Pictures - Cologne and Wageninegen, Zeist, Utrecht Holland

These are pictures from my last night in Cologne as well as the memorial parade in Wageninegen, the torch lighting, the concerts on Freedom Day, biking through Zeist and the countryside (sheep, castles and wooden clogs for sale), and a small occupy tent set up in Urecht.

It was very interesting to stay with Lisanne at her boyfriend's university house, especially on the biggest party weekend of the year in Wageninegen.  The torch lighting ceremony and memorial parade with veterans were enlightening to attend; the huge street party and house party gave me another perspective of culture in Holland.

After attending a Dutch cover band concert (the Memphis Maniacs) I was walking to another concert with the others, but I was lagging a bit behind trying to figure out the purpose of a street performance that was going on involving women dressed all in black with broken black umbrellas handing off black suitcases to each other and guarding a white van.  Apparently I was a little too engrossed in the going ons as I walked right into a pole.  If we were in a fight, the pole won. Lisanne looked back in time to see it happen, but her friends missed it.  I think I made the day of those people watching on the side if the street; it really was a textbook example of walking into a pole complete with the ringing sound (the pole, not me). Really though, the resulting mark on my forehead was rather unimpressive and it didn't even bruise yet.

I'm in Zeist now with Lisanne's parents and her sister who also was visiting.  I have been so well taken care of by Lisanne and I am appreciating the history and culture she has to share.  She has a great story about her grandfather who played a part in resisting the German occupation during WWII and his resulting imprisonment in workcamps all over Europe and escape in Belgium.  I am blessed to be able to learn so much from Lisanne and her family during my time with them and I am again reminded of the importance of personal testimonies to link the past to the present and cultures and generations together.