Blogs from Limburg, Netherlands, Europe - page 6

Today is my 24th birthday. It’s awesome to get to celebrate it in Europe. I’ve had a few odd birthdays, including a birthday celebration at the Taos Indian Reservation in New Mexico, but never in Europe. It’s a nice treat. Despite the fact that I had an exam this morning (international development law), today was a fantastic day. The exam was in a different city (Meersen) so we had to take the train to get there. It took us about 5 minutes on the train, so it really wasn’t that bad. After the exam, I headed toward the train station. Ironically, Dad & I arrived at the train station from different directions at exactly the same time. Odd coincidence. It worked out well because we went from there to check into his hotel, grab some lunch, ... read more

It occurred to me that some folks might want to see my room and one place in Maastricht that I already know well: the train station. So here are some pictures to help explain where I am! Pictures of some of the churches around town, some of beautiful scenery around a walking trail along a canal, and other places around here will be added later.... read more

Today is May 8. That means that it's Victory in Europe (or "V-E") Day. On May 8, 1945, the Allies accepted the unconditional surrender of German forces, ending the war in Europe. This officially ended Hitler's Third Reich in Germany. When one studies World War II history, one always learns about fighting in North Africa, storming the beaches of Normandy, & the eventual capture of Berlin. For the most part, what seems to be missing is what happened between the time the Allied forces entered France in June 1944 & took Germany in April/May 1945. From September 1944 until the spring of 1945, Allied forces were in the Limburg region of the Netherlands pushing toward the German border. On September 14, Maastricht was the first Dutch city to be liberated by the Allied forces. In the ... read more

After leaving Amsterdam, Mom & Dad finally got to see Maastricht. I think they really liked it, especially since it's incredibly more laid-back than Amsterdam (especially since you don't have to be on the look out for bicycles, trams, & scooters constantly!) Essentially, I showed them around the city that has been my home for the past few months. We did some shopping, walked around, & relaxed after a long journey. We even did a trolley tour around the city (that I didn't know existed), but it was really nice. Unfortunately, the information given was in German & Dutch, but the guy that conducted the tour was nice enough to fill us in in English on certain things. He was very nice. I have a new-found respect for this city because I never realized how beautiful ... read more

I have had a lot of complaints that I have not blogged frequently enough. I'm sorry to announce that since school has started, I quite literally have no life beyond European environmental law, European criminal law, & European human rights law. I highly doubt that anyone wants to read about my lessons on here, so until there's a break in schoolwork, I'll apologize for the lack of blogs. :) Today, the weather was crazy. It was about 50 degrees but Mother Nature couldn't figure out if she wanted the sun to shine or for it to pour down rain. Quite literally one moment it would be sunny and beautiful with clear blue skies & 5 seconds later I'd have to bust out an umbrella. It was ridiculous. However, the temperature was very welcome. Considering last week ... read more