My first Russians and Grand Duke Henry's birthday bash...

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Oioi!

I ventured into town today with my mate Erik who is over from Holland for two days. His mother agreed to drive me to the Russian embassy. This became a bit of a mission, as the embassy is actually an old country manor hidden away in a wooded area right on the edge of town. When we got there it was closed. A brief conversation with the embassy staff in a sort of franco-russian via the gate-phone informed me that the embassy opened for an hour every day - if they felt like it. So, my first experience of Russian beaurocracy!

While shopping in the city for shoes and some new jeans, I managed to put down the envelope containing my passport, student papers and "priglashenye" - an invitation required to visit Russia that can't be reissued under any circumstances. Suffice to say, when I realised that I'd lost the envelope I had one of those sinking feeling moments. Still, a few minutes of running around shops frantically shouting about the place in French (J'ai perdu une envelope très important!) revealed the envelope to be in shoe box somewhere. True Compton style that. Still, back to the campsite for some of Danuta's polish meatballs and then it was back into town with another friend of mine over here, Kevin.

We drove up to Mersch and caught the bus into the city. The bus was packed full of rioting drunk Luxembourgish teenagers swigging out of whisky (and Amaretto!?) bottles. The bus driver stopped a few times along the way and treatened to throw everyone out! I must give it to the Luxembourgish - they were making the Magic bus look a bit tame... Still, we finally made it into town (I think I narrowly escaped having the guy opposite me be sick on me) and followed the crowds. The entire town had been sealed off in anticipation of the party celebrating Grand Duke Henry's birthday and converted into an outdoor nightclub. 250,000 people (the population of the country) were in the town and the atmosphere was electric. We could barely move in the streets for people - the whole place was like trying to move accross a dance floor in a night club at 1 in the morning. We went to a few different music 'areas' and watched an incredible firework display. We then made our way down to the bottom of the valley to an area called 'Grond'. Down here the music was a bit harder and a bridge over the river had a huge lighting rig set up over it and a bar on one side. The DJs for this particular party were on a scaffolding pontoon built in the river opposite the bridge. Again, we couldn't move for people but, despite this, met up with a few of Kevin's mates. By now it was 3am and we were plastered. A few drinks later and we decided to stagger to the train station, leaving behind - it seemed - just as many people as when we arrived! Just time for a 'Quick Burger' (Luxembourg's better answer to Maccy D's) and it was onto the train back home.

I read in the paper the next day that security had been "boosted to 60 on-duty policemen"(!) for the event and that there had been no serious incidents - leaving each policeman with nearly 5000 people to police... I cannot imagine an event of that size happening in the UK without the need for a fleet of police and at least a few major incidents. Why is it that here everyone can party (and believe me - they were drinking...) without causing trouble while we are completely incapable of doing so?

Anyway - I crawled into bed at 4 in the morning having had an amazing night. Pics coming soon.

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Photos

Crazy Town
Revellers in the street. The entire city was like this...

Mashed
Some silly hour of the morning on the train back. Sorry I don't have better pics, but it seems I just plain forgot to take any.