26 August 2012

My time writing this Blog is coming to an end. I will move back to the United States on 1 September 2012. It has been great fun but my three year tour is almost over. I hope,those of you that were regular readers enjoyed reading about living in The Netherlands from a Soldier's perspective.

I am going to leave this Online for about six months but then take it down since I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information any longer. If anyone wants to continue this Blog I will gladly allow you to cut and paste content. Just contact me at my email address: bhjohnson60@hotmail.com

Thank you for taking part in my adventure.

Day Trip to Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

I have wanted to make this trip for a couple years but never got around to it. Yesterday, 11 August, I did it. I had considered taking the train. It is only €47 from Maastricht to Luxembourg City via Liege. But I also wanted to visit the American Cemetery and that is too far out of the city to walk. They do have a good bus system but I just thought I would enjoy the drive through the countryside.

Luxembourg City is a two and a half hour drive from Schinnen. It is an easy drive, just take E25 south and you end up at the city. I made the drive directly to the cemetery without a GPS or a map.

On the drive. Be aware there are not too many choices of places to stop and eat on the way. There were two AC Restaurants on the route. AC Restaurants are too expensive for me; a typical meal will cost €15-18 depending on what you drink. I highly recommend that you pack a lunch and stop at one of the many (very many) rest stops on the way. Some of them have large play grounds included so if you have kids that might be something to break up the drive. Getting them back in the car is a whole other story though.

Gas. I made the trip down and back on less than 3/4s of a tank of gas. It is about 225 kms (140 miles) from my town (Schimmert) to the American Cemetery. That is do-able on a tank of gas for most cars.

The drive. E25 is a good road but going through Liege can be something of a challenge. I saw signs for an E25 by-pass but I have never tried that route. The road through Liege is clearly marked, just follow the signs to Bastogne and/or Luxembourg. There are a couple turns and lane changes so pay attention.

I went to the cemetery first so I could see it before I was tired. It is much smaller than Margraten but just as nice. Most of the Soldiers buried here were killed during the "Battle of the Bulge" in late December 1944. There are five Soldiers from Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division (Band of Brothers). If you have watched the series a couple times you will recognize the names. Inside the visitor's building you can get their locations and go see their markers.

Parking in Luxembourg City can also be a problem. I ended up parking in the Kirchberg District outside of the main city. It was only a 30 minute walk to the city center from there and the views of the "Pfaffenthal" valley as you walk across the Pont (bridge) G. B. Charlotte were awesome. Below is a picture I took from the bridge.

Luxembourg was a fortress city and was protected by forts, casemates, high city walls, and the natural obstacle of the gorge and cliffs surrounding 2/3s of the old city. 

Follow this LINK and you can see all of the pictures I took on this trip.

French is the main language spoken and written in the city but German is also commonly used. I found few workers (in the shops and restaurants) that spoke much English. I speak enough German to get by but I saw other people struggling to communicate. Have patience.

They old city center is pedestrian friendly for shopping and strolling. Most of the roads are cobblestone so wear sensible shoes. There are restaurants for every taste. If you are craving American restaurant food there is a Pizza Hut and a Chi Chi's as well as McDonald's and Subway. There are a lot of street performers and they were very popular attractions. Nice for the entertainment but it was sometimes impossible to pass through an area because of the crowds standing to watch. 

There is no grid road system in the city so you really need to get a map. The map handed out for free at the City Tourist office is adequate. The Tourist Office has a good website that you should study before you go. Find it at this LINK.  The Tourist Office itself is not so easy to find. You cannot drive to it so I dismounted my car's GPS and carried it with me. The address is below.

30, place Guillaume II
L – 1648 Luxembourg

I spent seven hours just walking around the old city center and a little bit down in the valley. The main city, the older part, is almost surrounded by the "Vallee de la Petrusse" (spelled without the accent marks.). This is a very nice strolling park along a small river. It is a bit of a climb down and back up but worth the trip if you have the energy. There is a walk way or strolling path along the rim of the city that overlooks the valley. It gives you great views of the valley as well as the opposite side of the gorge.

Up in the main city I enjoyed the buildings, the gardens, and watching all the people. There are many churches here and I can hardly resist visiting churches so I went in three of them. I did not have the time to visit any of the many museums or other cultural attractions.

The city has a very international feel to it. There is a large tourist presence and they come from around the world. I heard many foreign languages spoken here. Most people were dressed nicely for their visit. I did see two "slob" families, dressed quite inappropriately in their finest "Late Night at Wal-Mart" clothes. Based solely on their speech one family was American and the other was British.

There are some ethnic neighborhoods if you stray out of the city centrum area. I think there is a sizable immigrant population living and working here. Unlike in most European and American cities it does not appear that they are refugees but are rather business people, office workers, and other middle class folks. They were dressed nicely, had good manners, and appeared to be fully integrated into the city's culture.

I was highly impressed with the city. It is very clean and well maintained. I did not see one boarded up shop or vacant house in the areas I walked through. The shopping district was busy and vibrant and the restaurants were all doing a brisk business. There apparently is a very active night life in the evening.

Give it a try, I think you will like it.

Kayaking on the Maas River

Yesterday I took a kayak trip on the Maas River. There are a couple companies that offer canoe, raft, and kayak rentals on the Maas. I went with Kajak Maasland simply because I knew where it was located from a hike I did in the area two years ago. I am not promoting the company but I will provide my observations.

To find a company and a route that suits your needs you will have to do a couple of searches because of the languages used. In French, the Maas River is known as the "Meuse". Try the following search strings:

1. Kayak on the Meuse

2. Kayak on the Maas

3. Kajak Maas

4. Kajak Maasland

5. Kajak Meuse

You will get a lot of duplicate hits but this should cover all the possibilities.

Kajak Maasland is located on the Belgian side of the Maas just outside of Maastricht near Smeermaas.

They offer routes of 10, 11, and 21 kilometers. All of them start and end at clearly defined spots. I did the 21 km route and it is suggested that you figure on 4-5 hours for this route. I was poking along and taking frequent breaks and I was done in just over four hours. I have no experience kayaking and was by myself and I had no problems at all. I took my own food and drinks on the trip. The company provides a watertight container big enough for one person's stuff if you rent a one person kayak. The canoes and rafts have bigger containers.

It is highly suggested by the company that you make a reservation to ensure you can get the boat you want. I made my reservation in the morning of the day I took the trip. But I was not on their list when I arrived three hours later. They still provided a kayak for me.

The Maas between the start point and the E314 is fairly placid with only one set of minor rapids. This gives you a good chance to get used to the boat and get your stroke down. The slow moving water also means that you must paddle to move forward though. I found it better to float on the outside of any curves; the water is moving faster there then on the inside of the curve. There are a couple small villages along the river and supposedly there is a place to get out and have a drink and snack at a cafe but I didn't really see where that would be. 

When I wanted a break, such as to eat lunch, I just pulled over and got out and had my break on the shore. I think that is far more enjoyable than sitting at a cafe, you can do that in any town. I took three 15-20 minute breaks and still made the longest trip in four hours. You have plenty of time so just relax and enjoy the river.

There is lots of wildlife as well as domestic animals on and along the river. I saw several sorts of ducks, sea gulls, geese, fishing hawks of some sort, herons, and other birds that were just passing over.  There are no motor boats on this section of the Maas. I did pass by one boat with a gas motor on it tied up at a dock but it might have been for rescue or work use. 

I highly recommend that you use liberal amounts of sunscreen since you get direct sun light as well as reflected sun light from the water. At the end point I saw many lobsters sitting and having a beer and french fries. They will be hurting the next day I am sure. I also highly recommend that you wear a wide brimmed hat and sun glasses to protect your face, head, and eyes.

I put all my sensitive gear such as my wallet, cell phone, camera, etc. inside ziplock bags and then in the container that came with the kayak. My camera I had in a small float bag on a cord around my neck so that I would have access to it.

You are going to get wet so wear appropriate cloths. I had on swim shorts and a sleeveless shirt and an old pair of sneakers. I had a change of clothes and a towel in my car.

The only problem, or inconvenience really, was the bus transportation back to the start point where my car was parked. The bus only comes once every hour or so and then it makes stops on the way back. So there was a two-hour delay getting to my car once I was done with the trip. You can take your bikes there and they will haul your bikes to the end point. That would be a good option. The other option is to park one car at the end and take another car to the beginning point if possible. Perhaps ask a friend for a ride.

I paid €17 for a single person kayak and another €4 for the bus ride. I think the trip and experience were well worth €21.

Schinnen Sort Center

I wrote about the Schinnen Sort Center a few months ago in a post about recycling. You can check it out at this LINK. 

Update: Now that Schinnen is no longer its own organization but just a satellite installation of the USAG BENELUX it falls under their rules. To save money (presumably) USAG BENELUX has ordered the closing of the Sort Center effective 1 September 2012. After that date they will only accept metal for recycling. You are then expected to utilize your community's recycle facilities. Most of you should have received a schedule from RD4. If you cannot read Dutch you'll need to find someone to translate it for you.

Now, it is just an observation from many years of military service but my prediction is that most Americans will not use the RD4 services and will instead throw most of their recyclables in the normal trash. I hope you all prove me wrong but considering how much garbage and other contaminants are usually mixed in with the recyclables at Schinnen I am not holding my breath.

This closing will also mean that you will have no place to throw out your un-needed items when PCS time comes around. You can take these things to the RD4 site IF you kept your free cards that came with the recycle schedule. You can read more about Rd4, only in Dutch, at their website: Rd4

Hasselt - Surprise Destination

Ever heard of Hasselt, Belgium? I've seen the signs when I drove to the Brussels airport but never really heard or read anything about the town. It is never mentioned in travel brochures, at least I have never seen it in one. But I went for a long (for me) bike ride from Lanaken to Hasselt along the Albert Canal a couple days ago and got a quick look around the city.

 

 You can look at my pictures from the ride at this LINK.Ignore me in the photos. These pictures were for my family.

Hasselt approx. 1771-1775

Hasselt was founded in approximately the 7th century on the Helbeek, a small tributary of the Demer river. The name Hasselt came from Hasaluth, which means hazel wood. During the Middle Ages, it became one of the bigger towns of the county of Loon, which had borders approximately the same as the current province of Limburg. Hasselt was first named in a document in 1165 and shortly thereafter received the much sought-after city charter. In 1232 this status was officially confirmed by count Arnold IV. Even though the city of Borgloon was the original official capital of Loon, Hasselt was to become the biggest city thanks to its favourable setting and to the proximity of the count’s castle and the Herkenrode Abbey in Kuringen. In 1366 the county of Loon became part of the Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794.

During the First French Empire, after the French revolution, Maastricht became the capital of the area that was then called the French Department of the Lower Meuse. This included both modern Belgian Limburg, and also neighboring Dutch Limburg. After the defeat of Napoleon, in 1815, this whole area became part of a new United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and it was at this time that the name Limburg was adopted. King William wanted to keep the name of the old Duchy of Limburg alive although it had been centered in Limburg on the Vesdre, and had never encompassed Hasselt. Even when Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1830, and the province of Limburg was definitively split between the Netherlands and Belgium in 1839, this name was retained and the name Loon disappeared. After the split, Hasselt became the provisional capital of the Belgian province of Limburg. When Maastricht stayed Dutch in 1839, it became the permanent seat of its provincial government within the Netherlands, also called Limburg. In 1967, Belgian Limburg was detached from the Diocese of Liège and Hasselt became the seat of the Diocese of Hasselt.

Hassault is in the Dutch speaking half of Belgium. Not to bad-mouth the other half but you will quickly figure out that the lower half of Belgium, (the French speaking "Walloons"), is run down, dingy, dirty, and poorly maintained. It is unfortunate but you cannot deny the facts. Hassault is a very clean and well-maintained city. It has a large, pedestrian friendly shopping district. Most of the streets are closed to vehicles during the shopping hours.

I couldn't imagine ever needing to use public transportation, the city isn't huge, but if you do you might find this interesting: Hasselt made Public transport by bus zero-fare from 1 July 1997.  The transport network here is mainly by bus. All buses leave from the station. The town lines (called H-lijn) have been free for everyone including tourists since Tuesday 1 July 1997. Other bus lines are free for the inhabitants of Hasselt while traveling in the territory of Hassault.

The local H-lijn buses on the town lines carry an H on their number on the electronic destination sign above the windshield. The regional transport services, or so-called Red lines, are free for residents of Hasselt, who can travel without fare as long as they show their identity card to the driver of the bus. Red regional route bus stops are marked with signs indicating the beginning or end of the Hasselt bus network. Non-residents of Hasselt pay the usual area tariff, except for children under 12 who have zero-fare travel. "Blue" regional lines incur a fare in the normal way.

I walked, pushing my bike, and was easily able to see the entire shopping district within the ring road on foot. There is a train line from Maastricht to Hasselt if you wanted to avoid the drive and parking fees and in that case jumping on a bus would be convenient.

I only walked around for about 30-40 minutes because I had a long ride back to where I started from. I was very impressed with what I saw. The shopping district was larger than I expected. I went in the one church and it was really nice. The stores were closed, it was Sunday, but most of the cafes and restaurants were open and busy. The place was clean and I have to think it is very safe since there are surveillance cameras everywhere.

Do you like Gin (the drink, not the card game)? Hasselt hosts "The National Jenever (gin) Museum". 

Hasselt and gin... inseperable. Discover the secrets of this strong-bodied drink in the National Genever Museum. See how this celebrated liquor is prepared in this authentic 19th century distillery. And taste the final result. Bet you'll find it delicious...

Opening hours
- Open from the 1st April  until 31st October: Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 17.00
- Open from the 1st November until 31st March: Tuesday to Friday from 10.00 to 17.00. Saturday and Sunday from 13.00 to 17.00
- Closed: every Monday, the 1st January, from 9th until 31st January, the 24th, 25th and 31st December 2012.

Price
individual visitors:                 € 4,50 p.p. (including a drink)
12 to 26 years:                     € 1 p.p.
children under 12 years:       free
groups (at least 15 people)  € 3,50 p.p.

Useful to know
Dogs are not allowed

Tip
Heading along your route just for the gin called 'jenever'? Combine a visit to the National Jenever Museum with a city walk. You can obtain the jenever museum brochure at Tourism Hasselt for € 5 p.p., entrance to the museum and a drink included.

National Genever Museum
Witte Nonnenstraat 19
3500 Hasselt

Do you like clothes and fashion?  Are you a dedicated follower of fashion? Then the Fashion Museum in Hasselt is something for you! Come and visit the exhibitions around fashion – then, now and in the future.

OPENING HOURS
Open every day from 10 AM to 5 PM, except on Mondays and:
• Sunday January 1st, 2012;
• Monday the 24th, Tuesday the 25th and Monday the 31st of December 2012;
• from Monday January 9 to Friday February 3, 2012 and from Monday May 28 to Friday June 22, 2012 (preparation of the exhibition).

PRICE
€ 5 p.p.
€ 2 p.p. students from 13 to 18 (children under 12 years free)
€ 4 p.p. for groups of at least 15 people.

Fashion Museum of Hasselt 
Gasthuisstraat 11
BE-3500 Hasselt

Carillon Tower:
You'll find the carillon right in the city centre, high in the tower of the Sint-Quintinus Cathedral. It takes a little effort to climb the stairs, but the breathtaking view from the top is really worth it. It's the ideal place to learn everything about clocks, bells and carillons. It will forever change the way you'll listen to the bells playing during carillon concerts.
 
OPENING HOURS
Opening days and hours: see the website www.hetstadsmus.be


PRICE
€ 1.50 p.p. for individuals and groups of 15 people and more
€ 1 p.p. for schools (> 12 years old), children < 12 years ,free.

GUIDED VISIT
VALID: all year round
DURATION: 1.5 hours
PRICE: € 1.50 p.p. for groups of 15 people and more, < 12 years free
PRICE FOR THE GUIDE: € 60 (2 hours maximum) one guide per 15 people.
RESERVATION: Tourism Hasselt, T +32 11 23 95 42, groepsbezoeken@hasselt.be
Don't forget to reserve at least one month in advance!

TIP
The Carillon is featured regularly with special carillon concerts. More information about these concerts at Tourism Hasselt and on the website www.uitinhasselt.be
 
Carillon tower of the Saint Quinten Cathedral
Vismarkt n/n
BE-3500 Hasselt

Would you like to combine the (historical) beauty of a museum with the natural magnificence of the Japanese Garden? Then the combined card is what you need: for a single low price, you get the best of both worlds!

Four in one!
• The National Genever Museum (including drink)
• The Hasselt Fashion Museum
• The Japanese Garden
• Het Stadsmus (Municipal Museum)

Opening hours
Valid in 2012 during the opening hours of the museums and the Japanese Garden.

Price
€ 12 p.p.

InformationAvailable at Tourism Hasselt, the museums, the Japanese Garden and in many hotels.

* Good to knowIn the closed period of the Japanese Garden (from 1st November until 31 March) the entrance ticket of the garden is replaced by a leaflet with the outlined historical city walk accompanied by a coffee served at the pub Het Tuincafé, next to the municipal museum 'Het Stadsmus'.

Hasselt is only about 40 minutes away from Schinnen and well worth the trip. Give yourself a full day or go back another day to see what you missed. Use this LINK to visit the official website in English.

Oude Ambachten (Old Fashioned Folk/Craft Festival) Einighausen, NL

Op Zondag 5 Augustus 2012 vindt voor de 32e keer Oude Ambachten plaats te Einighausen. 

On Sunday, 5 August, 2012, is the 32nd annual Folk (or Crafts) Festival takes place in Einighausen.
Van 13.00 tot 18.00 uur kunt u een kijkje nemen in het boerenleven van 50 tot 100 jaar geleden. 

From 1300 to 1800 hours (1:00 to 6:00 o'clock)  can you see how farm life was 50 - 100 years ago.

Entree: € 5,00 (kinderen tot 12 jaar gratis)

Entrance: €5.00 (children up to 12 years old are free)

Parkeren is gratis op de aangegeven parkeerplaatsen.

Parking is free at the designated parking area.

 I went to this fest last year and spent about five hours there and had a good time. Last year it was hot and sunny. Click this LINK to see my posting from last year. Einighausen is near Sittard and is easy to get to from A2.

I plan on going this year again unless the weather is really bad. I suggest you take your own snacks and cold drinks. Food is available but the cost of drinks is ridiculous. I'm not all that fond of Dutch festival food, except for a piece of vlaai, so I'll take my own lunch.

So put it on your calendar and go to learn something about the Dutch Limburgs culture.

 

Floriade 2012 Horticultural Show

I highly recommend you make a trip to see the Floriade 2012, the once every ten years horticultural show near Venlo, The Netherlands.There are 66 hectares (163 acres) of exhibits, open areas, and woods to walk through. I have no idea how many countries are participating but there are a lot.

I am very impressed with the show. The grounds were immaculate; there was not a piece of trash, graffiti, or vandalism at the park. Many of the pavilions were strictly money-making ventures with wares from their country on sale. But I don't mind that at all and some of the stuff for sale was interesting. I bought two polished stone eggs (€3 for both) in the Pakistan pavilion and a small olive wood bowl (€5) in the Tunisian pavilion.There were a lot of semi-precious stone jewelry, silver, figurines, leather wares, etc.

There are many places to eat a meal, get a quick snack or drink, and a few dessert stands as well. I ate lunch at the Bulgarian cafe and had a chicken pita sandwich (apparently a traditional Bulgarian fast food item). It was delicious and cheap at €3.75. For supper I had an Indian Chicken Curry panini. That was excellent as well and was only €5.50. As I usually do, I took my own drinks to reduce my dining costs.

There were many musical activities at the show. The Floriade had several stages for their own shows and a few of the pavilions had their own musicians. Of note were the two musicians/singer at the Indonesian pavilion and the solo musician and singer at the Andes/Amazon pavilion. They were both outstanding and had unbelievable voices.

I took quite a few pictures and you can see them at this LINK. Just click on the link and then on the first picture in the album.

I spent eight hours at the show and only saw three of the five main areas and did not even see everything in each of them. The two-day pass costs only ten Euros more and is probably the way to go. The Floriade show grounds are only 50 minutes away from my home. Take A2 north and then exit onto A73 toward Venlo. You will see signs for the Floriade; follow them. Parking is at an off-site area with shuttle buses. You MUST buy a €10 parking ticket at the same time you buy your tickets or before you leave the show grounds. You need the ticket to get out of the parking area.

14 July 12

Made an easier day so everyone could recover a bit. After a leisurely morning and lunch I took the crew to the Roman Bath house (Thermen) in Heerlen. It is a really nice exhibit of a Roman Bath house that operated there 1800 years ago. Heerlen was a Roman army garrison town located on the Roman supply route (via Belgica) that went from the coast of France to Cologne, Germany. After a north-south road was built, which crossed the via Belgica at Heerlen, it became a center of commerce and recreation. The whole region around where I live was Roman farmland with villas and temples. You have seen evidence of this in my prior postings.

On the way I stopped at the church in Klimmen. I have talked about this church before as well. The church tower was built on a former Roman watch tower that was used to overwatch the via Belgica, which ran across the valley floor to the immediate south. The inside of the church is designed to look like the interior of a Roman villa. It is a unique church in many ways.

The bath house was discovered in 1940 during the German occupation when residents were clearing fallow ground to plant crops. Scholars were brought in to study the site but they had only limited means to do so at this time so they reburied the site. It wasn't until 1970 that there was the time and funding (and recovery after the war) to do a full investigative dig. They then decided to build a structure over the ruins and create a museum. There is a 15 minute introductory film to orient you to what and where (in time and place) the bath house and the Roman occupation in general was all about. Then there is a walk-thru museum with items found mostly in the immediate area. Everything in the museum is authentic unless the placard says otherwise.

Set your GPS to:

Coriovallumstraat 9
6411 CA Heerlen
Nederland

• Opening hours
Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 - 17:00 hours Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 12:00 - 17:00 hour Closed on Monday Closed on the following dates: January 1st, carnival, 24th, 25th and the 31st December

This is the fourth time I have been here; once with my oldest son in 2001, my youngest son in 2010, and my wife in 2011. The museum has been different every time. Truthfully, I think it was far better and more complete in 2001 but it is still a nice museum. I forgot my Dutch - English dictionary in the car so there were a few things I couldn't translate but I knew most of what was there. We spent about 90 minutes there. You can still enjoy the museum even if you don't read Dutch but it certainly makes it more interesting if you do. For the introductory film make sure you ask the front desk to play the English version. Also, the description of the bath house itself can be done in several languages so ask for what is easiest for you. Take a Dutch-English dictionary if you have one. Most of the item descriptions are very short.

There is no parking right at the museum but plenty of paid parking in the vicinity. Where I parked it was €1.80 an hour. They have a cloak room and lockers if you want to get rid of a few items. I don't think you are allowed to take packs or bags into the museum. They often have special exhibits there as well. When I took my wife they were exhibiting the via Belgica and Roman road building in general. That was really interesting. There are vending machines but otherwise no food or drink there.

It is a good way to start your exploration of the Roman occupation if you have an interest in this part of the local history. There are many other places to go to see and study the Roman period.

Trip to Bastogne, Belgium

The day's mission was to see the sites related to the "Battle of the Bulge" as Americans call it. Or the "Ardennes Offensive" as it is often called here. It was a cold and rainy day but that can be the perfect day to see a battlefield site. December 1944 was one of the coldest and snowiest winters in several decades. So we had a small touch of the misery the Soldiers endured during the eight week battle.

I already posted my photos on Facebook so just click on and follow this LINK to see them.

We left at 0900 hrs and headed south going through Maastricht (traffic jam) then on to Liege and south through the countryside. My GPS often comes up with some crazy routes and today was no exception. We found ourselves driving down gravel roads and small lanes. I guess that is part of the adventure. In any case, this route took us by some lesser known towns and villages involved in the battle. We passed through Foy for example and came across the monument to Easy Company, 506th PIR (Band of Brothers fame). If you remember the series, this is the location where they went forward to establish a blocking position. They were pushed back to their former positions. In the series episode, Garnier complained that "...someone took a shit in my foxhole...".

We also came across other historical markers and part of a driving tour trail. There is a bike path in the area but I don't know if it is set up to link historical sites or not. Some of the markers had before and after photos so you could see the amount of damage that occurred.

We eventually got to Bastogne (three plus hours for what Google Maps said was a 95 minute drive) and headed through town to see the Mardasson Monument built by the Belgians as a thank you and commemoration of the US sacrifice to free their country. The monument is massive and moving but is in sore need of upkeep and renovation (not something Belgium (the French speaking area anyway) is known for unfortunately). It was raining, windy, and cold but none of us was in a hurry to leave. Unfortunately the museum was closed for expansion. From what I have read the collection was moved to Brussels, strangely, until the mew museum is completed and opened in March 2013. (Note: It was supposed to open in 2012 so who knows how far behind schedule they are. There was a fire in the old museum and that might cause a further delay while they repair/rebuild that.) The new one will be at least 3-4 times larger. This created a dilemma, I needed to find a good museum for my brother-in-law Dave who was looking forward to this trip.

We drove into Bastogne for lunch and parked in what I initially thought was a free parking area. There were no signs indicating you needed a parking ticket. We walked almost all the way to McAuliffe Place (or Square) before we found a place to eat. It was a one-woman cafe and the food was edible but nothing to recommend although my sister's fried chicken wrap (or "warp" as it was on the menu) looked tasty.After we ordered I trotted back to the car suspecting that it must be paid parking and I just missed it. Sure enough it was. Parking was only €1.00 an hour so no big deal.

(Language was a challenge on this trip. We (me mostly) dealt with four languages; German, Dutch, French, and Luxembourgish (in written form). Sometimes I was using two or three languages at the same time. I speak no French (outside a few useful words) but understand some and several times I had to speak in German and they were replying in French. I have to say it was a fun challenge and we were successful.)

After lunch my sister and I had an ice cream cone at the former Australian Ice Cream Company near Mcauliffe's Square. My oldest son and I had ice cream there in December 2000 and as he often says, "it was the best ice cream in the world." The new company's ice cream was fine but not as good as the former company's.  Normally that would be enough of a dessert but we walked into a bakery and I could not resist buying us eclairs. They were delicious; I could have eaten a dozen.

We attempted to find a new museum called, "I was 20 in 44" but couldn't until after I had given up. By then I was ready to move on. So we drove to another small museum outside of town. We talked to the curator after we walked through and he told us it was overflow from another of their museums located in La Roche. This was a nice but small museum. They are in the process of building a complete battlefield scene in the basement, which will be interesting when complete. He said it was too cold this past winter to work on it so they are behind schedule. Your GPS will not take you to this museum, there is a problem with the address. Just follow the map on their web site.

After this we headed towards Diekirch, Luxembourg. I have been planning to see this museum for two years as part of my camping tour of the Duchy but I always got rained out. It was a longer drive than what Google said, again, since we followed a twisting, winding road through the mountains. Other than the delay it caused though I didn't mind at all. It was a beautiful drive. Of course as the driver I couldn't see much because of the nature of the road (narrow, winding, blind curves) but I did pull over at a picnic overlook spot. That picture is on my Facebook page.

We came into Diekirch at ten minutes before five and I was hoping I remembered correctly that the museum was open until six. Luckily that was the case.  This museum, The National War Museum, is fantastic. We only had an hour but you could easily spend three hours in there reading all the information and studying the weapons and dioramas. This is a very well maintained place and we all enjoyed it.

Afterwards we parked in town and looked for a place to eat. After a 40 minutes walk we weren't impressed with any of the offerings and I figured we could find a place on the road. I passed a couple dozen places and trusted my intuition to pick a good spot. I finally stopped at a restaurant attached to a gas station. The first waitress started talking to my sister in Luxembourgish and she asked if the waitress spoke English. "No" was the reply. I asked if she spoke Nederlands and she said "Nein, Deutsch". Ok, so I switched to German to order our drinks. The next waitress only spoke French but she understood German so we did that. The third waitress spoke German but obviously understood some English. The menu was written in French and Luxembourgish. What a situation!

From here it was a 80 minute ride home. The best time to go to Bastogne is the Christmas week when all the re-enactors are doing their thing. Look in the Stars & Stripes or online in late November. It does get crowded and everytime I have been there then it was really cold. But it is wonderful to see how the Belgians commemorate the battle.

New Rules for Driving in France

1. Personal Breathalyzers:

Beginning 1 July, 2012, every driver operating a motor vehicle in France must have in their possession (in the vehicle) a personal breathalyzer device. It must be new, unused, and valid. Breathalyzers can be purchased at the French border and at any gas station in France.

Violation of this new law is considered a “Fourth Class Fine”. If  the fine is paid within three (3) days, the fine is €90. If paid between four (4) and twenty-nine (29) days, the fine is €135. If not paid until on or after the 30^th day, the fine is €375.

2.  Radar Detectors:

Radar detectors are illegal in France even when they are not in use. Possession of a radar detector in your vehicle will cost you a fine of €1,500, the detector will be confiscated, and your vehicle can also be impounded or confiscated.

Satellite Navigation systems and GPS systems that indicate where speed cameras are set up are also illegal. Possession of a SATNAV or GPS system that shows speed cameras in your vehicle will cost you a fine of €1,500, the system will be confiscated, and your vehicle can also be impounded or confiscated. If it is possible, use the software to disable this function before driving into France. If it is not possible to disable this function, leave the system at home.

3. Visibility Vests: Possession in the vehicle of “Visibility Vests” is mandatory for all occupants of the vehicle. All occupants must put on the vest before getting out of the vehicle on a road; such as for a break down or accident.

 

4. Warning Triangles: Possession and use of Warning Triangles is mandatory. Four-way flashers may be used in conjunction with the Warning Triangle.

 

The Netherlands School Vacation Schedule 2012

The Netherlands is a small country, there is no disputing that. To lower the congestion and crowds during the summer school break the government divided the country into three zones: Nord Nederland, Midden Nederland, and Zuid Nederland (North, Middle, and South Netherlands). Each of these zones takes its summer school holiday on different schedules. So only one third of the country is on holiday at any given time, although there is some over lap.

This system gives you the opportunity to plan your vacation around your Dutch hosts.It also greatly impacts driving. During the Zuid Nederland school holiday period my drive to Weert every day is much easier because there are fewer cars on the road; they are all off on vacation.

The schedule rotates every year so each zone gets to have the different weeks of the summer off. So, what is the schedule this year?

 Zomervakantie 2012 - Nederland

Primary (Elementary) School:

North Netherlands               21 Jul 2012 t/m  2 Sep 2012   
Middle Netherlands             7 Jul 2012 t/m    19 Aug 2012   
South Netherlands               30 Jun 2012 t/m 12 Aug 2012   

Middle and High School:

North Netherlands               14 Jul 2012 t/m   2 Sep 2012
Middle Netherlands              7 Jul 2012 t/m    26 Aug 2012   
South Netherlands                30 Jun 2012 t/m 19 Aug 2012

The North Region consists of the following Provinces:

• Groningen
• Friesland
• Drente
• Overijssel
• Noord-Holland
• Flevoland (met uitzondering van Zeewolde)
• Gelderland: Alleen (only) Hattem
• Utrecht: Alleen (only) Eemnes 

 The Middle Region consists of the following Provinces:

• Zuid-Holland
• Utrecht (met uitzondering van Eemnes en Loosdrecht)
• Noord-Brabant: Alleen Werkendam, Woudrichem
• Flevoland: Alleen Zeewolde
• Gelderland voor de plaatsen (for the places): Aalten, Apeldoorn, Barneveld, Bergh (gemeente Montferland), Berkelland, Brummen, Buren, Culemborg, Dinxperlo, Doetinchem, Echteld, Ede, Elburg, Epe, Ermelo, Geldermalsen, Gorssel, Groenlo, Harderwijk, Heerde, Hengelo, Hoevelaken, Hummelo en Keppel, Kesteren, Lichtenvoorde, Lienden, Lingewaal, Lochem, Maurik, Neerijnen, Nijkerk, Nunspeet, Oldebroek, Oude IJsselstreek, Putten, Scherpenzeel, Steenderen, Tiel, Voorst, Vorden, Wageningen, Warnsveld, Wehl, Winterswijk, Zelhem, Zutphen

 The South Region consists of the following Provinces:

• Zeeland
• Limburg
• Noord-Brabant (met uitzondering van Werkendam en Woudrichem)
• Gelderland voor de plaatsen: Ammerzoden, Angerlo, Arnhem, Bemmel, Beuningen, Brakel, Didam (gemeente Montferland), Dodewaard, Doesburg, Druten, Duiven, Groesbeek, Hedel, Heerewaarden, Heumen, Kerkwijk, Maasdriel, Millingen aan de Rijn, Nijmegen, Overbetuwe, Renkum, Rheden, Rozendaal, Rijnwaarden, Ubbergen, Valburg, Westervoort, West Maas en Waal, Wijchen, Zaltbommel, Zevenaar.

Vrijheid Urmond Historical Festival (2 & 3 June 2012)

On Saturday and Sunday, 2 & 3 June 2012 there will be a historical (Middle Ages) festival at Urmond, NL. Urmond is ten minutes away from Schinnen if traffic is light. Below is the schedule and my best translation.

Zaterdag 2 juni 2012 Saturday 2 June 2012

11.00-17.00 uur (gratis entree): Vrijmarkt/rommelmarkt, kunstmarkt in theetuin van de Protestantse kerk, tentoonstelling "Urmond Toen" in Protestantse kerk. From 11:00 to 5:00 (free Entry) is a Craft, art, and flea market in the Tea garden of the Protestant church. There is also an exhibition "Urmond Then" in the church.
19.00-23.00 uur (entree 2 euro): optreden De Maasbuben in Herberg De Vrijheid op Het Bath met om 20.00 uur het spectaculaire RIDDERTOERNOOI.From 7:00 to 11:00 PM (entry is €2) Best guess is this says a musical group called De Maasbuben will play at the festival tent called Herberg de Vrijhied on the street called "De Bath" on the Maas river side of town and then at  8:00 PM the spectacular Knights tournament.
Zondag 3 juni 2012 Sunday 3 June 2012

9.00 uur: Entree open (entreeprijs 5 euro inclusief gratis consumptie; kinderen tot 16 jaar gratis entree). Start doorlopende Middeleeuwse markt.9:00 (AM) Entrance is open (Entrance price is €5 which includes one free "consumptie" [food or drink chip or ticket]; children up to 16 are free) The Middle Ages market is open to walk through.
10.00 uur: zedenpreek door Middeleeuwse pastoor (Het Bath) 10:00 Sermon by a Middle Ages pastor at Het Bath)
10.30 uur: Middeleeuwse brunch in Herberg De Vrijheid op Het Bath. Deelname alleen mogelijk na inschrijving vooraf (inmiddels uitverkocht!). Muziek door Krebbel, troubadour Sjeng Fransse en minstrelen This Middle Ages brunch is already sold out so you can skip it
11.45 uur: optocht met bezoekers, fanfare, schutterijen, ridders, notabelen, Middeleeuws volk en personages vanaf Het Bath naar de Kooipoort 11:45 Parade with visitors, fanfare (marching band), shooting clubs (usually dressed in traditional garb), knights, notables, medieval people and characters from the Bath to the Kooi gateway (can't find it on a map but I guess there will be signs).
12.00 uur: opening Kooipoort door de schout (Burgemeester A. Barske) 12:00 Official opening by Major A. Barske.
12.15 uur: optreden muziekgroep Krebbel (podium kerk)12:15 performance by musical group "Krebbel"
12.30 uur: optreden drumband St. Martinus (Het Bath) 12:30 performance by drumband St. Matinus
12.45 uur: optreden muziekgroep Kapriol' met balfolk (podium kerk) 12:45 Performance by musical group Kapriol with folk dancers
13.30 uur: binnenkomst hertog van Gulick en HISTORISCH SPEL door Middeleeuws volk en personages (podium bij kerk) 1:30 Entrance of Duke van Gulick and a historical play with Medieval characters and persons (podium by the church)
13.30 uur: optreden 2 of a kind (Het Bath)1:30 performance by "2 of a Kind" at Het Bath
14.15 uur: optocht vanaf podium bij kerk naar riddertoernooi op Het Bath 2:15 Parade from the church podium to the knights tournament at Het Bath.
14.15 uur: optreden Krebbel (podium kerk) 2:15 performance by "Krebbel" at the church podium
14.30 uur: RIDDERTOERNOOI op Het Bath2:30 Knight's Tournament at Het Bath
14.50 uur: optreden Kapriol' met balfolk (podium kerk)2:50 Performance by Kapriol with folk dancers at the church podium
15.30 uur: 2e opvoering binnenkomst hertog en HISTORISCH SPEL bij podium kerk 3:30 second performance of the entrance of the Duke and a historical play by the church podium
15.45 uur: optreden 2 of a kind (Het Bath)3:45 performance of "2 of a Kind" at Het Bath
16.30 uur: 2e opvoering RIDDERTOERNOOI op Het Bath 16:30 second performance of the knights tournament at Het Bath
16.30 uur: optreden Krebbel (podium kerk)4:30 performance or Krebbel at the church podium
17.00 uur: optreden Kapriol' met balfolk (podium kerk)  5:00 performance of Kapriol with folk dancers at the church podium
17.15 uur: optreden 2 of a kind (Het Bath) 5:15 performance of "2 of a Kind" at Het Bath
19.00 uur: sluiting historisch festival met heksverbranding op Het Bath 7:00 closing of the historical festival with a wirch burning at Het Bath
9.00-19.00 uur: doorlopend Middeleeuwse markt met diverse kramen, historische groepen, personages en activiteiten, optredens van diverse muziekgroepen, kinderspelen, ponyrijden en springkussen op Het Bath, roofvogelshow, boogschutter, ganzenhoeder etc. 9:00 to 7:00 PM continuous medieval market with diverse stalls, historical groups, persons and activities, performances by diverse musical groups, children's games, pony rides, and bouncing house at Het Bath, birds of prey show, archery, goose herder, etc.
s' Middags lezingen en tentoonstelling "400 jaar Schippershuis" in het Schippershuis. All afternoon (both days I think) of lectures and exhibit of the "400 Years Shipper's House" at the Shipper's house.

It looks like a fun two days and fairly cheap. I always suggest you carry some snacks and drinks because they tend to be very expensive at these festivals but certainly treat yourself to something there. You can't properly enjoy a fest without eating fest food.

2012 Schuttersfeest in Schimmert

Today was the annual Oud Limburgs Schuttersfeest (Old Limburger Shooting Festival); held at the Schimmert Sports Field. The Schuttersfeest is a competition between the various shooting organizations in south Limburg (The Netherlands and Belgium). These clubs, called "Schutterijen" in Dutch, are remnants of the old Shooting Guilds or Militias that defended the towns and villages in the old days. 

The schutterij, civic guard, or town watch, was a defensive military support system for the local civic authority. Its officers were wealthy citizens of the town, appointed by the city magistrates. In the Northern Netherlands, after the formal changeover in civic authority after Beeldenstorm, which depending on the town, was sometime between 1566 and 1580, the officers had to be a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. Its captain was usually a wealthy inhabitant of the district, and the group's ensign was a wealthy young bachelor (often recognizable in group portraits of Schutterijen by his particularly fine clothes and the flag he is carrying). Joining as an officer for a couple of years was often a stepping-stone to other important posts within the city council. The members were expected to buy their own equipment: this entailed the purchase of a weapon and uniform. Each night two men guarded their district in two shifts, from ten till two, and from two till six, closing and opening the gates of the city. At a set time each month, the schutters would parade under the command of an officer.

The idea was that, for every hundred inhabitants, three would belong to the schutterij. The Dutch Mennonites were excluded from a position in the schutterij in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and paid a double tax in lieu of service. Roman Catholics were permitted in the lower regions. Persons in the service of the city (such as the minister, the city-physician, the teacher, the sexton, the beer-bearers and peat bearers), and the city's Jews, did not need to serve. The beer and peat bearers had to serve as the town's firefighters instead.

In 1748 the Doelisten demanded that stadholder William IV allow the bourgeoisie to appoint the militia's officers, but William refused, since in some towns the bourgeois could not even be considered as candidates for these offices. By the second half of the 18th century the schutterij were inactive (sometimes only exercising once a year and with the ill or rich buying their way out of service) and only of importance to Orangists.  Patriots tried to breathe new life into the schutterij in 1783 or to create an alternative - in many cities, exercitiegenootschappen (military-exercise societies), vrijcorpsen (free corps) or voluntary schutterijen arose which anybody could join and with officers chosen democratically. 

The system of schutterijen no longer worked after five hundred years, but survived the French occupation until finally king William I set up professional police forces. In 1901, the schutterijen were abolished but they still sort of exist in the Limburg region as private clubs.

Many of the clubs today proudly trace their heritage back to the authentic organizations and in many cases there was no loss of continuity. So you'll see on their signs dates as far back as the origins of the village's militia. I saw one Schutterij today with the date 1553 on its sign.

The Schuttersfeest begins with a march through the town or village. Each club is led by a young boy or girl carrying a sign indicating which guild it is. The sign usually shows their Patron Saint, town of origin, and date of origin. They are followed by the bielemannen or sappers carrying large axes. They function in the old days was to clear the way of obstacles. They wore false beards to hide their identity because these militias were often used to put down local civil unrest and riots.

They were followed by the Drum-Major and the marching band. The Drum-Major uses his staff and hand gestures to control the band; not just their music but also their marching. He indicates when to start, stop, makes turns, etc.

The band is followed by the "marketensters" who are sort of a "women's auxiliary". They carry a market basket with provisions and a small wooden keg filled with brandy or some other sort of distilled drink.

After the marketensters come the King and Queen of the guild and several of the higher officers and retainers. I didn't take any photos of them on the parade.

Last, come the "soldaten of fuseliers" (soldiers or fusiliers). They took commands from an officer or NCO of some sort who in turn took his cues from the marching band to their front. 

The parade, or "optocht" in Dutch, ended at the sports field shooting grounds on the west side of Schimmert. It was an unusually warm day so as soon as they were done marching most of them stripped done out of most of their uniforms to cool off. One female was a heat casualty and fell out on the sports field. Medics immediately treated her on the spot.

The Schuttersfeest had limited food available at two concession stands and there was a large fest tent with a band, food, and drinks on site. Nearer to the shooting area was another "beer tent" but no food concessions.

Every aspect of the club was judged and scored. The king and queen was judged near the gazebo. I have no idea what the criteria were but each judging took about 20 minutes so it must have been comprehensive. They were asked a lot of questions and their outfits were closely scrutinized. All the silver plates on the king are the plates from predecessors. The next pair to be judged is standing by in the background.

The Marketensters were also judged and it was also very comprehensive. They each had to show the contents of their market baskets, answer questions, show their uniforms, and then demonstrate their process for presenting a shot of brandy to one of their soldiers. All this was done in front of two judges who were keeping score. In this picture the Marketenster was tapping a shot of brandy from her keg and then she walked over to her soldier and presented it to him to drink.

The band was judged on another field where they had more room to march and play. They were judged on their uniforms, their music, their marching ability, etc. Each group marched or did in-place drill for at least twenty minutes while they were being judged.

Lastly, the soldiers were judged. They also were judged on their uniforms, static Drill and Ceremony, manual of arms, and marching.

All the while the actual shooting competition was going on. The shooters take ten shots at elevated targets ("birds"), which are small (15mm) blocks held in a frame with ten targets to a column. These frames are 20 meters high.

The shooters use huge guns weighing 15 kilograms (36 lbs). The guns have open sites so there is no magnification of the tiny targets. They fire huge lead bullets, 12 or 16 mm in diameter (.47 or .63 caliber). Most shooters would take one or two shots and then rest while someone else held the weight of the weapon.

These are big and popular events in Limburg. If you like band music, marching, D&C (drill and ceremony), and a very unique shooting sport, this might be something you would be interested in. You can view the association's calendar at this LINK. Just click on the sub-menu "kalender" and look for a "Schuttersfeest" entry. The 75th anniversary of the Oud Limburgse Schuttersfederatie will take place on 23 September 2012 at Ellikom, Belgium. It looks to be about a thirty minute drive from Schinnen.

Price Comparing - Schinnen Commissary

I tend to be a thrifty person and I always look for the best deal. So I compare prices on everything I buy. The commissary has little control over their prices; they are set at the distribution level somewhere else. Some of the prices make no sense at all so you have to be careful.

One problem with trying to compare prices is that the commissary is not consistent. Some of their products are marked in $ per ounce and some are marked in $ per kilogram. I understand how that happens but it is just laziness on the part of the commissary not to convert everything to one standard. I am fairly sure that their computerized system can do this easier than I can do it in my head. Unless you have a calculator you cannot really compare prices to get the best deal.

The commissary also utilizes the same manipulations and tricks that commercial grocery stores use. That is they move items to the ends of the aisles and make it look like they are sale. Sometimes they are indeed on sale. A few weeks ago they had a few of their energy drinks on sale for a pretty good discounted price. But today when I was there I noticed they had boxes of energy drinks out on the end of an aisle that were actually 30 cents a can MORE expensive than the normal price. A box of ten cans was "On Sale" for $14.67 ($1.47 a can) but the per can price is normally $1.19. The Shopette was selling this same product at four cans for $2.00. 

Several times recently I have been charged more than the price listed on the item in the aisle. This has happened so often that I pay close attention when I am at the register. Luckily, the store policy is to go by the price on the shelf but you have to bring it to their attention.

I'm not knocking the commissary, the people there will do everything possible for you if you ask. But the misleading pricing makes it hard to stretch your shopping dollar. Also, be careful of the fake sales. They can cost you extra money. And always remember to check prices at the shopette and the PXtra as well. Lastly, don't forget that the commissary charges you a 5% tax so you have to add that to your pricing.

Are you aware that you can use coupons up to six months after they expire? (Only at Overseas Commissaries)

Saving Money on Fuel (Gas and Diesel)

Have you filled your gas tank at Schinnen recently? We are approaching $5.00 a gallon gas and will certainly go over five dollars a gallon sometime soon.

                     Per Gallon          Per Liter          Change. (+/-)
Euro95          $4.928              $1.302             +0.095
Super Plus     $5.213              $1.377             +0.096
Diesel            $4.985              $1.317             +0.051

We are paying 92 cents a gallon more for gasoline than our colleagues that live and work in Germany do!  How can that be justified? But what can you do?

Here are some tips to help maximize your fuel dollars.

1. Sign up for and use the Aafes "Star Card" credit card. If you buy your fuel using your Star Card you will save five cents a gallon. Don't use the card for anything else and make sure you pay it off EVERY month so you are not paying interest charges. This method will also give you a very accurate record of your fuel use and costs.

2. Clean out your car. There's good reason to clean out the junk piled in the trunk. Every 100 pounds of added weight in a car reduces its fuel economy by about 2%. That is about 10 cents a gallon (9.96 cents at the current price). Hauling a cargo carrier, bikes, kayaks or other gear atop the car for a road trip is worse, decreasing fuel economy by 5% (24.9 cents a gallon).

3. Slow down. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that for every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph you add $0.30 per gallon to the gas bill. Aggressive stops and starts waste another 33% at highway speeds and about 5% at slower, local speed limits.Take your time and slowly accelerate instead of stomping on the gas. My car, when it was brand new, was rated at 32 Miles per Gallon (MPG) on the highway; I generally get 36 MPG. I rarely go faster than 110 kph and I take a full kilometer to get up to speed when I enter the highway. I try to keep my engine RPMs under 2,000 as I accelerate. I also take my foot off the gas and start coasting about five hundred meters from the off ramp. If you stay in the right lane behind a large truck you gain at least 5-10 percent more efficiency by "drafting" in the already moving air behind the truck. These trucks are generally going between 90 and 100 kph.

4. Plan your Route. It's possible to cut down on mileage just by running a few errands on the same trip and choosing more efficient routes. You want to avoid traffic lights, stop signs, and stop and go traffic if at all possible. You can actually save gas by driving a little further if that route allows you to keep moving. Starting and stopping is why city mileage is so much lower than highway mileage. When you combine multiple errands into one drive you save fuel not just by driving a shorter overall distance but also because your car is more fuel efficient when it is warmed up to operating temperatures. So drive to your furthest location first if it makes sense to do so.

5. Car Pool. That is a Homer Simpson "Doh" statement to me. 99% of the military personnel here work at one of two places; USAG Schinnen or JFC Brunssum. Find somebody to share the ride and save a quick 50% on your fuel bill and general wear and tear on your car.

6. Check your Tire Pressure. Under- or over-inflated tires change the way the car handles, adding drag and speeding wear. That, in turn, reduces fuel efficiency by about 3%. Look to the driver's side door panel or owner's manual for information on proper inflation levels, Don't go by the figure stamped on the tire -- that's the maximum pressure the tire can handle. Tire pressure changes with temperature and over time so check your tire pressure at least every other time you fill your gas tank.

7. Turn off your Engine. Turn off your engine if you know you will be sitting still for 11 seconds or more. Eleven seconds seems to be the cut-off point. If you drive the same route to work and back every day then you know about how long a light is. One intersection in Beek that I go through every day is a complex intersection and the light is well over a minute long if it changes to red right when I get to it. I shut my car off and save a minute's worth of fuel. I do the same thing for railroad crossings. I go through three railroad crossings on my route to work and get stopped by a train at least once a week. That can be up to a three minute stop if a train goes by in each direction. Shutting off the engine saves a lot of fuel.

8. Bike once or twice a week. When I was stationed here twelve years ago a subordinate of mine and I rode our bikes to work two days a week. I lived in Neerbeek and he lived in Geleen; we worked in Brunssum. We met along the way. It was only a thirty minute bike ride (it also took thirty minutes to drive in a car) and was a nice addition to our fitness program. Riding a bike two days  a week saved me 40% on my driving costs.

9. Park your car and walk. When I go to Schinnen I park my car in whatever lot is closest to where I will have to carry the most items and then walk everywhere else. If I am picking up groceries, for example, I park in the commissary lot but then I walk to the PX, PX-tra, or bank from there.

10. Take public transportation. A single person going to Maastricht, Valkenberg, or Roermond, for example, can travel cheaper by train than by driving. In some cases a couple can also travel cheaper by train. But once you are talking about the whole family going somewhere it might be cheaper to drive. You need to do the math and figure out which is best for the circumstances.