Ardennes, Bouillon & the Castle of Godfrey of Bouillon

It's snowing, so where else would you go than the Ardennes. Besides I recieved a very sleek new to me company car that I had to try out on the road. So off we go to Bouillon.

The Ardennes rest at the strategic passage between Germany and France. For millennia armies have used this route to skirt difficult terrain on there way to reek havoc with their neighbors. The last time this happened was when the German 5th Panzer army created the Ardennes Salient during the battle of the Bulge. The legendary town of Bastongne (Nuts!) and the more infamous Malmandy lie a short drive to the East/NE. Anyway the German advance never reached Bouillon. I will visit the places they did later in the year when the museums are open.

This trip to Bouillon was all about the fortress. From this quiet Alpine fortress Godfrey of Bouillon got it in his head that he should sell all his worldly possessions and finance an army to travel to the Holy Land in what became known as the First Crusade. Godfrey followed this vision and succeeded fully in this endeavor having successfully stormed the walls of jerusalem and installed himself as the first King of Jerusalem in all ways but name. Godfrey instead choose to take the more humble title of "Defender of the Holy sepulcher".

The castle felt very authentic. It is a wet cold place where the walls constantly seep water and deposit a layer of minerals on the inner walls that give the fortress the look as if it was chiseled out of the rock or even poured from cement. Below the fortress there is cistern fed by a spring of clear clean water--a must in a siege.

There is a raptor expedition held daily on the castle grounds. They have quite a selection of birds; Eagles, vultures, hawks, owls, and a Saker Falcon. Also there where 4 Harris Hawks which are only native to Arizona and Mexico/CA. Harris' make fine hunting birds for the falconer. They hunt in groups in the wild and thus easily adapt to the human as a member of the 'hunting party' and will even bind large prey they have no hope of taking alone expecting the falconer to catch up and help.

Click here to see my pictures of Bouillon.