Travel reports from Tourguidesforyou

A man with an accordion and a group of laughing, flirty young ladies with two officers. They are in uniform, German, but it could have been any random group, at what seems like a company outing, something that occurs quite often even today. Ordinary people having fun together. I often show this photo at the end of my tour to Westerbork. I call it the scariest photograph of World War II that I know. This photo comes from an album belonging to one Karl-Friedrich Höcker, containing 116 photographs he took at his workplace. This particular photo was indeed taken during an outing on a Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1944 with many of the staff. The location was Solahütte, situated by a lake not far from Auschwitz. Afterward, this cheerful group of officers, doctors, executive and support staff returned to their various camps to continue their work.

On my way to Camp Westerbork, I often stop at the Hidden Village in the woods near Vierhouten. Here, in 1943 and 1944, people in hiding built a real village of well-concealed huts, three of which have been reconstructed. It’s a beautiful place to share the following insight. The German culture is deeply rooted in the forest. The first significant victory of the Germanic tribes over the Roman armies occurred in the Teutoburg Forest, an almost mythical battle that has been of great importance to the identity of the Germanic people. Think also of the fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm, the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich and others from the Romantic period, as well as the myths and stories that inspired many of Wagner's operas. Hitler was a great admirer of Wagner and his operas, and many supporters of Nazism, in search of Germanic identity, often held pagan rituals in remote forests. Greece has islands, the British Isles are rich with stories around lakes, and if you want to delve into German—and thus Nazi—culture, you must go to the forest. And if you want to try to experience how it was during the war, then the forest is the best place to go. A forest is a forest; close your eyes, and you can find yourself in a forest 80 years ago in Poland or Ukraine. At that time, the weather was often pleasant, the birds were singing, and it was simply a forest. But there were people hiding there, partisans who managed to organize themselves to escape the German oppression. Forests where hidden headquarters were established, training centers like Vogelsang , but also concentration and extermination camps. Forests where countless people were killed, but where, like near Vierhouten, safety was also found. If you want to bring the experience of the war closer, you can visit museums, monuments, and places where I can tell you the stories. But do not forget to visit a forest, for it was there, in the woods of Europe, that the events took place that had to remain in the shadows.

It rained heavily today, but the experience for my guest from Canada remained truly remarkable. His father was part of the Canadian troops that liberated Arnhem in April 1945

Fiona came to the Netherlands with her mother, whose father was involved in the Market Garden operation in September 1944. They didn't know much about his history, only that he had served in the engineer corps and had been quartered with a family in Eindhoven.

David Dobie was an officer in the 1st Airborne Division who led his troops to Arnhem during Market Garden. His stepson spent a day with me in Arnhem.

Russell came for two days to Arnhem and Nijmegen where his grandfather had fought during Market Garden. In uniform, he also came to pay his respects. It was the weekend of September 17, a time when many events and commemorations are organized.

Bernhard completed a training course in the Irish army and had to give a presentation on the Polish contribution during the Battle of Arnhem.

Before I can offer a tour, I naturally do the necessary research into the right locations, the surroundings and distances, and the unexpected places that are good to know when you're out with people. I was in Normandy for a week with a camper and my dog, where Easy Company, known from Band of Brothers, fought in several places. I wanted to offer a "follow the Band of Brothers " tour, so I went on an investigation. Just outside Carentan, where heavy fighting also took place, are the fields where Easy Company managed to hold off a German armored counterattack until, just in time, American tanks that had arrived on the beaches came to offer help. This battle is extensively shown in the series, and it's where I want to take people along. I quickly found the right location, farm fields between narrow roads surrounded by high hedges. After taking some photos, I thought it would be handy to drive a little further to a slightly larger place where I could turn around my camper. However, I hadn’t taken into account that it was very wet and muddy there. I got hopelessly stuck; the wheels were spinning in the mud but going nowhere. Oh dear. There I was on a Sunday afternoon. Where are those tanks when you need them, I thought. I decided to go find help with my dog and ended up at a farmhouse where a family party was taking place. In my best French, I explained what the problem was, and luckily I had taken this photo, so they understood me. I was given a soda, and there was a flurry of phone calls. After a while, someone came in a van to take me to my camper, and shortly after that, a tractor showed up. It quickly pulled me out of the mud, and with a cheerful smile, they drove off, allowing me to hit the road. So, this won't happen to me again when I come back here with my guests.

Carol had booked an entire day to explore the Amsterdam of Anne Frank. A tour where we start in Amsterdam Zuid, where she lived, then visit the Anne Frank House, followed by the Jewish Quarter and whatever else there is to see. She didn't have a ticket for the museum, but she didn't mind, she said. I expected an older woman with a deep interest in World War II, but Carol was a young woman from Newcastle, covered in piercings and sporting brightly dyed hair. How funny! She told me at the hotel that she had one day in Amsterdam to celebrate her birthday. Alone, because if her boyfriend came along, they would just hang out stoned in a bar, and she wanted to see something. "But are you sure you want to spend an entire day on Anne Frank and WWII?" Definitely not, she wanted to see Amsterdam. She had barely heard of Anne Frank! Fine, let’s make it a completely different day. I took her on part of my surprise walk; we visited the palace on Dam Square, and of course, the Red Light District. She was eager to go to the sex museum and came back with all kinds of "souvenirs." We wandered around a bit more and then shared a beer together on her birthday. It was a fun day for both of us!