Vianden For A Day

If I learned anything from our previous adventures and moves, it is that I can't let my trepidations get in the way of getting comfortable in our new home. I have to take chances, try to get around more on my own, and not hesitate to try new things. Some things we have found out lately:

Filet American. Its not a steak. No. If you order filet american at a restaurant they may serve you a very large block of ground beef mixed with seasonings. Raw.

Getting around on public transportation is NOWHERE as near complicated as it seems. You pick a target, hop on the bus/tram/train, and just go! Its free in Luxembourg, and not expensive anywhere else.

We had been hearing a lot about this beautiful town called Vianden from our friends here, but at first it seemed like something we had to put off. Our car isn't here yet, our belongings aren't here yet, and sometimes we still feel a little underwater. However, things have changed sao much since the days Phil and I used to wander around Germany, Austria and Italy. Now there's an app for everything. Its almost impossible to get lost and its exceedingly easy to travel around safely.

I picked a few trains heading north on Saturday from my mobiliteit app and with the weather looking mild we set out for Gare Central, the main train station in the city. It turns out you can take pretty much any train heading to Ettelbruck, and when you reach Ettelbruck Gare you can just follow the crowd to the bus stop and pick up the 181 or 180 right into Vianden. It was really too easy. I made everyone grab sandwiches and snacks in case we got stranded, but that turned out to be entirely unneccesary.

Rolling into Vianden, I walked about ten steps before the breathtaking Chateau de Vianden came into sight about this picturesque little town. We enjoyed strolling into the center past a bookstore, some sausage and pizza shops, and even a cute doorway decorated with a cheerful "Moien!" made by chrochet and hung from a piece of wood. Turning left, we stepped down to the promenade along the riverway and watched the ducks. Then as the restaurants came into sight, we began to think about our stomachs.

We hastily agreed to save the sandwiches for later, and decided upon a large restaurant perched right next to the water, called Cafe du Pont and scored a great table at the open windows where we could people watch and the boys could especially ogle all the cars passing over the stone bridge in front of us.

Cafe du Pont is perfect for anyone, as it offered breakfast until the afternoon, sandwiches, burgers, a dozen different ways of serving schnitzel, pasta dishes... We enjoyed a few chilled Dekierch pilsners and a hefty lunch since we had all skipped breakfast.

Determined to work off the meal, I found the walk up to the castle was invigorating. Along the way you could admire the town center with its fountain and sculptures, stop again if you get thirsty (hey no judgment from me), peer into shops and admire the houses and storefronts. It really reminded me of our adventures in Germany!

Reaching the castle, we paid a small fee, and entered the first "circuit" on the outskirts of the giant structure. The circuit, or tour route, brought us down below the current restored structure so you could see the remains of what was built here as far back as the 11th century, and then envision how the castle was expanded and developed into the structure that stands today. I definitely recommend you not miss the first part. 

The second and third circuits took you throughout the main castle, through giant chambers, outer courtyards, and various galleries that contained restored furniture and relics. Although it was a Saturday during the high season for tourism, the spaces were not crowded and it was a really enjoyable tour that you could take at your own pace.

Xavier was totally over this drama.

Leaving the castle, we took a right at the bend before Mont du Chateau and followed a short steep wooded trail back down to the main road. Only .5km and nicely shaded it was marked in several spots by some interesting stone friezes of what must have been religious scenes. The trail went right under the Nope Lift (my term) which is a steep chairlift you can ride for about 5eur that takes you up close to the castle to a hilltop cafe that supposedly has a spectacular view. I'll take their word for it, as heights are really not my favorite thing.

I was really glad we took the wooded route down, though, because we arrived at a different end of the promenade and got to walk back to the busy area by following the water again and admiring our surroundings.

It will be really nice to go back and explore more of the hikes, shops, and try out the other restaurants, and with the short trip its a great idea to keep handy when you're looking for something for just a day. For us, the first visit to Vianden ended with some pretty amazing ice cream sundaes for the boys, and some refreshment for the adults outside the Brasserie des Arts. 

You can find information about where we visited at:

www.castle-vianden.lu

www.cafedupont.lu 

A Day Exploring the Alzette Valley in Luxembourg

 I woke up today with a feeling of renewed promise. Its been barely two weeks since we moved out of our home in Northern Virginia and started the complicated journey to what will be our residence for the next few years. Yet, we've been told our home could be move-in ready as soon as later this week. I'm looking forward to the stage where we can completely empty our suitcases and stow them in the basement. I'm looking forward to buying houseplants. I'm looking forward to setting up a cozy place we can call home. And it turns out that may not take very long.

It was also very rejuvenating to enjoy a weekend around town with my boys. I've probably mentioned how convenient the public transit system is here, but it has made getting around our new digs so easy. Saturday was another day of gorgeous 70 degree weather, so we hopped on the Bus 3 and rode it into the city. Getting off at the Fondation Pescatore stop, we had only a minute walk to the Panoramic Elevator of the Pfaffenthal (and yes, I did have to look up the proper spelling.) This smooth glass elevator travels up and down 71 meters between the city and the Alzette Valley, which features historic churches, classic Luxembourg architecture, and plenty of places to stroll and explore. 

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The elevator is free to ride, and despite it being mid-day on a Saturday, it was not crowded at all. You can even stand on a section of the elevator that has a glass floor and look down. But why would you, when instead you can enjoy the incredible views around you? This is one thing I should mention that I truly appreciate about Luxembourg so far: its a VERY accessible city for teens and kids as it is very unlikely you will encounter long waits for sites, buses, or even tables at the restaurant. Short walks and short waits ensures much less teen grumbles, speaking from experience.

When we reached the bottom of the elevator, the streets and neighborhoods in the valley

were pleasant and fun to explore. We took our time and eventually followed our appetites to the Bar Brauerei, a Bavarian and Luxembourgish themed brewery and restaurant located in what appeared to be a spirited nightclub/pub location. Sitting outside under giant sunshades, we enjoyed their own pilsner (really refreshing!) and had a hearty lunch. The Bar Brauerei offers traditional Bavarian dishes and also local Luxembourg dishes, and the staff were delightful so I definitely recommend this for families visiting the valley. The boys went with good old beef burgers (18-20eur) but Phil and I tried the local dishes instead. 

After the late lunch we turned up Clausen, and walked to the entrance of the Bock Casemates. At that hour of the afternoon there was a small line, and after waiting five minutes we were informed that the tours were all sold out for the day. Fortunately, as we waited, Phil went online and purchased four tickets for us for the last entrance of the day! Lucky us, but there was some grumbling around us as some families with small children were visibly annoyed. As the tunnels and caverns are small, and the staircases are tiny in some places, they

limit the amount of guests every 45 minute period. It does make exploring the tunnels more pleasant to have fewer people in there with you. And certainly safer. I recommend buying your tickets over breakfast that day, or perhaps while sitting down at lunch so you aren't disappointed! 

Since we had a few hours until our admission time, we walked just a few steps away to enter and admire the beautiful art and structure of the Eglise Saint-Michel and then requested seats at the unconventional Cafe Froid, located up the Rue de la Boucherie. Close to the National Museum of History and Art, the cafe is an eclectic collection of worn library chairs, benches, throw blankets and stools. Our order of iced tea, bier, espresso and my new favorite aperol spritz, were brought out on an antique tin tray and squeezed onto

our table already occupied by a plant potted in a teapot and several antique reference volumes.

Finally getting into the Bock Casemates, the boys immediately went into explorer mode,

and we could barely keep up. The tunnels were fascinating, and thanks to the cool breezes that day, it was more than enjoyable to roam through the tunnels, check out every vault, and marvel over the few cannons they've strategically placed to remind you that this was, in fact, at one time a formidable defensive structure! 

An UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Bock Casemates are in fact just a part of what once was over 23km of underground passages and galleries that have served many many purposes since the beginning of their construction. At the very least, the views on both sides of the Bock are pretty incredible. I would wear comfortable walking shoes, aand prepare to duck at times if you're any taller than me! The admission is not free, but only 8eur for adults and 4eur for kids 4-12.

The whole day turned out to be more relaxing than I expected, and from the whole experience I have learned a few handy things:

1. Don't rush from Point A to Point B. The city is very walkable, and you will have plenty of time to stop and look around. Take a detour down an interesting roadway. Poke your head in a chapel and appreciate the architecture. And for gods sake, stop by a cafe and learn to love slowing down.

2. Take advantage of good weather any chance you can! The region can get stuck in some rainy spells, and I've heard last summer they experienced extremely hot temperatures. 

Tickets for the Casemates are available at luxembourg-city.com. 

A New Chapter Begins: Luxembourg!

 Years and years ago I began this blog to share my adventures as a young mother, my shopping tips, cool places I discovered, and then eventually our time in Thailand. There was also knitting, of course. Unfortunately, I just wasn't the talented writer I thought I would be. Or perhaps I was trying to be like all the other bloggers I followed and admired. Without the camera skills, ring lighting, and understanding of image crafting, I fell waaaaaay short of what I thought a blog should be. 

However, when you get so close to fifty years of age, your perspective changes a lot from the days where you had to feed, nurture, please and appease, and usually try to meet others' expectations. In short, I worry much less about what others think, and more about what others need. My sense of self is centered far more around what I can contribute to make the world a better place and how I can be my happiest self. The second part sounds a bit selfish, but when you take into account that my children are old enough to take care of a lot of things themselves, it does make sense. Now that they're teens, they follow my lead, but don't neccessarily need to be led. And I'm really enjoying that.

We miss you Don & Michelle!

So that brings us to the present: We've moved to Europe. Only one week ago. As I type, I'm sitting in the bright airy kitchen of an unoccupied embassy residence in the suburbs of Luxembourg City. Its close to noon, and the bright white and tiled rooms are still cool from the night air. The boys are in their (temporary) rooms; Nate working on his Gundam model kit, carefully brought in our luggage from VA, and Philip watching YouTube on his phone. The house is furnished nicely, the fridge filled with basics from a grocery store just a fifteen minute walk away, and the beds made with linens from the welcome kit supplied by the embassy for us to use until our shipment of belongings arrive. Yet, we're not settled. Our actual assigned home will be ready for us in about a week, so its not time to totally unpack and make ourselves at home. Yet.

Its a great opportunity for us to acclimate, though. There are so many changes to learn and adapt to. Like navigating the public transportation system until our car arrives. Settling into new and quite complicated trash schedules. Or even just learning how to visit the grocery store without being total fools. There are hundreds of new habits I've learned, and things I've noticed in just a short week. Such as how the bus will not stop at the next bus stop unless there's someone waiting there OR you ring the bell before the stop. (I had a brief moment of internal panic as we zipped by our stop, until I remembered that pretty much EVERYTHING in this city is within walking distance anyway.) I've already become used to measuring ingredients and fruit in kilos instead of pounds (yay!), and have found the polite way to enter an establishment by saying a polite "bonjour" and then apologetically letting them know I don't speak French. Its worked so far. Note to self: Learn some basic French.

I could get used to this!

If any of this sounds intimidating, I have to tell you its absolutely not. Luxembourg has been probably the easiest country to move to or visit. Its beautiful here, the people we encounter are all welcoming and kind so far, the bus and tram and free and easy to use, the sidewalks are clean and walkable, the food is not only familiar but delicious, and we also had the GREATEST crew of people to help us get here and ease the entire process. We had a wonderful social sponsor (probably the best I've ever known), work sponsor (also the best!) and all the advice and wisdom from the two people we have moved here to replace. 

Replace is a terrible word for it though, as they are truly irreplacable. As we said goodbye to them yesterday a bit of sadness crept in because although we had only known them in person for a few days it was apparent we would have really enjoyed being at this assignment with them if they could have stayed. But that's the nature of the job: move somewhere new, meet the most incredible people, move on again and hope you cross paths with them again someday.

As for today, we are probably going to walk through a nearby park and stop by the newest shopping mall. We've been discussing maybe taking a bus trip out of the city to go explore some pretty town or take a scenic hike. I have tons of paperwork to go sign, and some ideas to jot down about the newsletter I'm going to be working on. There's an art museum and park we keep passing on the tram that has caught my attention, and I'm still trying to replenish a work wardrobe that is seven years and two sizes out of date!

And of course, there will be knitting.

My handsome guys