Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Twelve: Luxembourg
Happy Friday, people! Oh wait, what? It's Saturday? Right, right. Actually, because of how my schedule at work was this week, yesterday was my Saturday, and today is my Friday. Confusing, right? But hey, switching up the days of the week every once in a while is kinda fun.
Anyway. Today we are on a whirl-wind tour of Luxembourg in our fictional, continuing story, Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks. I hope you enjoy!
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Twelve: Luxembourg
The first thing my dad said when he founded out I was headed to Luxembourg was “Good, it’s one of the safest countries in the world.” And I felt safe as I walked through the streets although the people weren’t exactly exhibiting friendliness. No one was being outright rude, instead they were reserved and since I had just come from the “everyone’s family” atmosphere of Reunion Island, I felt the gap. Luxembourg is one of the smallest and richest countries in the world. Plus, it holds the highest rate of car ownership in the world, a record that amused me when I read it in a brochure I’d picked up at the airport.
Tuesday midmorning, after dropping my luggage off at a hotel and freshening up, I headed to Vianden Castle, the first stop on my list. The castle was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, a fact that, to American me, was rather mind-blowing. The castle was set on a hill with a city thriving in a clustered nest below it and it reminded me of a chicken watching over her chicks. The Vianden Castle is one of the most beautiful (and largest) residences of the romanesque period in Europe. The castle fell into a state of ruin in the 1800’s but was restored beginning in 1977 and was truly a sight to behold. For supper I found a comfortable looking restaurant and ordered the special of the day since I was having a hard time communicating in my limited French. I used my phone to translate what Judd mat gaardebounen was while waiting for my food and discovered it was smoked neck of pork served with a stew of broad beans and potatoes sautéed with bacon. Thankfully it tasted good and I throughly enjoy it, or maybe my hunger from walking around all day helped enhance the food. Wednesday I decided to try and find the “chapel hidden in the rocks” the hotel clerk had told me about. I made my way to the Petrusse Valley and was delighted by it’s calming scenery and amazing views of the historical city. The Petrusse valley was full of steep slopes, ruins, and strange rock formations which had me snapping pictures like the tourist I was. I was so enchanted by the views around me I nearly missed seeing the tiny chapel carved into the rocks. It’s construction dates back to 1355 and is Luxembourg’s oldest surviving church. Hidden behind leafy trees it was peaceful and held an air of mystery. After a relaxed lunch of Hiecht mat Kraiderzooss, which is locally caught pike in green sauce, (and was a bit strong for my tastes), and with Verwurelter, which are small sugar-coated donuts, for dessert (they were magnificent, nearly melting in my mouth), I headed to The Moselle. The Moselle Valley was a wonderful place for a quiet, unhurried walk. I visited a butterfly garden, hiked up mountain pathway, and explored a folklore museum, then ended the day with a four-hour ride on a luxury passenger boat. On the boat, the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, I soaked in the lapping of the water, the bright spring sunshine, and the tranquility of the world around me. Thursday morning I allowed myself to sleep in and have an unhurried breakfast of strong coffee and a French pastry. Almost half of Luxembourg’s workforce commutes to work in Luxembourg from other countries, something I found astonishing. With nearly half of those commuting in being French, it wasn’t surprising the amount of French food available at stores and restaurants. The food as delicious and I had to limit myself on how many pastries I ate, although I knew with all the hiking and walking I was doing, I must have been burning a ton of calories. Forests cover more than a third of the country, which I found delightful. Sophie had worked out the details for me to rent a car and I spent Thursday driving to the forest regions and getting lost (not literally) in nature. Sophie had suggested I pack an overnight bag which proved to be a wonderful plan. I found an adorable Bed and Breakfast to stay in. The diversity in the animals that lived in Luxembourg astounded me. I wanted to see as many of them as I could while in the forest, but naturally, only caught a glimpse of fur here and there, nothing too exciting. The owners of the Bed and Breakfast told me that Luxembourg hosted wild boar, elk, roe deer (made me think of Robin Hood), least weasels, otters, cross foxes, European pine marti, as well as brown bears, badgers, arctic wolves, and an array of other creatures. Friday it was back to the city for me, and although it was a fairly clean city, I missed the freshness of the brisk air and vast greenness from the forests. The “Notre-Dame” of Luxembourg had been highly recommended to me by the lady sitting next to me on the airplane, so I headed there. It’s Luxembourg’s only cathedral and hosts a cornerstone laid in 1613, another far-back date hard for my mind to comprehend. The cathedral was added to in the 1930’s, creating an odd and interesting mix of many different styles, including Gothic and Modern. I was glad I went, although I didn’t linger too long in the cool, dark interior. I spent the afternoon at the American Military Cemetery which is the resting place of 5,070 American soldiers who paid with their lives for our freedom during WW2. Most of the soldiers buried there died during the Battle of the Bulge which was fought in the winter of 1944/1945. It made me incredibly sad to think of all the lives that had been ended so early. I was also filled with overwhelming gratitude, knowing that these brave men had sacrificed so we would be able to live in freedom. I walked among the crosses, praying for the families that were left behind, thanking God for the freedom we live in, and asking Him to help keep our country free.
Saturday I visited the Bock Casemates, a system of over ten and a half miles of underground tunnels cut into the solid rock beneath Luxembourg city. I’ve always been fascinated with being underground, and these tunnels were no exception. With the earliest sections built in 1644, the tunnels were ancient and marvelous. They were originally constructed as part of the city’s defense, and then used as air raid shelters during WW1 and WW2.
I spent hours in the cool, stale air of the tunnels, the wheels of my imagination running rampant as I thought of the years the passages through the earth had been around and the history they’d seen. I even found a quiet nook and used the flashlight from my phone to light my notebook where I scribbled away ideas. Maybe one day I would write a book because there was no way all of my ideas would fit onto Exploration Airline’s blog.
Anyway. Today we are on a whirl-wind tour of Luxembourg in our fictional, continuing story, Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks. I hope you enjoy!
Around the World in Fifty-Two Weeks Week Twelve: Luxembourg
The first thing my dad said when he founded out I was headed to Luxembourg was “Good, it’s one of the safest countries in the world.” And I felt safe as I walked through the streets although the people weren’t exactly exhibiting friendliness. No one was being outright rude, instead they were reserved and since I had just come from the “everyone’s family” atmosphere of Reunion Island, I felt the gap. Luxembourg is one of the smallest and richest countries in the world. Plus, it holds the highest rate of car ownership in the world, a record that amused me when I read it in a brochure I’d picked up at the airport.
Tuesday midmorning, after dropping my luggage off at a hotel and freshening up, I headed to Vianden Castle, the first stop on my list. The castle was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, a fact that, to American me, was rather mind-blowing. The castle was set on a hill with a city thriving in a clustered nest below it and it reminded me of a chicken watching over her chicks. The Vianden Castle is one of the most beautiful (and largest) residences of the romanesque period in Europe. The castle fell into a state of ruin in the 1800’s but was restored beginning in 1977 and was truly a sight to behold. For supper I found a comfortable looking restaurant and ordered the special of the day since I was having a hard time communicating in my limited French. I used my phone to translate what Judd mat gaardebounen was while waiting for my food and discovered it was smoked neck of pork served with a stew of broad beans and potatoes sautéed with bacon. Thankfully it tasted good and I throughly enjoy it, or maybe my hunger from walking around all day helped enhance the food. Wednesday I decided to try and find the “chapel hidden in the rocks” the hotel clerk had told me about. I made my way to the Petrusse Valley and was delighted by it’s calming scenery and amazing views of the historical city. The Petrusse valley was full of steep slopes, ruins, and strange rock formations which had me snapping pictures like the tourist I was. I was so enchanted by the views around me I nearly missed seeing the tiny chapel carved into the rocks. It’s construction dates back to 1355 and is Luxembourg’s oldest surviving church. Hidden behind leafy trees it was peaceful and held an air of mystery. After a relaxed lunch of Hiecht mat Kraiderzooss, which is locally caught pike in green sauce, (and was a bit strong for my tastes), and with Verwurelter, which are small sugar-coated donuts, for dessert (they were magnificent, nearly melting in my mouth), I headed to The Moselle. The Moselle Valley was a wonderful place for a quiet, unhurried walk. I visited a butterfly garden, hiked up mountain pathway, and explored a folklore museum, then ended the day with a four-hour ride on a luxury passenger boat. On the boat, the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid, I soaked in the lapping of the water, the bright spring sunshine, and the tranquility of the world around me. Thursday morning I allowed myself to sleep in and have an unhurried breakfast of strong coffee and a French pastry. Almost half of Luxembourg’s workforce commutes to work in Luxembourg from other countries, something I found astonishing. With nearly half of those commuting in being French, it wasn’t surprising the amount of French food available at stores and restaurants. The food as delicious and I had to limit myself on how many pastries I ate, although I knew with all the hiking and walking I was doing, I must have been burning a ton of calories. Forests cover more than a third of the country, which I found delightful. Sophie had worked out the details for me to rent a car and I spent Thursday driving to the forest regions and getting lost (not literally) in nature. Sophie had suggested I pack an overnight bag which proved to be a wonderful plan. I found an adorable Bed and Breakfast to stay in. The diversity in the animals that lived in Luxembourg astounded me. I wanted to see as many of them as I could while in the forest, but naturally, only caught a glimpse of fur here and there, nothing too exciting. The owners of the Bed and Breakfast told me that Luxembourg hosted wild boar, elk, roe deer (made me think of Robin Hood), least weasels, otters, cross foxes, European pine marti, as well as brown bears, badgers, arctic wolves, and an array of other creatures. Friday it was back to the city for me, and although it was a fairly clean city, I missed the freshness of the brisk air and vast greenness from the forests. The “Notre-Dame” of Luxembourg had been highly recommended to me by the lady sitting next to me on the airplane, so I headed there. It’s Luxembourg’s only cathedral and hosts a cornerstone laid in 1613, another far-back date hard for my mind to comprehend. The cathedral was added to in the 1930’s, creating an odd and interesting mix of many different styles, including Gothic and Modern. I was glad I went, although I didn’t linger too long in the cool, dark interior. I spent the afternoon at the American Military Cemetery which is the resting place of 5,070 American soldiers who paid with their lives for our freedom during WW2. Most of the soldiers buried there died during the Battle of the Bulge which was fought in the winter of 1944/1945. It made me incredibly sad to think of all the lives that had been ended so early. I was also filled with overwhelming gratitude, knowing that these brave men had sacrificed so we would be able to live in freedom. I walked among the crosses, praying for the families that were left behind, thanking God for the freedom we live in, and asking Him to help keep our country free.
Saturday I visited the Bock Casemates, a system of over ten and a half miles of underground tunnels cut into the solid rock beneath Luxembourg city. I’ve always been fascinated with being underground, and these tunnels were no exception. With the earliest sections built in 1644, the tunnels were ancient and marvelous. They were originally constructed as part of the city’s defense, and then used as air raid shelters during WW1 and WW2.
I spent hours in the cool, stale air of the tunnels, the wheels of my imagination running rampant as I thought of the years the passages through the earth had been around and the history they’d seen. I even found a quiet nook and used the flashlight from my phone to light my notebook where I scribbled away ideas. Maybe one day I would write a book because there was no way all of my ideas would fit onto Exploration Airline’s blog.
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