and console type games (Wii, Xbox, etc.) but they don't carry a lot of any particular game.There sometimes are concession sales (leather coats, wines, clocks, etc.) in the lower floor hallway. The registers are all centrally located in the Power Zone.

    Upstairs is the clothing and shoe store. There is not a huge selection at any given time but it seems that they rotate the clothes pretty well.  Truthfully, I don't go up there all that often, I have all the clothes that I need, but whenever I do go there it appears like there is new stuff there.  They have a very good sales rack and I do make a point to check that out when I am there.  The shoe selection is very small. I've never bought shoes here so I don't know how well stocked the back room is for sizes. They recently moved the Military Clothing Sales from the main clothing room to its own room.  When they did this they also expanded what they carried.  For the size of the PX this is a pretty good clothing sales store.  I used to drive to Belgium to get military clothing items but won't have to anymore. There is a small gifts concession upstairs, where it used to be 12 years ago.  It is mostly Dutch touristy type stuff, fine if you need a gift for someone back in the states. It is priced in Euros so figure out the dollar value before you think it's a good deal.  There is also a multi-purpose room now with limited selections of perfume, over the counter meds, candles (Yankee Candle), and curios. There is usually seasonal stuff on sale in the hallway at the top of the stairs (there is an elevator for those who would need it). Finally the customer service window is at the back end of the upstairs.  Here you can cash checks, buy postage stamps, exchange currency (slightly more expensive rate than at the bank), return or exchange purchased items, etc.

Shoppette

The Shoppette was just reconfigured because they are moving the concession stores from outside the building to the former Book Store area.  This required them to move the Book Store into the Shoppette.  That's a shame because the former Book Store was set up real nice like a stateside book store with a coffee bar. So now the Shoppette has the book store, very limited food items, the Class 6 store, cards and stationary, and DvD rentals. The Shoppette just recently added Monday hours, which is really nice. The Shoppette is right next to the PX.

Food Court

Just down from the Shoppette is the food court, sort of.  Basically it is a small Burger King, Anthony's Pizza, and Baskin Robbins shop.  There is often only two workers there (one is the cook) so don't expect extremely fast service. The ice cream is ridiculously expensive; you can get better ice cream out on the economy for 2/3s the price. Burger King is everywhere the Army is and this one gets just enough business to stay open, which means the food is surprisingly fresh.  After 33 years in the Army it is a rare day that you'll see me in a Burger King but maybe once every two or three months I eat there.

Concessions

Right now they are still outside but they should be moving into the former Book Mart sometime soon.  These include New Car Sales, Car Rental (the car rental guy is the friendliest man in the world I think), flower shop, Barber, and beauty salon. I've rented cars there but otherwise I have not used these services.  My son was never happy with the barber shop.

PX-TRA

Down the road a bit is the newly redone PX-TRA.  They moved all the household goods (small appliances, pillows, sheets, kitchenware, etc.) down here.  As a result of the loss of space in the store their outdoors, tools, and gardening shelf space has been cut in half or less. There is a very small selection of sports/fitness supplements, gloves, and stuff like that.  There is a small bike shop with the standard low-end bike brands and bike equipment (plenty good enough for the kids though). There is a pet section (redundant with the commissary), outdoor/camping section, small selection of tools, and kids toys.  Toys takes over most of the shelf space during the fall and Christmas season.

Commissary

The commissary is nothing to complain about.  It is bigger than the population probably warrants.  Selection is limited to a few brands but I think you will be able to find everything you need.  Schinnen is at the far end of the supply line so shelves are often empty and items are often approaching their "Sell By" date.  The commissary, like all the other stores on the camp except the Shoppette, is closed on Mondays.  Shelves are often low on Sundays.  So try to stock up on needed items before the weekend if at all possible.  I have special ordered a few items and they generally are happy to get them for you if they exist in the commissary warehouse. Remember the commissary tax.  There is a five percent "surcharge" (just a tax by another name) so you can sometimes by the same items at one of the other stores cheaper.  A good example is the Stars & Stripes newspaper.  The Sunday edition is $1.00 at the PX or Shoppette but $1.05 (because of the tax) at the commissary.  That five percent will add up over time. Breads are, I think, shipped in from the states so they are never fresh.  Buy bread downtown at your local C1000, Aldi, or Jumbo store (it's better, fresher, and cheaper). The meats aren't great either, it also comes frozen from the states, but you'll rarely be able to buy meats cheaper on the economy.  The fruit and vegetable section is usually pretty bad.  They mishandle the goods and they are usually bruised and prone to early spoilage. This is something else you should probably buy on the economy. Milk is much cheaper here than on the economy even though the Dutch produce a lot of milk and other dairy products. Canned goods and dry goods are a good deal here and these are usually stocked pretty well.

Aafes Gas Station

Well they pretty much have a monopoly so you're going to buy your fuel, lubricants, and car care items here.  They are quite a bit more expensive than a stateside store but probably close to half what you would pay on the economy.  Get a Star Card and you can save five cents a gallon on your fuel.  That might not seem like much but it will add up big time over the course of you time here.

I believe that is it.  With some experience and asking around you will quickly figure out what to buy at Schinnen and what to buy on the economy.  I probably buy close to 35-40% of my groceries on the economy, partly because I live across the street from a C1000 store.  I try to walk through an Aldi store at least once a month because their sale items can't be beat by anyone, especially household paper products (paper towels, toilet tissue, etc.).  I much prefer the Dutch bread, fruits and vegetables, and desserts and ice cream over what is available in the commissary.  But price dictates other items like milk and meat will be purchased at the commissary.  Every once in a while I pick up some meat on the economy because of a sale, the much higher quality, or just for something different.  This includes things like shawarma meat, rotisserie chickens, gyros meat, etc.

German Winter Tire Regulations

The following is a USAREUR clarification on German Winter Tire Regulation that went into effect last year.  It is pretty clear.  If you do not have tires that meet these standards DO NOT get caught driving in Germany once the winter weather gets here (shortly).  It has already snowed in upper Bavaria (southern Bavaria).

If you haven't yet left the states make sure to buy your tires there before your leave, they are much cheaper in the states than over here.

Germany tightens laws defining winter tire requirements

HEIDELBERG, Germany – A new law passed by the German parliament that more clearly

defines the use of winter tires in Germany went into effect Nov. 29, 2010. U.S. Army Europe Office of the Provost Marshal officials said the law now states that motor vehicles, including motorcycles and  four-wheel-drive vehicles, must have clearly marked winter or all-season tires when there is black ice, snow, slush, ice or frost on German roads.

“A winter tire is any tire marked by the manufacturer with the snowflake logo or M + S symbol, which stands for mud and snow [matsch und schnee]," said Tom Lorenzini, of the USAREUR Vehicle Registry. Even all-season tires can have this M + S symbol, he added. The German automobile association ADAC recommends tires bearing the snowflake logo at right -- sometimes also called the “three-mountain” logo – because those tires meet the highest standards for winter driving.

The minimum legal tire tread depth for Germany is 1.6mm, although ADAC recommends 4mm for winter driving. Other countries have more stringent requirements – Austrian law mandates 4mm minimum tread depth for winter tires, and other European countries have distinct winter driving laws as well. OPM officials said drivers should check with local authorities before crossing borders.

In some areas of Germany snow chains may be required during winter, but only as directed by police or road signs such as the one at left. The maximum speed limit while driving a vehicle with chains is 50 kilometers per hour. While the law does not mandate calendar dates during which snow tires are required, German drivers often use the helpful rule of thumb “von O bis O” – “from O to O,” meaning snow tires should be put on in October and remain on until Ostern (Easter).

Under the new rules, fines have been doubled. Drivers caught using summer tires in ice, snow or slush will be fined 40 euro -- up from 20 euro in previous years, and those who cause an accident or obstruct traffic because they used inappropriate tires during winter conditions will be slapped with an 80 euro fine – up from 40 euro. In addition, some insurance companies may deny coverage to motorists driving with summer tires on wintery roads.

Safety experts warn, however, that winter tires are no magic potion against accidents and that drivers should always drive at reasonable speeds and keep a safe following distance from other vehicles. Drivers who are unsure about winter tire requirements can contact their local vehicle registration or safety office. A list of vehicle registration locations and other information for U.S. forces personnel who drive in Europe is available at the USAREUR Registry of Motor Vehicles website at www.hqusareur.army.mil/rmv/default.htm.

US Radio in Europe

The US Armed Forces Network (AFN) operates radio and television stations in Europe. But the Schinnen and Brunssum community is too small to warrant its own station.  So all there is is a retransmit station.  AFN has both AM and FM transmitters.

Unfortunately, for reasons I can't even begin to understand, AFN Europe transmits on European radio frequency standards instead of the American standards.

AM Radio:

American AM radio frequencies are in steps of 10 kHz (550, 560, 570, etc.) while the European AM radio steps at 9kHz (1143, 1152, 1161, 1170, etc.)  So it is rare that the two standards overlap.  The AFN AM freq in the Schinnen/Brunssum area is 1143.  If you are driving an American car or truck you will not be able to receive this broadcast clearly or at all.  I cannot tune in this station with my car's radio.

FM Radio:

Worldwide FM radio frequency standards are very variable. There are country and regional variations. The end result, as with AM radio, is that the radios in American cars do not tune in exactly to the broadcast frequencies of AFN. The AFN FM broadcast frequency in the Schinnen/Brunssum area is 89.2 but American radios can only tune in to 89.1 or 89.3 so you won't be able tune in exactly.  If you are very close to the transmitter you will be able to listen to it but otherwise not.

You can view the broadcast stations and frequencies at: AFN Stations

I cannot tune in either the AM or FM US Forces AFN radio stations in my car. I can tune in the Canadian Forces Network (CFN) station though. In the Brunssum area CFN FM broadcasts on 99.7 and 96.9 but my radio can only tune in to the 99.7 station.  At least the Canadians are sensible enough to broadcast on both North American and European frequencies. The CFN station is pretty good and other than missing American news I couldn't care less that I can't get the US radio.  CFN has a news show every thirty minutes (on the hour and half-hour) through much of the day.  Several time periods during the day they switch to French for the French speaking Canadians. At those times I usually switch to a Dutch or Belgian station since I can understand Dutch but not French.

The daily CFN schedule can be viewed at: CFN Radio Schedule

There are of course many Dutch, Belgian, and German stations in the area that offer every genre of music.  The Dutch and Belgian stations play a lot of American music.  One big word of caution; the Dutch and Belgians have no issue with using adult language on the air.  One of my favorite radio stations is Q-Radio from Belgium.  This is also the station played in the Schinnen commissary.  They play great music but Q-Radio also played such off-color songs as Lilly Allen's "F#%k You" song and the Cee-Lo Green song also titled "F#%K You" (but changed to "Forget You" in the states).  So if you have kids or the "F-word" offends you, you might want to skip most of the local language stations. (I still cannot believe no one has complained at the commissary yet.)

Satellite Radio:

Right now there is no Satellite Radio coverage in Europe, you can check yourself if your car is equipped with a satellite radio.  It is a big market so sooner or later it will come here.  I did a quick search and couldn't find anything yet.

Dutch Weather

The Netherlands has a maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The average temperature is 2° C (36° F ) in January and 19° C (66° F ) in July, with an annual average of about 10° C (50° F ).  But those are only the averages.  We get snow and ice in the winter and i have been out in blisteringly hot days in the summer.

I am starting my sixth year of living in The Netherlands split between two assignments.  The weather is something you have to deal with on its terms.  If you only go out on nice days you will end up spending most of your time indoors.  This summer was much like the summer of 2000, cool (rarely above 65 degrees), rainy, and windy.  Last summer was much like the summer of 2001, hot and dry.  You just never know. 

Clouds generally appear every day and in the cooler months fog often abounds. It is generally a wet country though total annual precipitation is only about thirty inches (76.5mm).  It just seems to rain all the time. In 2000 we were marking our calendars and it rained every day for 42 days, we had one or two nice days, and then it rained every day for another 30 days.  That was our summer.  So rain clothing is a must.  Even on rainy days you will see the locals out for walks, riding their bikes, and jogging.  Life doesn't stop because of a little rain.

I do a lot of hiking and I have a medium-sized rucksack that I stock with everything I need to stay warm and dry in the four seasons of the year, changing out my gear based on the season (warm or cold).  If you plan on being outdoors and touring the country you need to make sure you have lightweight wet weather gear for everyone.  It is cheaper and easier to find in the states than here generally.  Forget rain ponchos; it is usually windy here and ponchos just don't work well.  (I do keep two emergency ponchos in my car in case I have a roadside emergency.) The Netherlands does have quite a few really good outdoors stores though and I have picked up some excellent kit and clothes on sales. Generally the prices are higher based on the Euro/Dollar exchange rate and the Value Added Tax (VAT). Below are some places that I have been to:

Hans Stassar Camping & Recreatie B.V. (http://www.stassar.com/)

Decathlon in Kerkrade (http://www.decathlon.nl/NL/)

Most of the time if I get caught out in the rain on a hike I just squat under a tree with a thick canopy and wait it out.  The weather changes quickly.  If the rain persists longer I can pull out my rain proof shelter half and set up a quick overhead shelter.  In the cooler parts of the year I carry a rain proof top and pants and just continue hiking .  It is generally too cold to just sit it out.

Man-made fabrics are usually at least water resistant while natural fabrics like cotton (T-shirts and jeans) will soak up water and be uncomfortable when wet. Man-made fabrics will also dry out quicker when you get back on the trail or walking through a town.  I always carry extra socks in a waterproof bag; I really hate walking in wet socks.

It is fairly rare to have enough snow or enough of a hill that you can go sledding here.  I have seen in happen so you'll have to decide if you have the space to store sleds that might be used once or twice.

Most of the trails I hike on are dirt or gravel; I do not like walking long distances on hard surfaces.  So I often have to deal with wet, muddy, and somewhat slippery paths.  If you don't mind the hard surface there are thousands of miles of surfaces bike trails and paths to hike or bike on.  If you plan on being outdoors you want to bring good hiking shoes.  The terrain is not difficult so your footwear does not have to be super sturdy but I would suggest above ankle height shoes that are at least water-resistant and with good traction. Trekking and trail runner shoes are fine for dry days but don't plan on just wearing sneakers or tennis shoes too often.

I live by myself so I have the luxery of room in my car.  I carry a lightweight, wind and rain resistant jacket, a hat, and light gloves with me all the time.  There have been many times that I have left my house with sunny skies and arrived at my sight-seeing destination to less pleasant weather.  Being able to add appropriate clothing when I get there has saved many a day-trip.

I completely enjoy getting out and seeing the country, villages, and cities in my area.  I am well prepared for almost any weather conditions and have extra clothing and kit in my car.  You cannot let the changing and somewhat gloomy weather get you down.  There is too much to see and do to sit at home because of a little rain or cool weather.

Trip to Heidelberg

Recently I made a short vacation trip to Heidelberg, Germany.  It is a worthwhile trip but if you are interested in going there you should plan to do so in the next twelve months.  HQS USAREUR, and all the associated support activities, will move out of Heidelberg during the next 12-18 months.  Facilities will start to close as the population dwindles.  

As far as old European (German in particular) cities go, Heidelberg is nothing out of the ordinary.  It has both a modern area and a smaller, old city center.  Heidelberg is a tourist destination so everything is a little more expensive.  While the US facilities are still there you can save some money by using them. Because it is a tourist destination many of the restaurant and shop people speak English.  Look for restaurants and shops with younger clientele and workers and English is probably spoken.  The older people generally do not (or will not) speak English.  But give it a try, everyone can probably understand you to some extent.

We stayed on Patrick Henry Village in the guest quarters.  I will have to say that I think the guest quarters are very disappointing. Other than being convenient, being on a US military facility, I wouldn't recommend them to anyone.  I have stayed there twice in the past six months (once TDY and once on vacation).  The rooms cost $75 a night for one person.  You must pay an additional $7.50 for EVERY additional person in your room.  The rooms are old and run down; early to mid-1990s decor. The first time I stayed there in August I had to request the house keeping staff to scrub the fecal material off the bathroom walls.  The second time I stayed there in September, the bathroom had again not been well cleaned.  There was a used wash cloth hanging in the back of the shower, a used cotton swab (Q-Tip) on the floor under the sink, and the wall tiles along the floor were black with dirt from mopping.  The walls in the bedroom area were dirty and tiles were chipped and broken in the bathroom. There is no way for the occupant to adjust the room temperature; it appears to be centrally controlled and of course there is no air conditioning for the warmer months though there is a small fan in the closet.

Included with the room price is an adequate continental breakfast.  You have a choice of three cold cereals, bagels, milk, apple or orange juice (boxed), mini-muffins, fruit cups (only peaches), yogurt, and coffee/tea.  You can eat there or use a tray to take it back to your room.  There are no tables in the rooms for dining though.  In your room is a good-sized mini-refrigerator with a small freezer box.  

Patrick Henry Village has a good-sized Shoppette and a full commissary but no PX.  There is one central PX complex for all of the Heidelberg Kaserns but it is very difficult to find (it's on Czernyring).  No one at the reception desk could give me directions to the PX.  If you need a fuel ration card you will have to find the PX complex. There are no Aafes gas stations so even after you get your ration card you will have to hunt for an ESSO station on the economy.  I carried an extra five gallons of gas in my car to cover my fuel needs.  In August when I was there TDY I put 25 miles on my car doing all the paperwork at the MP Station, then finding the PX, then finding an ESSO station.

There are places to eat on Patrick Henry Village but the whole point of driving to Germany is to eat good German food!  Food prices in the old town center ranged from very reasonable to very over-priced.  Start looking for a place to eat before you are starving.  You can find almost any type of food you can think of; German (of course) Thai, Korean, Italian, Greek, Turkish, etc.  There are plenty of ice cream and pastry shops as well.  The old town center is a pedestrian zone and Europeans like to walk, eat, drink coffee, and walk some more so there is no shortage of food and drink choices.

The castle is the focal point of the tourist trade and is a bit of an uphill hike but well worth the trip.  If you take some snacks and drinks with you, you could easily spend 2-3 hours in, at, and around the castle. They do conduct English language tours so make sure you ask for one.  My wife and I were fortunate to have an excellent tour guide.  She was knowledgeable and her English was very clear. At the castle is the castle tour itself and there is also a German Pharmacy Museum located there.  Unfortunately most of the individual exhibit items only have German language explanations but there is a very good English story board describing the history of pharmacies.  It is more interesting than you might think and it is included in the price of the castle tour. Oh, yes, you will pay twice at two different places to do the castle tour.  You pay €5 to get in the castle courtyard and then another €4 for the guided tour of the castle.

In the basement of the castle is the world's largest wooden wine cask; 55,000 gallons. You can go up the steps and stand on top of it.  When the castle was in use the occupants drank 500 gallons of wine a day and there was a hand pump in the castle kitchen area to pump wine up from the cask to pitchers. According to our guide, the wine was of low quality and low alcohol content but it was deadly to drink water back then due to contamination. In the same area of this cask is a place where you can buy a snack and coffee or modern wines.  My wife and I each had a slice of apple tort (very delicious) and a cappuccino. The price wasn't too bad but the man behind the counter had such an attitude.  My wife always says, "If you hate the job that much, go find another job."  He was downright rude.

We also took one of the Neckar River cruises.  Unfortunately, we had the last cruise of the day, departing at 1500 hrs, and so it was an hour shorter and we had to change boats at the turn-around point.  Normally it is a three hour cruise up river passing in front of the castle for great photo opportunities. There are dinner cruises but maybe only on the weekends or during the summer. I can't remember the price of the river cruise but it was reasonable.  Of course Europeans smoke heavily so you'll have to deal with that.  It was a warm, sunny day so we sat up on the top deck for the views and fresh air.

Parking is always an issue.  If you are going to drive into the old town I recommend you use parking garage:

P 8 - Kongresshaus (Convention Centre)

Enter the following address in your GPS

Unter Neckarstraße 44

69117 Heidelberg

It is right down by the cruise boats and a very short walk to the old town area.  Prices per hour are half what I normally pay in The Netherlands. Go to this site to look at all your parking options: Heidelberg Parking

There is plenty else to do in and around Heidelberg but we only had the two days and they were long, tiring days.  Find a good guide book and see it while you can.

APK - Vehicle Inspection

Most states in the US require annual vehicle inspections to ensure the cars and trucks are road worthy and safe to drive. The Netherlands also requires these inspections once a vehicle is over three years old. The periodic motor vehicle inspection is known in The Netherlands as APK, (algemene periodieke keuring). A car needs its first APK when its 3 years old and then annually after that. You will need to show proof of APK when you register and re-register your POV at AFNORTH.  Also, failure to have a valid APK can cost you a hefty fine if you are stopped at a random vehicle inspection checkpoint in The Netherlands.

 

The APK checks the vehicle's technical standards and helps to keep the roads safe. Prices of the APK vary, so it is wise to check several APK checking stations. If you develop a relationship with a particular garage you should check to see if they perform APK services; not all garages can do the inspection.  Otherwise, just look for an APK sign outside of a garage.  Look for "Zonder Afspraak" on their sign.  This means you can get an inspection "without an appointment". In the Schinnen area there are several garages that do APK inspections zonder afspraak for €39.  Strangely, and it certainly is a huge loss of income for them, the garage at Schinnen does not do APK inspections. 

 What they check:

• Braking systems
• Steering and steering wheel
• Visibility of the vehicle (all glass and required mirrors)
• Lamps/lights
• Reflectors and electrical equipment
• Tires
• Axles
• Wheels and suspension
• Chassis and chassis attachments
• Safety Equipment

It is your personal responsibility to arrange the APK on time. Nobody is going to tell you that it is time for your APK. If your car or truck is in good shape and everything works as it is supposed to, the APK inspection will take twenty minutes more or less.  It has been my experience that not everyone that works at a car garage speaks English.  Because of the tiered education system, people going into the vocational-technical fields do not spend as much time studying languages and other more "academic" subjects.  Be patient.  If they want your business they will find someone in the shop that can speak enough English to help you out.

Schinnen Car Care Center (Garage)

There is a garage of sorts at Schinnen, attached to the gas station.  The gas at Schinnen is the most expensive in the area.  Aafes fuel products are significantly cheaper in Germany and in Belgium for some reason.  I never understood this since I am fairly sure Aafes buys their fuel products from the same source. Regular gas was $4.67 in The Netherlands Aafes stations but only $3.93 in Germany and $4.05 in Belgium.  Motor oil is also more expensive in The Netherlands.

Last week I ordered new tires for my compact car at the garage at Schinnen.  My tires were getting worn enough that I wanted fresh tires for the coming winter.  Of course I knew tires would be more expensive here than in the states, everything is.  But I had no idea how much more expensive.  I have been driving since 1977 and these were the most expensive tires I have ever purchased.  The garage, or Tire Center at Schinnen only offers one brand of tire, Cooper.  I had never heard of Cooper Tires but I did an Internet search and they appear to be a fairly well known and good quality tire company.  But they certainly are not one of the lower priced tire lines out there.

This is only a guess but I would estimate I paid about 30-40 percent more for these tires than I did for the four tires I put on my Ford Explorer three years ago (and they were much larger, heavier duty tires). But the price of the tires themselves is only part of what you pay.  At the Aafes garage at Schinnen you will have all sorts of charges and fees added to the price of your tires.  At most tires stores, and stateside Aafes garages, these fees are included in the price of your tires (except maybe the fee to discard your old tires).

At Schinnen you will pay an additional $8.95 per tire for them to balance the tire.  You cannot drive with unbalanced tires so this should be included in the price as it is a normal part of mounting tires on the rims. Then you are hit with a $4.50 per tire charge for tire disposal.  Again, unless you have your own landfill this is a charge you cannot escape but $4.50 per tire is an excessive charge; I never paid more than $1.00 per tire anywhere else.  Most garages now actually get paid for their old tires by retreading companies or rubber recycling companies.  Next charge is a $1.00 "Environmental" fee.  Normally that is what the tire disposal fee is for so this is an excess made up fee in this case. In total you will add a minimum of $57.80 to the already higher tire prices you can expect to pay in The Netherlands.  Aafes offers a good "Road Hazard" plan for $18.75 per tire (again, that is a bit excessive).  It pays for tire repair and free rotation and balance for the life of the tire to include the initial balancing of your new tires.  I will only be here or near an Aafes facility for one more year so it wasn't cost effective for me.

How to reduce these costs? My recommendation is to have new tires put on your car or truck right before you PCS to The Netherlands.  You will save a considerable amount of money and effort and have a wider selection of tire types and companies.  Store your original tires until you come back to the states.  If you are going to drive in Germany you MUST have real snow tires mounted on your car in the winter.  You will be fined if you are driving on "All Season" tires if there is snow on the ground.  Switching tires on your car twice a year will get expensive but it is cheaper than buying four more rims and swapping winter tires for summer tires. I just just avoid Germany in the winter.

I do not think you can get tires cheaper on the economy so you are stuck with Aafes price gouging.  I guess they figure that is what your overseas COLA is for; to increase Aafes profits.  But in any case it is something you need to factor into your budget while you are here.

While I am on the subject of the Aafes garage in Schinnen... You should be aware that they have only a very limited supply of oil filters and absolutely no air filters for your vehicle. I always bring back filters when I go to the states on leave. Buying them online is an option but then you have to add the cost of shipping to the price. If you haven't yet left the states be sure to buy a couple of each filter that you need and bring them with you. Motor oil is about 50% more expensive here and the types and weights are limited. Oil changes at the Schinnen garage are very expensive and the quoted price does not include the oil or the filter; just the labor. They charge $85.00 an hour with a minimum labor charge of $17.00. Learn how to change your own oil and you will save hundreds of dollars in a three year tour here. You can dispose of your oil on Saturdays at the recycling center on Schinnen.

There is a "Car Craft" center on AFNORTH in Brunssum that is supposed to be cheaper for almost everything.  I haven't used it so I do not know the details.  Check them out before paying for work at Schinnen.

Netherlands National Plowing Championship.

It was being held on the property of Kasteel Rivieren. Rivieren, like Eijsden, was a "Landgoed". A Landgoed loosely translates to estate or plantation. Generally it was the country property of a wealthly family. The center of a Landgoed was the fortified house, which was more often than not called a kasteel. If you look in a Dutch-English dictionary kasteel translates to "Castle" but these were not castles as we generally think of castles. They were more like manor houses but they did need to offer protection to the family, their workers, and the property.

There are many such "Kasteel" type properties in and around southern Netherlands and Belgium.  This book highlights some.

Kasteel Rivieren originated as a klooster (convent) in 1364. It was transformed into a Landgoed in the 1700's. It is still a working farm and there is also a small restaurant operating in one of the outbuildings. The kasteel is not that impressive from the outside. It looks quite run down. But then it is several hundred years old.

The plowing competition took place across the street in the open fields. As it was explained to me, each province can send three competitors to the nationals. There are 16 provinces and I think that there were about 48 tractors out there. I walked around and checked out each tractor and came to the conclusion that Massey Ferguson was the tractor of choice. Most of the tractors were older, smaller tractors from the 1940's and 50's but there were some exceptions. There were no large, modern tractors like at the Limburg Province level championship.

The rules were a little different at this meet. Each driver had to plow a wide lane from outside in. This is more like how a real field would be plowed. There was no one meter strip down the center as at the provincial contests. The lanes were odd shaped and so they had to cut short furrows to straighten out their lane so the last couple of runs were full length and straight.

This competition was not nearly as fun for the few spectators that were there (and there were very few). First off it was really hot and the sun was punishing. Secondly, this was the national championship and the drivers were super serious. There was very little down time when you could walk up to them and talk about their equipment.

This John Deere was amazing. The driver showed great experience and control over his equipment. The length of the set-up should have been a disadvantage, because of control issues, but he cut perfectly straight furrows. This model John Deere has a tiny engine and yet he did all his plowing at barely above idle. Low gearing and the large rear wheels transfer high torque and power to the ground.

Legendary John Deere Tractors: A Photographic History

 

This unknown tractor must be the oldest there. I could not find any name on the machine so I don't know what it is. It rolled on steel wheels. This was common in the 1920's and 30's. Steel wheels have great traction and they last for ever out in the fields. But they are really rough on roads so they stayed on dirt as much as possible. This driver was also really good. His furrows were perfect and considering the age and simplicity of the tractor and plow it was very impressive. In my opinion he had the best results in the field.

One driver had an oil soaked Swedish rig. I'm surprised they let it in the field it had so many oil leaks. I saw it sitting still and there was no oil on the ground underneath but the whole tractor was coated in oil or fuel. Seemed strange. I would guess it is a mid-1930's tractor but the plow looks to be even older. I can't really remember his results so they must have been average. Of course average, at this level of competition, is a high level of perfection.

 

The last tractor I'll highlight (I know, I know, seen one seen them all...) is this International Harvestor H model. I used this very same model on our farm and at our family's campground for many years. I learned to "drive" on an H. He had a trip-type pulled plow, which is very similar in function to the plow we had on the farm. You pull on a rope, which engages gearing driven by one of the wheels, to raise and lower the plow. The tricycle type row-cropper tractors have a big disadvantage in these competitions because the front wheels do not follow the furrow like regular tractors do. The driver has to pay much closer attention to steering and keeping his line straight. This guy was intense and constantly squinting and talking to himself. But he could plow very straight. When he was sitting still idling the tow pin rattled in the pintle and I immediately flashed back to that sound from our tractors. I guess it is peculiar to the H but it is a very distinctive sound.

Vintage International Harvester Tractors (Town Square Books)

I didn't stay too long at this. There really wasn't much to do once I walked and looked at each set-up and the driver's work. I did lay down for 15 minutes at the far end of the field area on a bench. It was that 3:00 o'clock dip that kicks my butt. Fifteen minutes with my feet up and my eyes closed and I was good to go.  I did like looking at some of the older, unusual tractors and plows but in general I think the Province level contest was more interesting and fun.

Search Amazon.com for antique tractors

Kasteel Eijsden

I reviewed my plan for the day and my first stop would be the Kasteel at Eijsden. According to Google Maps it was a 25 minute drive from my house

Well, as often happens here a 25 minute drive turned into a bit over an hour's drive. There is often congestion where A2 goes along the edge of Maastricht. Two lanes go down to one before A79 merges into A2. Of course, the normal cheaters want to drive past everyone (down the soon to end lane) sitting patiently in the file and the Dutch drivers typically don't seem to care.  I find it extremely annoying.

By the time I got to Eijsden (pronounced "Eyes-den" with the emphasis on the Z sound) I was hungry so I decided to eat first even though it was only a little past 1100. A few people riding by on their bike gave me the "eet smakelijk" greeting, which basically means "enjoy your meal". And I did; everything tastes better when eaten outdoors I find.  I also brought a couple extra drinks and snacks in a cooler since I find the Dutch prices ridiculously high.

I took a picture of the kasteel over top of the hedge before I went in and quite like it. This kasteel was built in 1636 so it is enjoying its 375th anniversary this year. It is built in what is called the Maasland Renaissance style. In later pictures I'll explain aspects of that style. Maasland is the region, in both Belgium and The Netherlands, that lies along the River Maas (Meuse in French). It is culturally distinct from the rest of The Netherlands. The Maas lies just behind the kasteel and I am sure that at one time there would have been a boat dock along the river since the Maas is one of the prime transportation nodes in France, Belgium, and The Netherlands.

The kasteel has been owned by only fours families in the past 375 years. The current owner is Graaf (Baron)Marcel de Liedekerke de Pailhe (he is Belgian). He is the second generation of the Liedekerke family to own the property. His father, Pierre, married the last daughter of the Geloes family (who owned the kasteel for many generations) and thus the kasteel transferred to the Liedekerke de Pailhe family. Pierre was executed by the NAZIs on 16 September 1943 when it was discovered that he had been hiding refugees in the basement of the kasteel.

I found the interior to be one of the prettiest and interesting interiors of a period building that I have ever seen. I have no training in such things but if I had to describe it I would say it is a blending of Tudor and German Hunting Lodge styles. The Baron still lives here (not full time I don't think but he does personally tend to the many rose gardens on the property so he must be there a lot) so we were only able to see the first floor. Each room was very unique from the others. The wood work was ornate without being ostentatious. It had clean, masculine lines except for the music room, which had a French or Italian flavor. The various families had collected antiques during the years to include a large mantle clock that once belonged to Marie Antoinette. There were other objects from other notable historic figures but I can't remember the details (a big problem when you are struggling with listening in a foreign language is you can't catch all the details). Unfortunately, because the owner still lives there we were not allowed to take pictures inside. In one room the tile floor created the illusion of three dimensions, which was actually un-nerving if you looked too hard. I found I had to ignore it to walk on it.

No battles were ever fought here but Napolean's troops did ransack the house and steal almost everything. The owner during that time was able to arrange to buy everything back. The soldiers were more interested in having some money to carry instead of large objects so the trade went pretty well. This southern area that is now part of The Netherlands was not exactly a safe place to live in the earlier years. So when this kasteel was built it was built with defense against marauders and criminal gangs in mind. Pictured here is one of the many firing ports, or loopholes, built into the kasteel and the outbuildings. Most of them are oriented to protect the small bridge that crosses the moat and the main poort or gateway into the protected area.

This picture is taken from just off the bridge and you can see the moat and the many loopholes on the tower. At one time it appears that the bridge was just a wooden gangway over the moat and the current brick bridge is relatively recent after life in this area became a little safer. There are some huge carp in this moat as well as koi.

The main gate to the property was rennovated in the mid-1800's and it was designed to close off the protected property every night for security. All the farm animals and equipment would have been brought inside every evening. Today, the gatehouse holds a couple apartments, which help to fund the property. The building to the far right, from where I took the picture, was probably home to the higher level workers and it was also studded with loopholes aimed at the main gate and the bridge over the moat.

The kasteel sits just off the River Maas and this picture was taken from that angle. On this side of the house was the "Gentlemen's Room" and the "Ladies' Room", both of which had large windows and stepout landings to get fresh air off the river as well as provide beautiful views. Just across the Maas is Belgium. It was a nice view from the house but they no longer keep the trees along the Maas cut back so the view is obstructed somewhat.

Maasland Renaissance (sometimes called "Mosan"), is a regional architectural style dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The style is only remotely related to Renaissance architecture. The style has been applied predominantly in the Principality of Liège in present-day Belgium and the Netherlands, mainly in the city of Liège, the Land of Herve, and the regions of Belgian Limburg and Dutch South Limburg. The style is manifested in townhouses, castles, farms, manor houses, and sometimes in monasteries.

The Mosan Renaissance style developed in Liège in the 16th century during the reign of Erard de la Marck. The style is a take on earlier used methods of timber framing into which a new material (stone) has been incorporated. Stone-framed windows, decorated architraves and alternating layers of brick and stone are characteristic of the style. Most utilised materials that were endemic to the regions where the style prevailed, namely blue limestone (also known as Namur stone), brick and mergel (a type of chalk). The incorporation of as many windows as possible was to indicate wealth.

This building was built with central heating, which is pretty amazing for its time. There was a large wood "furnace" in the basement and air ducts cleverly distributed warm air throughout the building. There were fireplaces in some of the rooms but they were more for ambiance than function.

At some time in the 1800's several of the widows in the front of this view were enlarged to bring in more light. During a rennovation in the 1920's they were taken out and the windows were brought back into the proper scale. You can see the "new" materials used for this rennovation when you are up close.

In an earlier picture I show a rose. As I said growing roses is a hobby of the Baron. I am not a huge fan of roses mostly because they take so much work and are attacked by so many pests and diseases. But I do love the smell of some roses. There were probably a hundred different varieties of roses here. The one in this picture must be the same type (or closely related) to a rose I scavaged and was growing at our home at Fort Meade. The bugs would kill it back constantly but when it did manage to bloom the flower smelled like an orange or tangerine. This rose at Kasteel Eijsden smelled exactly like my rose at Meade.

I spent about two and a half hours wandering about the property to see the "gardens". At one time there were two garden themes here. One was the formal French garden with its rigid geometric patterns and the other was the open, naturalistic English garden designed around trees and landscape views. All that is really left is the English park-like theme and even that is pretty vague. But it was still nice to stroll the grounds and imagine what it was like in times past.

Things to do

What do you do with the local newspapers that get stuck in your door slot every week?  I receive five different papers every week.  Some are from the local government (gemeente), in my case gemeente Nuth, and others are from commercial sources. One of the best ones I get is the "Zondag Nieuws".  I can read a bit of Dutch so I always go through it and look for ideas of things to go see.  I am not fluent but I can look at the pictures and read enough to see if it might be interesting or not.  Then I go online and see if I can find more information and hopefully English text.  If you can't read any Dutch at all you can still find useful information by looking for web addresses embedded in the article and going to the website.  If there is no English text you can use one of the many translation services to do a machine translation of the text.  Now I will tell you that Dutch does not come through machine translation extremely well but it is good enough that you'll have an idea of what is being said.

Scanning through today's paper brings up one of my pet peeves; that is that they very seldom give you much lead time on an event.  For example, in todays paper is an article of an event that started yesterday and will conclude today.  If the rain holds off I am going to go see it this afternoon but I sure would like to be able to plan ahead a little.  Below are some events I pulled out of today's Zondag Nieuws Westelijke Mijnstreek.

On Saturday and Sunday (3&4 September) from 1000-1800 hrs the Kasteel Eijsden will have an Open Day. This is a unique opportunity because the castle only opens its doors to the public one weekend every two years. The property is owned by the Belgian Earl Marcel de Liedekerke de Pailhe. Prices are €7.50 for adults and €5.00 for children under 12. Tours begin on the hour and half hour. It is highly recommended that you send an email to tickets@saintececile.nl and request tickets.  They will write back with instructions on how to pay.  The tours are very popular and you will wait a long time if you don't have pre-purchased tickets. Kasteel Eijsden is near the town of Eijsden-Margraten.  Plug this address into your GPS: Graaf de Geloeslaan 8, 6245 AS Eijsden, Netherlands.  I'm going to have to figure out how to squeeze a visit to this kasteel into my weekend plans.

The Limburg Province Plowing Championship happens today just outside of Born (just west of Sittard). The competition begins at 1300 hrs on 17 hectares of fields.  There are different categories of competition; modern and antique tractors as well as two, three, and four bottom plows. There will also be a horse-drawn equipment demonstration. Plug in "Graetheide 91, 6121 Born, NL" to your GPS and it will get you close enough.  There is an all Dutch website but it doesn't give much information at http://www.agroprom.ajksittard.nl/ploegwedstrijd_info.html

I went to the Plowing Contest and it was a lot of fun.  If you have the time you might want to go to the National championship this weekend.

From Thursday 1 to Sunday, September 4 Roermond is dedicated to the World Culture Parade. Op het Stationsplein, Kloosterwandplein en in de straten van de Roermondse binnenstad spelen meer dan 80 nationale en internationale muziek- , dans-, en theatergroepen uit de gehele wereld. At the station, Monastery Wall Plaza and in the streets of the city Roermond play more than 80 national and international music, dance and theater groups from around the world.  Top acts playing on the station with breathtaking shows, music and dance, all guest in our city for the WCP. Unique, but most sensational Roermond cozy and something for everyone!  Come to the cathedral city and discover this great four-day event on World Culture Parade 1, 2, 3 and 4 September 2011 in Roermond place. Go to the following website for more information.  There is an English language button on the top menu (click on the British Flag icon). Roermond Festival

Ok, here is something very unique. On 3-4 September Roermond will also host the World Championship Timber Sports (Sponsored by Stihl).  I have watched these competitions on TV many times and they are very interesting.  According to the Stihl Timbersports website, "Established in 1985 by STIHL, the number-one selling brand of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment in America*, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series, billed as the Original Extreme Sport, attracts the world's top lumberjack athletes in a competition based on historic logging techniques. The Series is seen by more than 20 million viewers annually in more than 62 countries on networks such as Eurosport and ESPN, where it is one of the longest running shows. Athletes compete in a variety of disciplines based on traditional logging skills to determine the best all-around lumberjack. Disciplines include hot saw, single buck, springboard chop, standing block chop, stock saw and underhand chop."

On Saturday the individual events will take place.  This will be the top 16 finalists from around the world.  On Sunday they will run the team events; 22 national teams will compete to include a youth team. Entry price is €10.00 for adults and €6.00 for children 16 and under. Plug in this address to your GPS: Hatenboer 59, 6041 TN Roermond.  I cannot find the times for the events but the awards takes place at 2000 hrs each night.  From watching this on TV I think it is probably an all-day event.

There will be a Memorial Concert at the American Cemetery at Margraten on Sunday, 4 September. 


Margraten Memorial Concert 2011 will be held on Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 15:00 Hrs. Free admission.

The program consists of MISSA SOLEMNIS (opus 123 in D gr.t) by Ludwig van Beethoven.




The performers
Limburg Symphony Orchestra
Roberto Rizzi Brignoli, conductor
Kelly God, soprano
Mirjam Schreur, mezzosoprano
Yves Saelens, tenor
Math Dirks, bass
Brabant Koor (Louis Buskes, choir master)

There is an English language website for this event at Margraten Memorial Concert

Ok, so that is just an example of what you can find out by flicking through your local, community newspapers.  Give it a try and see what there is to see and do during your assignment to the Schinnen-Brunssum-Geilenkirchen area.

Happy Traveling