The stone I placed is the pink one at the top, above the R in “MARGOT”.

I visited the Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp Memorial.  It was exactly where I wanted to be today.  I have Miriam at my hotel, Restaurant und Landhotel Michaelishof, to thank for the experience.  She pre-arranged, by phone, a taxi-bus service for me.  I caught the first taxi at the nearby bus stop just before 11am, to go to the Bergen Hauptbahnhof station.  From there, I caught a second taxi to the Gedenkstätte Bergen-Belsen.  I spent the entire day at the Memorial site.

I spent as long as I needed at the exhibition center.  I learned of the Russian Prisoners of War held in the camp before it was made into a concentration camp, which I was not aware had occurred.  I witnessed several films, and observed many photos and sobering reminders of what horrors one person can do to another.  Some, I was aware of.  Some, I was not.

After taking a short break, I walked out onto the grounds to the mass graves and located the memorial stone for Anne Frank and her sister Margot.  I left the stone I have carried for Anne since last October atop that memorial.  I’m not certain if the photos will post now, but I will try.  I wanted to make the entry today, as it is April 16, 2016.

It’s very nice.  I’m enjoying it very much!

It’s a bit trying to my nerves, in that I’m not used to being around children.  

• They have a 6 year old, who is very active and I knew from a distance in the states.  He’s my “Sir William The Great” (As great as ever!  He now speaks far more Swedish than English, understandable as he’s lived here since age 3 (late 2012) and,
• a new niece, about to turn 1 at the end of April who is the happiest baby one moment then SCREAMS BLOODY MURDER the next!

I’m glad to have the time with them and not roaming Europe somewhere.  Watching them manage their day to day lives is astounding!  My brother has his own men’s haircut/shaving shop.  My sister-in-law works two days a week, as she’s starting back to work following her pregnancy leave of absence.  Parental leave is generous in Sweden.  In the US we “claim” to care about families, but no one passes policies to project this deep seeded “feeling” proclaimed by our politicians.  The best we can say is we can take off unpaid time to care for a sick family member/ourselves and not lose our job, if we’re lucky…

Anyhow, not going to go into all that.

As it is, I’m running out of money.  Rather, I’ve run out of money.

What I have:

• I have my train ticket from Sweden through Denmark to Germany/Bergen Belsen, 
• I have my train ticket from Germany through Bruxelles to London, 
• I also have my two days’ tickets at HarryPotterWorldUK,
• The Airbnb paid for walking distance from HarryPotterWorldUK,
• Overnight from London back to Amsterdam –>> a stroke of brilliance by my sister-in-law, called “rail and sail”!

What I do not have:

• Money to mail a box home from Sweden, the flat rate box is about $75,
• Money for the taxi from the train station to the hotel in Bergen, Germany (not sure how much),
• Money for the hotel at BergenBelsen,
• Money for the bus to BergenBelsen memorial for two days, unless I meet a nice guest with whom I can bum a ride,
• Taxi back to the train station when it’s time to leave,
• Money for food from April 14 – 20th, the hotel in Bergen provides breakfast, but otherwise I’m on my own,
• Money to reach my Airbnb from Downtown London,
• Money for souvenirs at PotterWorldUK, but that’s the least of my concerns.