Casino

Our plan was to sleep in Cassino, drive to Rome and then come back after a day of visiting Rome.
Then sleep another night in Cassino and drive to Naples to go visit Pompeii!
Well we had a change of plan on our second visiting destination. We decided that going to Naples was going to be a little too long, so we ended up going to visit Monte Cassino.

For those of you who don't know about the battle of Monte Cassino here is some infos:
Monte Cassino
It was pretty awesome as we went up the hill.
Fog all over, and not small spot, you can see how thick it was. We couldn't see too far!!Between September, 1943 and May, 1944 the town was occupied by the Germans. The Germans had a great strategic position - on the mountain - and were able to see the entire area. The Allied Forces made many unsuccessful attempts to conquer Monte Cassino. Finally after a battle that lasted seven days, the Polish soldiers overtook the German army. 860 Polish soldiers died and 2800 were wounded in that fierce battle. The battle also resulted in the bombing of the monastery. More than a thousand Polish soldiers are buried in the Polish cemetery located on the mountain across from the abbey. The town of Cassino and the Benedictine Abbey were rebuilt after the war. After we paid our respect to those Polish soldiers who lost their life.We headed up the hill to the Abbey to visit it! It was just incredible. Everyone know that the Italian are amazing on their architecture.
This abbey was a pile of dust and rock at the end of WWII, and take a look of what it is now. Just amazing!!While visiting the inside of the Church, we could hear singing coming up from the
basement of the church, so we headed down and came up to the most
beautiful mosaic covered walls and ceiling.
A little picture that my mother took, just for you to see that I do exist, it isn't just a automatic flying camera that use the Happy Trigger Finger!! See it is I in my blue turban! LOL

We left early afternoon to get to our villa. Next stop the Tuscany hills!!

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Schoenenburg Fort Maginot Line France

Matt was put in charge of a visit of the Maginot line. And the Schoenenburg Fort was going to be one of the stop. So we decided to go and check it out. We went with Larry and Mike (and his sons). It was interesting, but a little weird! Miles of underground tunnels with rooms for divers use. Dormitories, dining room, mechanical rooms, air system purification room… First when you arrive you get to see a huge sign that say “Nobody goes through” (the humor is that, nobody came through from the East, but…. From the North yep!! They came alright!!) Anyway, here is a little history about the Maginot Line: "it was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defenses, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I, and in the run-up to World War II. Generally the term describes only the defenses facing Germany, while the term Alpine Line is used for the Franco-Italian defenses.

The French established the fortification to provide time for their army to mobilize in the event of attack, allowing French forces to move into Belgium for a decisive confrontation with German forces. The success of static, defensive combat in World War I was a key influence on French thinking. The fortification system successfully dissuaded a direct attack. However, it was strategically ineffective, as the Germans did indeed invade Belgium, defeated the French army, flanked the Maginot Line, and proceeded relatively unobstructed.

Military experts extolled the Maginot Line as a work of genius, believing it would prevent any further invasions from the east (notably, from Germany). However, the German army in World War II largely bypassed the Maginot Line by invading through the Ardennes forest and via the Low Countries, completely sweeping by the Line and conquering France in days. As such, the Maginot Line has come to mean a strategy or object that people put hope into but fails miserably. It is also the best known symbol of the adage that
"generals always fight the last war, especially if they have won it"."

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Rothenburg ob der Tauber Germany

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the picture of the typical medieval german town. If you ever had a vision of what a Traditional German look like, you are seeing Rothenburg!

We went to visit it on the weekend of the "Imperial City Fest". It was a beautiful day to do so.

This view above is the most pictured part in Germany. I thought it was pretty funny on that pictures as you can see lots of people taking the picture of it!

Every year the town of Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber celebrate their "Imperial Festival". It was cool to go and visit this beautiful medieval looking town and seeing the history come to life. Music group, the Royal Riflemen parade.

But they also had tones of peasants showing of what a peasant use to do at the time.

The celebration start on a Friday until the Sunday. The first night they have a Torchlight procession and fireworks with music along the facade of the Town hall mark.

And on Saturday they have another Fireworks in the Tauber Valley.

And just for the beauty of it, you can visit the Franciscan Church and when we did, they just had a wedding celebration the day before. The decoration were still there.

USO Paris July

This visit to Paris was going to be one of my latest visit with the USO tour. So... I did something that I have always wanted to do.

Just cruise.


I enjoyed just checking out Shop windows. Street Vendors, etc...

This one was kind of cool. A Tableware shop diplaying a new Plate design (of Paris monuments) and showing it like you were looking at it from above, but it was in a window (wonder if they used super glue?)

Laduree Store. It is a place where you can go and eat some sweets. The "Macarons" are one of their creation that they are well known for. But apparently it must be pretty good! Look at the line!












Walking around Paris, you can find lots of street performance like this guy. I thought it was kinda cool the way that he stand all day long on the column and be!







This was taken on the "Champs Elysees" not too far from the American Embassy. Did you know that you can't take picture of the Embassy? I was surprised and disapointed, It is such a pretty building, and to be in Paris and seeing the Stars Flowing next to a very old building. Make me want to shoot it. However, I was stopped by a Police officer (yes French) who made sure that I didn't have ANY pictures of the building! Bummer!!! What a party pooper!!













I also went, and that was the place I have been looking to go visit for a while. On the outskirt of Paris, in St. Denis. To go visit the Basilica of Saint Denis (funny because the French call it the "Cathedrale Royale de Saint Denis")
This is the place where most of the French Kings are buried. Nearly every King from the 10th to the 18th Centuries are there.(All but 3 kings are now buried here) Also most Queen were crowned there (King were in Reims)

The last King of France: Louis the XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette, his 2 daughters and his sister are buried here since 1806 (Time of Napoleon's exile and the "restored Bourbons" reigns.) The heart of the Dauphin de France (son of Louis XVI) is also there.