Fallschirmjager Rooms at Overloon Museum

After finishing my German paratroopers painting project, I think it would be nice sharing with you one of my main sources of inspiration and also where the idea was initially conceived: the Fallschirmjager rooms at the Overloon Museum in The Netherlands.

This privately-run museum owns one of the most outstanding IIWW armour collections in Europe but also the best collection of German paratroopers uniform and material that I have ever seen. I will now post a selected number of photos taken there and you will understand why after exiting the rooms I became obsessed about this project.

 

Episode 2 - Dragones in Waterloo

This is the second instalment of our trip to Crisis 2015, covering the visit to the Battlefield of Waterloo. I must add that personally, the most emotive milestone of the whole trip, suffering one of those “Stendhal Moments” on arriving to the “Butte de Lion” feet, when I could hardly contain my tears... how many of us in the wargame hobby had played countless hours (with my younger brother in my case) in the early 70s with the Airfix farm and the boxes of British, French and Prussian soldiers???

A visit to the real Waterloo one day in the future was one of my earliest dreams, but it has taken 53 years to become true... I’m sure you understand the feeling

Freezing but happy and moved

Episode 1 - Dragones in Crisis...

As regular readers of the blog know, a group of members of Club Dragón planned several months ago to attend Crisis in Antwerp, one of the most recommended wargames events in Continental Europe. As the dates also coincided with a long week-end in Madrid, we extended the trip to 5 days in total, intending to visit some of the famous battlefields around: Waterloo, Arnhem and Bastogne/Ardennes.

Crisis is organised by a local wargames club (The TinSoldiers of Antwerp) and 2015 marked the 20^th anniversary of this event. The theme of the show this year was... Waterloo!! (surprise, surprise)

The show occupied two quite large former store buildings in Antwerp harbour, and despite the large crowd of wargamers and traders attending, there was enough space to walk around... nothing like the oppressive atmosphere I felt in 2012 in London’s Salute.

We arrived just 15 minutes before the official opening and a large and long queue was already forming. I was having nightmares remembering how long it took me to enter Salute, but to my surprise it was quite efficiently managed and by 10.10 we were inside (kuddos to the organisers!!)

Almost all usual suspects in the hobby were present there (nothing to envy to Salute in that respect) and it was also a good opportunity to meet some less well know manufacturers that offer good quality niche products  at competitive prices too.

Back from Crisis 2015

Long hiatus in the blog, but more than justified as I have been out travelling around Belgium and Holland after attending Crisis 2015 in antwerp. Just landed last night and obviously have lack the time to start organising even my thoughts, not say the photos (over 700 taken...)

I plan to write several posts on Crisis, each of the battlefield visits (Waterloo, Arnhem, Ardennes/Bastogne) and about the Military Museum in Brussels.

Be patient, please...

Countdown to Crisis (Antwerp)

Just a month away from Crisis, arguably the most important wargaming show in Continental Europe. We planned to attend this year and meet again Richard Clarke from TooFatLardies. Unfortunately, Richard is going through a personal ordeal and will be unable to attend in person.

However, there's a significant number of international "Lardistas" attending and we are trying to coordinate a rendez-vous to meet in person and not only through the social media. Murphy's Heroes a Dutch club from Delft is putting a Chain of Command game and they have been kind enough to offer their table as a rallying point, provisionally at noon. The table is located in grid g3b4 of the hall. You can find maps and ither useful information on the event here.

From Madrid we are travelling seven members of the Club Dragón and we'll be happy to meet youy out there.

Incidentally, Crisis will not be our only destination. We have planned a nice battlefield tour, arriving on friday to visit Waterloo, making Hell's Highway and Arnhem on Sunday/Monday and moving into Bastogne on Monday/Tuesday before returning home late that night...  we only pray now for the weather to be just right.