Day 6: Northern Netherlands

Netherlands day 6:

In the morning we went to Westerburg transit camp. On the ride over there, I wasn't sure what to expect or how I was supposed to feel but then we were there and I had to deal with the emotions and confusion all at one. It was a museum. A simple museum. That might have been where the camp used to be but there was no connection to it. It felt strange.  While I know it wasn't an extermination camp I still expected the worst. The information claimed that they tried to make life as normal as possible but I couldn't believe this. Really? Really?  Here people were walking their dogs along throughout the museum, but this was where a great tragedy happened.  Murder. Not just a camping grounds. I had to understand cultural differences but it still felt wrong. Later it did discuss the tragedy and murder but that’s what I want. I don't want to feel happy for the few that survived I want to feel pain for the millions that didn’t. We were able to then take a bus to the actual memorial even though there wasn't much left. There was a big memorial for the 102000 Dutch that died. 102000 stars of differing heights. I couldn't figure out the pattern until I was told that the different heights represent the different ages of the people. So many people. I could understand why my mom refuses to go to any more Holocaust memorials. It is emotionally draining.  But I still want to feel the powerful experience for myself.  It’s something that I need to do firsthand.

A village right across the street called Hooghalen (in the province Drenthe) was home to our Scottish lunch.  I ordered fish and chips and Allert got the ‘Braveheart’ 400 grams of schnitzel.  We then sat and he tried to teach me some dutch.  I want to know enough so it looks like I’m trying but not enough so it doesn’t look like I actually know anything.

We sat and I tried to learn dutch and this is all I got

Please. 

Alstublieft. 

Where is the bathroom?

Waar is het toilet?

I am American.  

Ik ben Amerikaan. 

Thanks

Dank je

My name is 

Mijn naam is/Ik heer

Throughout our drives, this is the least densely populated province. That's why there are so many goats here. This is Allert’s favorite province (probably because there aren’t too many people around).   I didn’t really want to do much more touristing so we decided to head for some chill dessert or coffee in the Village Appelscha (province Friesland).  The problem was that the weather got really cold and miserable looking. We decided to get a nice hot chocolate- the best solution to any cold day. We just sat there and drank for a while and it had whipped cream on top yummmm. There was nothing left to do so we headed back to Drachten and watched the euro cup final. Viva España! I looked up plans for the next day and started getting a lil bit nervous. I would be leaving Allert tomorrow and starting the second half of my European adventure by myself.  But for tomorrow- Belgium. He waned to go to Antwerp because he's never been there and he had been to Brussels so what the heck I don't really care either way I just want some waffles and to visit my tenth country this year!!!

This is a little ‘poem’ that I wrote about the Holocaust experience.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted it to be but I knew that I wanted to make sure that I wrote something down.  Something to remember this experience:

How do you feel he asked. What a question. How was I supposed to feel. Happy for the experience. Sad for the pain. Numb from it's existence. I didn't know how to feel. How was I supposed to feel. Can you please tell me. How do you feel he asked. All I could say was nothing.