Walk Into the Past

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” – David Bowie

I am a big fan of taking walks. Something about an evening walk clears the mind, and it’s a great way to get in some physical activity. It’s been a little tough lately to take an afternoon walk because it has been hot here in the evenings. I am looking forward to fall when things cool down. All that walking I do prepares me for when we travel. Something I learned about traveling in Europe is that it involves a lot of walking. I spent most of our trip there walking from place to place. Don’t get me wrong, it was great. We saw a lot of amazing sights, and getting in my daily step count wasn’t a problem.

One of our walks in Europe led us to these World War 2 bunkers in IJmuiden, Amsterdam. The bunkers in IJmuiden were part of Nazi Germany’s Atlantic Wall. The Atlantic Wall was built by Nazi Germany along the western coast of Europe during the Second World War. Its purpose was to prevent an Allied invasion of occupied territory. The defensive line ran from Norway, through Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, all the way to France, near the border with Spain. The bunkers here in IJmuiden have seen better days. Since these bunkers were built by the Nazis, I’m sure there isn’t much love for them. Most of the standing ones have been covered in graffiti. Here are a few photos I captured while on this walk around the bunkers.