Harvey Travel Arts

Happy New Year! Here's wishing that the snow melts into spring, and God's seasons bring you new joy.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 Merry Christmas to all of you and yours!

Inside the caves at Valkenburg, we found evidence of their history all over the walls. These silhouettes were taken of American soldiers during WWII. The soldiers used these caves as a hideout from enemy forces. Jews were also hidden in the caves at various times during the War. Today, they have to have grating over the silhouettes in order to protect from graffiti. It is sad that others do not have a respect for history, and cannot understand that if history is not preserved, it could be repeated. So here's a prayer in time, thanking God for protecting our men and women in uniform, and for their dedicated service, no matter what conflicts they may be a part of.

The theme of one of two Christmas Markets in Valkenburg, Netherlands was "A Christmas Carol". For the next couple of weeks, I'll show pictures from these caves. The entrance was decked out with scenes from long ago, and it brought me along a trip down memory lane. More on that in a moment... Anyway, above you can probably barely see the silhouette of the "Grim Reaper" or death in the center window. If you've read or watched "A Christmas Carol" you will remember that the "Ghost of Christmas Future" comes bearing a Phantom reminding Ebeneezer Scrooge of Death. This marks the turning point for Ebeneezer, where he decides to keep the Spirit of Christmas alive within him. As far as my trip down memory lane? When I was in the 6th grade, we read "A Christmas Carol" and acted out the story in a mini-play for the school and our parents. I think my part included coming to the table as one of the Cratchit children.

Last week I posted about giving thanks in all circumstances. This weekend, my sentiments were tested when we went to Valkenburg, Netherlands, to see the Christmas Markets. What you have is a view from our hotel. The actual Christmas Market photos will come starting next week. Right now, though, I want to tell you it was difficult to give thanks at this hotel. Now I'm usually a laid back traveler, and I love European hotels in general. I like the unique buildings, the tasty breakfasts, and cozy rooms. But when we arrived and they told us that we needed to let them know if the room was too cold, I knew I was in for an adventure. The room was too cold for Brian, if that tells you anything. Usually he's the hot natured one, and I'm the one who is always cold. This attic room, though cute and cozy, was not warm. We froze, and turned on the shower at one point to let some steam from the hot water to heat the room. I thought of my blog, and giving thanks in all circum...

Sunday morning the Chaplain gave his Thanksgiving message. The main point? Be thankful in all circumstances. I am reminded of Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place , where she is thankful for the fleas. Yes, fleas! The fleas on the prisoners allowed them to safely avoid the detection of the guards and get Bibles, medicines,supplies etc to those who needed them. Those guards certainly didn't want to "catch" the fleas. Sometimes life feels like that, doesn't it? That everything is going wrong, your health is bad, loved ones are dying, and what could there to be thankful for? Sometimes finding thankfulness requires digging deep within ourselves and may even mean looking for what appears to be a negative on the surface (fleas, anyone?) and realizing that there could be a reason. Something, perhaps, to be thankful for. You're probably wondering why the pictures of trash and crowded cities on a post about thanksgiving. These are pictures from Brian's rec...

Every fall I enjoy the autumn colors of orange, yellow, red and purple that spring forth. I have to admit, one of the things I loved living on the East Coast of the US and now I enjoy in Germany are the beautiful leaves turning. The time frame is so brief; only a couple of weeks it seems, and then they fall, leaving a barren tree in their wake. You can probably look through the blog and see similar pictures. I never tire of taking them, or having Brian take them, because every tree, every scene, is different. Just a couple of weeks ago, Brian and I were driving near Worms (it's a town, not a creepy crawly) and happened across this park area. It's actually the grounds of a former schloss (castle or palace in German). The sky was bright, the reflections were beautiful, and the tree above looked like the perfect place for climbing.