Vianden, Luxembourg...

---

...or Day Two in a Baby Country...We all slept soundly in some very comfortable beds at the Novotel Hotel in Luxembourg City. I woke around 7:45 and went out for a quick run. I ran back down the route we took walking last night because I wanted to see the viaducts from below. There was a fog over the city but the views down there were spectacular. It was a whole new look at the city and the bridges so I cut my run short and ran UP, UP hill to get Jonathan out of bed to take some photos. He was up with the girls when I returned and he quickly showered and ended up walking down with his parents. Deb and I took the four girls to the buffet breakfast. I knew full well that the kids would only be free with a paying adult but we asked and they let us feed them. About half way through the host came over and changed his mind but said we could have them finish. I especially didn't feel like paying 15 euro for breakfast after losing 50 euro the night before. The girls had a great breakfast though, two bowls of cereal each, eggs for Eliza, fruit salad for the big girls. I even made some little meat and cheese sandwiches which I put in my bag for later along with a tiny nutella and jelly for the bread I had from the day before. These little souvenirs provided a little breakfast for the adults on the train, along with some pastries that Saul bought. It was a quick ride to Ettelbruck where we changed for a bus to Vianden. Originally we thought we might be able to catch a train out of Ettelbruck to Leuven via Liege but it seems as though it would just be easier to go back to Luxembourg and trace our original route in reverse. We had all of our baggage with us, but they let us leave it in the office at the station.

The bus ride to Vianden was fast and windy. I was happy that none of our kids threw up. It was beautiful countryside, rolling hills dotted with cows and sheep in between adorable little towns. Viaden itself is so sweet and is billed as Luxembourg's most dramatically sited town, nestled in the valley of the Our River. The little village has all sorts of cafes and this weekend was a book fair so most of the shops had tables of old books for sale outside on the sidewalks. While the camera family went to work documenting things Elaine and I found a place for coffee and got the girls some frites to hold them over. Jonathan and Saul found a little mini festival in the square in front of the adorable town hall and they purchased rolls stuffed with sausages fresh off the grill. Saul took off ahead to get up to the castle while the lighting was still good. My little family stuck together as we wandered up the streets and took pictures and noticed all of the pretty flowers and interesting buildings. It is different traveling just the five of us and I had forgotten in the rush of the past week how easy our groove is when we hit it.

Our goal for the day was the chateau. The whole castle has been extensively restored, and the oldest parts date back to the 11th century, though it is thought that a much older Roman fortification once occupied the site in the 4th century. The views of the castle from the windy, cobblestone streets were amazing. There were fortifications and ruined walls around the city which would have made for some great views as well, had we had the time, but instead we headed straight to the castle. Deb and I spent the first few frantic minutes trying to locate an oddly placed public restroom for the girls. Once everyone was set we started meandering. Jonathan ended up taking Abigail for the afternoon and they had a ball together. She really knows her castles and had so much fun having quality alone time with Daddy. Emma and Chloe had fun hanging out and Eliza enjoyed shuffling between the ladies. The castle itself was really cool and the inside had a bunch of decorated period rooms. Emma's favorite thing apparently was the kitchen; she spent a lot of time explaining to Daddy about how they used the fire as a stove and oven.

After the castle we decided to make our way down and head back to Luxembourg. Originally we had thought we might have time to see the town of Esch sur Sure but it was late in the afternoon already and we had at least four hours of travel ahead of us and an early day the following day for the family returning to the U.S. Saul and Elaine took off to get some photos from down river and the rest of us meandered down the streets, stopping at a grocery to fill our snack bag and again in front of the Town Hall for a sausage and beer while the kids played in the fountain. We caught a 3:47 bus back to the train to Luxembourg. Arrived a little before 5 and it was decided we should stay and have dinner and catch a train at 6pm. Unfortunately, as with most of Europe, nothing opens for dinner before 6pm so we had to go to a fast food pizza/pasta place which was not the ideal for a last meal in Europe but at least it filled people up. Then there was a kink in the travel plans: there was work being done on the line between Luxembourg and Arlon, so we had to take a bus to Arlon, and then transfer to a train to Ottignies. Luckily there was also work being done on the line between Ottignies and Brussels so the train was diverted via Leuven! What luck, no more transfers, unless you count the transfer to the bus home. Deb and I rode the bikes home and we stopped for a final waffle on the way. Girls didn't get to bed until about 10pm and we followed shortly thereafter spent from a week of touring with family.

Luxembourg is a beautiful country and we have plans to go back and explore some more. The scenery appears quite dramatic compared to Belgium, perhaps because of the hills. Too bad Eliza won't remember these two days in a Baby Country, but luckily we have a few photos to show her someday!

---

Photos

Vianden
The first view when we departed the bus.

Vianden Town Hall
In honor of Eliza, it is a "baby" town hall. Out in front was a beer wagon that had yummy Luxembourgish beer and sausages!

Castle in Vianden
Jonathan photographing Emma photographing me and the little girls in front of the castle after our hike up through the city streets.

The Family
All of us in a window seat at the castle.

A few girls and a turret
Emma, Eliza and Chloe posing in front of a castle turret.

The Whole Gang
The end of a long week of travel was punctuated with this tourist site, the picture perfect image of a European castle.

Comments

[grampa]

thanks for the great tour!
Chloe, Deb, Grandma and I had a wonderful time touring Belgium, France and Luxembourg with Emma, Abigail, Eliza, Kara, and Jonathan! Thanks for sharing with us the sights and sounds and tastes (especially the "warme waffles"). My favorites were: 1) the ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower, 2) the vision of 4 little girls in their berets in front of Notre Dame, 3) the castle at Vianden, and 4) the trains. Of course, the trains. Love, Grampa