20140428 Monday Arnhem
Vantage: Back in the Netherlands, today you’ll disembark in Arnhem, the site of an Allied Forces paratrooper landing and ensuing battle during World War II. In the morning, you may choose to delve into World War II-era history with a visit to the Liberation Museum, an interactive experience that recreates conditions from the prewar days through the post-war rebuilding of the Netherlands and Europe. Alternatively, you can visit the Kröller-Müller Museum, which boasts an impressive collection of paintings as well as a vast sculpture garden (available most departures). Before heading back to the ship, take an afternoon walk around Arnhem. Enjoy live entertainment on board tonight.
Actual: .........Photolink
We rose late because the alarm didn’t go off (pm vs am setting). But we still made the coach departure for the Liberation Museum. This wonderful place, out in the area where the Operation Market Garden happened, is staffed by 145 volunteers in memory of the soldiers, especially the airborne soldiers, who liberated the Dutch from the Nazi Germans.
Most of these volunteers are our age, and remember stories told by their parents about the time. One lady told us that well after WW2, she asked her mother what was the best time in her life. Mom replied, “Spring and Summer, 1945”, because she was free again.
It’s an excellent museum with lots of exhibits, a little short on hands-on materials, but very well done. Everyone wished they could spend more time there. It’s wonderful to see people keeping a history of a time and place.
To get there, we passed through a little piece of Germany after going through the town of Nijmegen. The bridges that were the object of Market Garden are no more, but the newest bridge in Nijmegen is being built on the spot of the one in “A Bridge Too Far”.
The topology changed a little here. There are low hills on the east side of town, whereas everything to the west is flat.
If you’re ever in the Netherlands, stop at this museum.
We returned to Arnhem and the ship for lunch. There were to be several walking tours of the city, but the map showed the downtown area to be close by the ship. Dolores rested her leg and I took off on my own. There are several streets that are pedestrian-only, which makes walking the shopping area easy. I looked for a specific thing, but never found it (traveler-sized bottle of mouthwash). But I had fun going through Hema and H&M and a few others, looking at the sales items.
I returned to the ship in time for a glass, Dolores joined me in the lounge and we read for a bit. Then we went to change out of our jeans into chinos for dinner. Back to the lounge, where Tessa started a lecture on Vantage’s other tours that was basically a sales pitch, but it came with drinks and nibblies so we sat through it.. Not long after that, the port talk for tomorrow was given (not certain yet just what we’ll do).
On then to dinner (tough life) of several courses and nice talk with new folks we hadn’t met before. On our way out, we noticed that Wally & Mary Kay were sitting with Judeen Johnson and his partner. We went back to the cabin, where I’m currently finishing this epistle at 2145. Enough.