Blogs from Luxembourg, Europe

The city sits atop rocky promontories, surrounded on three sides by ravines cut by the meandering Alzette and Pétrusse rivers; the defensive advantages of the location are clear. Approaching the old city gives great views of the fortifications, grand palaces and government buildings, as well as down to the river and gardens below. The outskirts of the city beyond this deep natural moat are modern glass edifices, often belonging to banks, which dominate Luxembourg’s economy and give it the highest GDP per capita in the world. We visited the Bock Casemates, which are the defensive tunnels below the original castle, the Christmas markets in every square (we were there in December), the cathedral, and otherwise just wandered around enjoying the views. The city is definitely worth a visit, but you don’t need long. Our radius for ... read more

This is our last full day in Luxembourg. I am feeling better - thanks for asking - and was up during the night keeping the medication routine unbroken. It may have worked. Natalia drove down to the P.O today to pick up a light fitting she ordered a month ago , which was fortunate for me. I was relaxing, lost in a book, when the door alarm from downstairs announced her arrival. It was similar to the knights trumpeting in the arrival of royalty, but louder. Luckily my son in Oz is an electrician, so I remember the advice he gave me a week ago on how to hardwire a light fitting. I’ve done it before but who knows what’s what over here. Did you know that in England you could, maybe still can, earn an ... read more

In October 2022, my dear friend Christiane and I had a big anniversary to celebrate: 20 years ago, we met at university, and that was the start of a wonderful, deep friendship. A reason to celebrate! We decided to spend a weekend in Luxembourg together, the second weekend in October. I was happy to drive and picked her up by car in Hagen on Friday in the late morning. Three hours later, at around 2 pm, we arrived in Luxembourg. We had a late lunch at Girotondo where we had one of the best pizzas I ever had, with tasty mozzarella and a crunchy, think crust. Of course, we also had some champagne to our wonderful friendship. Then we walked into the pedestrian area and listened to a street musician for a bit. The weather was ... read more

The Trip around France was a rapid 3800 kilometre epic, and while we saw more than we would if I had planned it - that may have been a few villages and many patisseries - we are grateful for Tim’s obsessive planning, and his ability to keep the Old People on track. He was very considerate of his mother, as I’m sure Andrew would be, because I usually like to just get going and am often a few metres ahead. I would like to believe that I am just checking that the way ahead is safe, but the reality is, I’m not very patient. This morning was the first time that we have had some weighing scales available, and I’m pleased to report that we are both lighter than when we left Esch, 14 days ago. ... read more

Today’s post will be brief. My focus today is to try and straighten out a severe upper back strain, and more importantly, to survive the experimental medical treatment that I’ve been subjected to. Normally I wouldn’t show a picture of my skin from the waist up, but I have put it out there so there is proof, just in case things go awry, and Sue needs them for litigation. I have a strain spanning my shoulder blades and every so often a shock of pain causes an involuntary spasm, causing me to drop or twitch. It qualifies me as a member of Monty Python’s Ministry of Silly Walks, a club I want nothing to do with. Unfortunately the local physiotherapist doesn’t work on Friday so it’s desperate measures for desperate times. We walked down to the ... read more