A cemetery is not a happy place, but in this case, it opened my eyes and allowed me to see the beauty in the misery.

I had planned a 340-kilometre motorcycle trip across the Ardennes. We began our journey on a bitterly cold morning. The temperature of 4 degrees on the thermometer wasn’t too hot on the road, but the sun was shining, so we couldn’t have asked for a better start.

I always use the calimotor app to plan a road trip that takes me down small back roads with amazing views. The destination was the city of Durbuy, and I adore the Condroz roads. The scenery is beautiful, and the twisty roads put a smile on a motorbike rider’s face.

We began our journey in Mol, my hometown, and rode towards Scherpenheuvel. Already at Scherpenheuvel, the terrain begins to change, becoming more wavy. We resumed our journey in the direction of Tienen, taking in the beautiful vistas of the farmers’ fields.

We needed to put our bikes to the side after 50 kilometres to allow our hands to warm up. My fingers were freezing for the first time this year because I didn’t have any heating gloves or handle grips! I wasn’t expecting it to be so cold, either.

The abbey of Paid Dieu was our next stop. The former abbey of the Order of Cîteaux nuns, the Abbey of Paix Dieu, is now a museum. The abbey was founded in the thirteenth century in Amay, Belgium. The lunar calendar was very important in monastic life at the time.

They are currently working hard to restore the Abbey and bring it back to life. The website’s address: https://www.paixdieubeer.be.

When we arrived in Condroz, the road began to twist. The reason we ride a motorcycle is to take in the scenery. It’s fantastic!

When we arrived near Durbuy, it was clear that the area had been flooded in some areas. This area was a disaster zone a few weeks ago. We had to take a detour because some of the bridges we needed to cross were blocked.

We passed through a large graveyard after a 250-kilometre ride. It was subtitled the Ardennes’ largest American cemetery. It’s in the Condroz community of Neuprez. We stopped our bikes, and I took my cameras to capture the sadness, as well as the beauty, of the buildings built to memorialize soldiers killed in battle.

The Ardennes American Cemetery holds the graves of 5,317 Americans, 65 percent of which are fallen airmen from the United States Army Air Forces. Their tombstones are positioned in a Greek cross pattern in straight rows. On the granite Tablets of the Missing, 463 names are inscribed all around the boundary of the memorial. The memorial, a stone structure with a massive American eagle and other sculptures on its facade, is managed to reach via the approach drive at Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Belgium. The chapel, three large inlaid marble wall maps, marble panels depicting combat and supply activities, and other ornamental features are all located within the memorial.

https://www.abmc.gov/Ardennes is a link to the website.

We still had 100 kilometres to travel to our home. But there was one thing that kept me going in my head. It had to be the cemetery!

I have no words to express my gratitude to those who gave their lives to assist us in our fight for freedom! Over 5000 American troops left their homes to assist others. In the most heinous of circumstances.

There is a lot of fear in the world right now. There is no longer any connection with others due to fear of a virus. Because of the fear of contracting COVID, we keep a safe distance between us when we talk. We are more married to our phones, which keeps us in our heads and disconnects us from the outside world and Mother Earth.

Everyone’s best friends are on their phones right now. It feels good to have a friends list of more than 1000 people. It’s already difficult to get a hello from some of the people on that list if you pass them. So, in 2021, how much are friends and connections worth?

Nothing. Nature’s connection and animal love are unadulterated. It’s impossible to receive a Facebook friend request from that animal, and the connection is the most genuine you’ll ever find. People had the same connection many years ago.

Let’s get rid of our fears and reconnect with nature and the beauty that surrounds us.

“The only thing that will ever hold the world together is friendship.”

Thank you