Small Public Square: Operation Market Garden

Today we're in Belgium and the Netherlands for bikes, canals and A Bridge Too Far. Market Garden was the Allies' attempt to break across the Rhine into Germany in September 1944 to put a quick end to the war. First they had to capture several key bridges by paratroopers, who had to hold on until the tanks and infantry could reach them.

We're following the route XXX Corp took from the south to relieve the paratroopers. The operation started with a launch across Joe's Bridge over the Harentals canal.

Flat, wooded country with lots of people on bikes.

Through Eindhoven and on to the Son, where the Germans managed to blow the bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal just before the 101st Airborne could reach it. When the XXX Corp reached this point they built a Bailey Bridge in 12 hours and kept moving. So the drawbridge there today isn't original:

Lots of bodies of water to get across in this country. We passed over the Zuid-Willemsvaart Canal at Veghel and the River Maas at Grave, both of which had bridges successfully captured by the 82nd Airborne.

Next stop was the bridge over the Waal River at Nijmegen. Looks like a pretty town, though we didn't have time to walk around the city center. We had a great view from across the river, though. It took the paratroopers several days to take this bridge, and it wasn't far past here where the army got stopped by the Germans.

Almost at the end of the battle now. We drove past the area where the XXX Corp got stopped, then just beyond was the Lower Rhine and the John Frost bridge at Arnhem, the famous bridge too far. The British paratroopers held this bridge for several days waiting for help that never arrived, until finally out of ammo and their numbers dwindling they had to surrender. The buildings around the bridge are different but the bridge and pathways are pretty much still the way they were then, judging from photos we saw at the museum.

Had a nice lunch in Arnhem - I had a wonderful white asparagus soup that was much lighter than it looked, a spinach salad and focaccia with a red pepper compote. One of my favorite meals of the trip so far, and in the Netherlands!

Downtown Arnhem is a nice place, extremely pedestrian friendly. A carnival was going on. I was feeling good about my light lunch when I saw these crispy things (with real cream!). I had help eating them, by the way.

Just west was Oosterbeek, where the main group of paratroopers in this area finally had to retreat back across the Rhine. There's a great museum in the house where they made their headquarters. The lowest level is like a life-sized diorama that makes you feel like you're in the middle of the battle. Pretty disorienting stuff.

Finally, on to Amsterdam and a 7pm reservation at the Anne Frank house. You wind your way through the various hideout rooms with interesting displays and see things like the pictures Anne pasted on the walls - movie stars, photos of kids, the occasional humorous bit, sketches by great masters. Should be required viewing for everyone. Perhaps the saddest part to me is how common her story was. If not for the diaries she'd be as lost to history as millions of others who died.