Visitors enjoy Boerne,
William and Ann Craemen are excited to be in Boerne and are ready to experience Monday’s total solar eclipse.
Again. Residents of Belgium, the couple are part of the expected mass arrival of eclipse enthusiasts to the Hill Country. Officials said the influx of visitors could double the city’s population for the weekend.
From the city of Leuven, about 25 miles from Brussels, the Craemens have traveled to see total solar eclipses before.
“I wanted to see the eclipse, because I saw the eclipse seven years ago,” William said. “We went to Denver, and we visited the national parks there. Then I saw one in Australia 12 years ago and in Turkey in 2006, and one again in 1999.”
The couple laughingly denied being “eclipse chasers” — fanatics of the phenomenon who travel far and wide at every opportunity to witness the totality.
“No, we don’t take pictures, we don’t have big photograph machines,” he said. “Nothing like that.”
“We enjoy seeing it,” Ann said, having seen her first total solar eclipse in 2017.
“You’ll feel it getting colder, and you’ll see birds starting to act strangely,” Ann said. “The birds will fly into the trees, to go to sleep.”
The couple landed and stayed in Houston April 3 before they arrived in Boerne on April 4. “Now we have three nights in Boerne” before
Belgians Ann and William Craemen wrap up four days in Boerne Sunday before they travel to Del Rio, where they will see the eclipse on Monday.
Star photo by Jeff B. Flinn departing Sunday night for Del Rio, William said, where they will witness Monday’s eclipse.
“We just want to see it. Especially the seconds before it (reaches) 100 percent, it’s so touching,” William said. “Very touching.”
William said he marvels at the scientific precision of knowing well in advance the exact dates and times the eclipse occurs.
“For me, it’s unbelievable how before, they can say there will be an eclipse, of so many hours or so many minutes,” he said.
The couple said they have enjoyed walking through “the downtown area” (the Hill Country Mile) and along Cibolo Creek on the newly restored River Road Park.
“We are just hoping for clear skies, that’s all,” Ann said, expressing the desires of everyone coming to the area for the event.
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