We made alternate plans to see a concentration camp closer by. I decided to go along, but not to do the tour with Belia, and then join the group for the trip to Stuttgart to see the Porsche Museum.

Struthof was a camp found just past the German border in France. The scenery driving to Struthof is beautiful. Winding roads through beautiful forests, flowers in the ditches, and views over valleys in places. In fact the area was a ski resort before the war. It was sickening to imagine the prisoners being transported along the same road we were traveling so freely on.

A modern memorial building called Centre europeén du résistant déporté, stands next to a parking lot. The centre was inaugurated on November 3rd by the President of the French Republic. The centre pays tribute to those who fought against oppression, throughout Europe. It's mission is very important - to transmit the history and memory of deportation and European resistance members. With the information came a lot of important meditating.

Belia and I went for a walk in the woods, and then made our way past the memorial building to a tall stone memorial in between grave sites. We sat playing x and os, and Belia asked a few questions about the people that died here. We walked past the crosses and looked down into the camp, where we could see people walking through buildings and out the old watch tower gate. We went into the centre to have a drink, and by then the rest of the group met up with us. Everyone was feeling solemn and humbled. Many of us felt guilty that other people had to endure such pain, while our lives are so rich with comforts ... and only because of our timing in history. We left feeling thankful to those who fought for freedom.

On a very different note we headed for Stuttgart, 2 hours away. Doug and Tim enjoyed the autobahn, clipping along at high speed, even higher speeds when I dozed off and couldn't comment lol
Arriving in Stuttgart we saw The Porsche Museum's crazy shaped ultra-modern building. The best way I can describe it is an enormous flat rectangle with a lot of glass and mirrors, resting on a smaller square, (which is actually huge, but in relation to the rectangle it looks small) and a porsche parked on the square. Tim and Doug were like kids in a candy shop looking at each model, discussing all kinds of details that sounded like a foreign language to the rest of us. The inside of the building was unique, each level corkscrewed up to the next. In one area we stood below speakers listening to the sounds that different porches make. Belia was full of questions, and Brennin, already having some mechanical knowledge had a lot of specific questions. Our visit was an hour long because the museum was closing for the day. Of course Tim and Doug wished for more time, but were happy to have made it there. Next time we hope to visit the factory next door, unfortunately it was closed for summer holidays.

We drove 2 more hours back home and found a restaurant. Everyone was hungry and tired from our heavy schedule, and all the driving. The driving did give me time to blog, which was helpful.

At home Tammy, Doug and Deborah packed. The following morning they were leaving from Frankfurt back to Canada.