Luxembourg August 20, 2021
Our long awaited Covid delayed journey back to Europe began on Friday August 20, 2021. We flew from Portland to Denver and after a brief layover boarded a flight to Frankfurt, Germany. Using Jeri’s 30+ years, Blaine bought real tickets taking advantage of United’s 20% discount for employees and retirees. First class to Denver and Business class to Frankfurt! Even though she protested, I think Jeri enjoyed the extra convenience.
We got to Frankfurt on Saturday, the 21st, at 9:45 AM and had to wait for about an hour to get through customs. The line actually looked worst that it was. It snaked all around the terminal, and to top it off, there was only one booth opened checking passports!! Eventually 3 more booths opened and the line went much faster. Evan met us at the airport with our sweet little granddaughter, Lila.
Evan picked us up from the airport and we stopped in Bernkastle for lunch on our way back to Luxembourg. Upon our arrival in Luxembourg, Yana, the host of our Airbnb met us at 82 Rue d’Anvers. What a great location. 10 minute walk from Evan and Jess house, 5 minutes to the tram, and a plethora of restaurants and shops in the neighborhood. We are also right next to the Petrusse Valley walking trail, and best of all, Jude’s favorite little park is basically across the road from us!!!
Later that afternoon we met Evan, Jess and the kids at the carnival. Jeri took Jude, Lila, and Jude’s friend Noah to play the fishing game. Each of the kids got a nice prize for catching eleven fish!! The last stop of the day was at Evan’s for some pizza.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 22
Blaine woke up early Sunday morning as our bodies are still adjusting to the time zone change. He waited in the apartment until around 7AM before venturing out to find a coffee shop. There were none to be found in the Place de Paris area, so he caught the tram to downtown. Surely something would be open there!!! NOPE. I downloaded the bike sharing app, VelOh and rode over to Evan’s house. He was at the store, but Jess was making crepes for the kids. I didn’t want to intrude for too long so I rode back to the place where I had gotten the bike and dropped it off.
Back at the apartment, Jeri was still snug as a bug in a rug! The bed here is very comfortable and she was catching up on sleep. Once she got up we headed back to the tram to explore the downtown again. It was much more lively than my first outing!.
Sunday evening we went to Evan and Jess’s for dinner. Evan is really a good cook. He made salmon, potatoes, carrots and spinach for dinner. After dinner Jeri read books for Jude and Lila until they were ready for bed.
MONDAY AUGUST 23 - MONDAY AUGUST 30
I really meant to try and document each day, but the days have gotten away from me so I will recap our week. We have been busy exploring various areas of Luxembourg, as well as finding the best places to eat! One of our favorite walks is from our apartment to downtown via the Petrusse Valley walking trail. We also found the Pfaffenthal glass elevator that takes you from the downtown area to the lower level in Grund. From there we walked under the red bridge (which is JFK Blvd) and found the funicular that brought us back up to the Pfaffenthal tram stop.
We had dinner with Evan and family on Wednesday at one of the restaurants in the Place de Paris pedestrian area. The kids got to play in the fountains before dinner. Luckily we were seated outside right by the fountains so it wasn’t too disruptive for the other patrons!! Friday night we had dinner with everyone at the Athena restaurant, right around the corner from our apartment. They are said to have the best Greek food in all of Luxembourg. The reviews were right!! The food was fabulous. We will definitely be going back there on this trip.
Jeri and I had the kids at our apartment over the weekend so Evan and Jess could get some organizing done at their house. We were going to take them to a petting zoo in Luxembourg, but the weather didn’t co-operate. We ended up walking to Merl Park where the kids could play in the playground. There is also a small carnival there with a few rides for the kids. We got there before the carnival opened so the kids played on the swings, slides and other climbing structures. Jude noticed the lights for the carnival were on so off we went!! There was a roller coaster (which Jeri got to ride with Fiona), a small train, and a larger slide that you had to carry a big rug to the top. Once we sat down for lunch, the trampoline area opened up. Jude immediately went there, but unfortunately he couldn’t play because he had no socks on!! The kid never wears socks!! How European. It started to rain on us so we walked back to Evan and Jess’s house. I borrowed their car and drove Jeri and the kids to the Tramway Museum. After dropping them off, I drove back to Evan and Jess’s house, dropped off their car and walked back to the Tramway Museum. We had visited this place before, when Jude was about 2. He had a blast playing on the trams, ringing the bells, pretending to drive. We figured this was a great rainy day activity for the kids. That worked for awhile as we were the only people there. However, once other people came in, the nice lady curator told us the kids were too loud!! So much for Plan B.
Evan came to get us as it had started raining again. We ended up back at the apartment for awhile, but the natives got restless, so once the rain let up we headed to the park by our house. This park has a really big slide and Juda and Lila had lots of fun running up the hill and sliding down. It wore them down pretty good because after movie night, the kids were in bed by 8:30. Time for a beer and wine for Grandma and Grandpa.
At the park by our house with the big slide!
Sunday morning was pretty quiet, as quiet as can be with 3 kids! Evan came by in the afternoon and we took the kids to the park with the big slide again. Jess wasn’t feeling well so she stayed home trying to recuperate. Evan and Jeri walked down to an Asian restaurant around the corner for a late lunch, early dinner. After Evan and the kids left, Jeri and I watched a show on Acorn TV called Miracle at Midnight. It is a true story of how the Danish people evacuated thousands of Jews in Copenhagen to Sweden during WW2.
Monday morning Blaine spent some time at the Golden Bean coffee shop while Jeri got ready. Golden Bean is the only place I have found that has a Mocha coffee. I Googled car rental agencies near the train station and rented a bike to ride to EuropCar. It was a pretty hectic ride through lots of construction. I think all of the construction is part of the plan to extend the tram out to the airport. Jeri and I met up at Place de Paris and we walked around the outdoor market. It seems like they have an outdoor market someplace in the city every day. Pretty cool. Next stop, Auchan Market. Where else! Later that evening Evan came by to cook dinner at our house. Jess is still sick and Evan had bought some Cod on Sunday and didn’t want it to spoil. He sure is a good cook. Fish, rice, salad with homemade dressing. We’re living the good life here! After dinner Jeri and I settled in for movie night. This time it was a movie on Acorn again called Scapegoat. Very entertaining.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 1
Today we are taking a train to Metz, France. We bought tickets on the fast train which goes from Luxembourg, has one stop in Metz and then on to Paris. Unfortunately the train stopped many times on the way to Metz. Not sure why, but probably due to construction along the route. We also had an unplanned stop in Thionville. When we were buying our tickets we were told the next 2 trains had been cancelled. We assumed the unscheduled stop was to make up for some of those cancelled trips. We were expecting more stops along the way. BIG MISTAKE! Jeri had gone to the bathroom just before the next stop. People were boarding the train. 2 separate people came on the train and told us they had our seats. While I was showing them they were in the wrong car,, (we were in car 16, one of the people was supposed to be in 15, and the other in 17). Needless to say, all of this confusion was very distracting. Jeri finally made her way down the crowded aisle from the bathroom. By this time was train was on it’s way. I looked out the window, and to my shock, we were leaving Metz!! Uh Oh. Next stop Paris!! Since we had only paid for tickets to Metz, we were waiting for the conductor to come bust us!! Fortunately that never happened.
Once in Paris we headed to the Sacre Coeur area. Evan had advised us to head there since we didn’t have much time to visit. I had bought return tickets back to Luxembourg leaving at 6:40 PM. We arrived in Sacre Coeur after a fairly stressful Metro ride. It’s always stressful when you are getting to know a new subway system!!! Our first order of business was to find an outdoor cafe, get some food, and have a much needed drink. Next up was the Sacred Heart Basilica of Montmartre. It is the big tourist attraction there, and is built on the top of Montmartre hill, the second highest point of the city. You get an incredible view of the city from the top. After a couple of hours, we decided to walk back to Gare L’est train station instead of using the Metro. It was only a 25 minute walk, and along the way we stopped at another outdoor cafe for a drink. That’s what you’re supposed to do in Paris isn’t it!!! We only had one cafe that didn’t let us in. They were requiring the Europe barcode to prove vaccination. I showed the man my US Covid vaccination card, but he wouldn’t accept it. He wanted us to get a quick Covid test instead. Oh well! We made it back to Luxembourg at around 9:30 and slept well that night.
Busy street scene on our way to the train station
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4
We took the kids to Parc Mervilleux today. It’s a combination amusement park, zoo, and playground. We only lost one binkie (pacifier) and one child, but were able to recover both!!
SEPTEMBER 11
This last week has been spent with Evan, jess and the kids. at various parks, and even at the Auchan shopping center, where we took them on the carousel there. The kids went back to school on September 8, so we had to find other activities to explore.
We took the train to Metz on September 11. We actually managed to get off the train in Metz this time, although it was not without some confusion. The reader board on the train told us the stop was Metz Nord and we knew that was not the stop we were supposed to get off. It turned out that the stop was actually Metz-Ville, which was the correct stop for us to get off.
We walked to the Cathedral St Etienne, which is nicknamed the Good Lord’s lantern due to the fact that it has the largest expanse of stained glass in the world. Evan had told us we needed to go on a sunny day, and he was right. The stained glass was absolutely gorgeous as the sun shined through the windows. We also went to the Marche Couvert (covered market), where there was a vast array of fresh vegetables, meats, and even clothing and housewares. All of this food made us hungry, so we wandered over to Place de St Louis, which is an old medieval square with lots of restaurants and outdoor cafes. The Christmas market in Metz is held in this square every year.
After lunch we stopped to explore the Porte de Allemandes (Germans Gate). It is a medieval bridge castle and city gate. The Moselle River flows underneath the castle. Pretty awesome.
On our walk back to the train station, we encountered protestors marching against masks and vaccinations. Police had blocked off streets to allow them to peacefully protest. This is the first time we have encountered any type of resistance to masks or vaccines since we have been here.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16
After a couple of days of hanging out with the kids we decided to rent a car and travel to Vianden in northern Luxembourg to visit Vianden Castle. The castle was built between the 11th and 14th century on the foundations of a Roman castle and a Carolingian refuge and for a long time belonged to the Grand Ducal family, before passing into state ownership in 1977.
After touring the castle, we headed over to the chairlift in Vianden. Before riding the lift to the top of the mountain we enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch at the Hot Stone Chalet, which is right next to the chairlift.
Next stop was Clervaux Castle in the town of Clervaux in Northern Luxembourg. It dates back to the 12th century. Destroyed by fire in the Second World War during the Battle of the Bulge, the castle has now been fully rebuilt. We visited the Museum of the Battle of the Bulge which is located in the castle. It was interesting how they portrayed some of the scenes using mannequins as soldiers. In a few of the scenes, it showed German soldiers having killed Americans. I guess that’s to be expected as the German border is only about 6 miles from Clervaux.
Our last stop before returning the rental car was to the Mullerthal region, also known as Little Switzerland. It owes its name to its hilly landscape reminiscent of Switzerland. The region is above all a unique biotope characterized by sandstone rock formations. We parked our car and started walking to the waterfall which is one of the main attractions there. Alas, the waterfall had dried up for the season!!
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18
We have met many of Evan and Jess’s friends during our visit. Flavio and Karen, with their kids Leo and Anna: Magnus and Megan, with their kids Noah and Lucas: Giovanni and Barbara with their kids Eduardo and Phillipo: and David and Alana (sounds like banana), with their kids Evelyn and Valerie. We also met Giovanni’s twin brother Pasqual, who was visiting from London.
Flavio and Karen invited us to their home in Niederanven today for a barbecue. Their home is located just outside the city in a very pretty rural setting. They have a beautiful home, with a big backyard for the kids. Magnus and Megan, along with their 2 kids were also there. Flavio grilled sausages for the kids, hamburger, Portugese meat, and chicken for the adults. Karen made roasted potatoes. Evan made a roasted peach salad. Jess made strawberry shortcake for dessert. Everything was delicious! We had a great time!! Karen graciously drove us home that evening as we had taken the bus there.
FRIDAY SEPT 24
Today is Evan and Jess 10th wedding anniversary, so we are babysitting the kids tonight while Evan and Jess go out for dinner. It is also our last night at 82 Rue d”Anvers. We decided to have a last lunch at Athena. It reminded me that I had not listed all of the wonderful restaurants we have discovered. One of the reasons we blog on vacation is so we can remember our vacations!
With that in mind here are some of our favorite restaurants.
Athena - Fabulous Greek food - 56 Rue Adolphe Fischer
Restaurant La Torre - Delicious Italian. Our waiter Salvo was the best!. We also met Bill and Kelly Jones there. 82 Ave du Bois
Yamas - Greek food 6 Rue d”Anvers
The Metropolitan - In Place de Paris. The biggest Weiner schnitzel I have ever had. 3 5 Rue du Fort Elisabeth
Fu Lu Shou Inn - Fabulous Asian food. Chinese, Thai, Korean, Crispy duck was delicious. 56 Rue de Strasbourg
Asia Restaurant - On the walk to the train station. SPICY food. Jeri loved it. 29 Rue Joseph juncker
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25 - SATURDAY OCTOBER 2
Evan and Jess left for their week long trip to Mallorca to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. We have the grandkids for the week. Jess typed out a very detailed instruction sheet for us. Thank goodness she did. It was quite nerve racking on Monday to have to get the Jude and Lila off to school, and then drive Fiona to Creche (daycare). By Tuesday it was a bit easier, although the garbage truck on Rue Raymond Poincare caused quite a bit of anxiety as Blaine got lost trying to go a different route. (I love you Jeri!!) By Wednesday we were all settled into a routine and were confidently shuttling the kids back and forth between school and creche. In the evening we helped Jude do his homework, Jeri would give each of the kids baths, and then she would read books to Jude and Lila after Fiona was in bed. Saturday we had all the kids activities to attend. Jude had futball, tennis and karate, while Lila had dance. The most difficult part was coordinating Jude’s tennis and Lila’s dance. Both were at 11:00 o’clock, so I dropped Jeri off at dance 20 minutes early, and then drove across town to Jude’s tennis. After tennis was over I drove back to Jeri and Lila, and met them at Cactus, which is a small market right around the corner from the dance studio.
Evan and Jess arrived back home at around 9:30 PM and Blaine picked them up at the airport. Jude and Lila were able to stay awake until we arrived back to the apartment.
Although it was physically and mentally exhausting at times we really enjoyed being able to spend all this time with the grandkids sharing their lives.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 3
After a wonderful 6 weeks in Luxembourg, it’s time for us to start heading home. We decided to spend some time in Bernkastle-Kues, a small town in Germany on the Moselle river. We have been there a few times before and thought it would be perfect to spend a few days relaxing before our flight home.
Blaine rented a car at the Luxembourg airport and Evan drove us there to pick it up.
We arrived in Bernkastle around noon and our room at Doctor Weinstube, a small locally owned hotel/restaurant in the center of Bernkastle. was not ready. We walked around town for awhile getting our bearings and then decided to get some lunch at Alder Moselbahnhof, a restaurant overlooking the Moselle River. This is Jeri’s favorite restaurant in Bernkastle. After checking into the hotel we did some more exploring. Jeri walked across the bridge to Kues while Blaine rested up, trying to make sure his back didn’t start acting up.
MONDAY OCTOBER 4
Blaine walked down to the Information center to find out about some of the local activities while Jeri got ready. After a very good buffet breakfast we walked over to Kues, looking for a bike shop. We stopped at the Wine Museum for awhile, and after a bit of searching found the bike shop. The streets were torn up to install new sewers so we missed the bike shop on the first try. It was too late in the day to begin a ride so we decided to come back early tomorrow to get the bikes. Our next stop was to catch the bus that would take us to Landshut Castle. The bus runs every hour (supposedly). When we got there for the 1:00 o’clock bus, it was already full. No problem. Let’s go have a drink at Alter Moselbahnhof and try for the 2 o’clock. Got there for the 2 o’clock at 1:40, but the line was already too long for us to get on. No problem, we’ll catch the 3 o’clock. Got there around 2::40 and waited with another couple until 3:10. The bus never showed!!
We had been reluctant to drive the car to the castle because it was so hard to find a parking spot in the public parking, but we said “screw it”, we’re going. The castle is not that far so we drove to the parking lot and started walking down the path to the castle. Both Jeri and I were questioning why the path was leading down. It was pretty steep and we though we were going in the wrong direction. Aren’t castles supposed to be up higher? We doubled back to look for directional signs, and as we did another person was walking up the path. We asked him if the castle was down the path and he said yes. He also told us that we could actually drive down to the parking lot instead of walking !! So we did! The view from the castle was spectacular.
TUESDAY OCTOBER 5
After another delicious buffet breakfast we headed to the bike shop to rent a couple of e-bikes for our ride along the Moselle River. When we got there, we talked with one of the owners. She had just picked up a cute 8 week old border collie named Sammy the night before. So adorable and soft!
Our ride along was river was so pretty. It was supposed to rain today (100% chance), but we had beautiful weather. We rode as far as Zeltingen, where we stopped for a glass of wine at Hotel Winzerverein. This is the life!!! Before dropping of the bikes in Kues, we stopped at the Bahnhof Cues Brauhaus. This is a brewhouse at the old train station and it is right down the street from the bike shop. We figured we didn’t want to consume too many glasses of wine along the river ride and then have a long trip back so best to do it closer to home!!
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 4
Today is the day we start heading back home. We are driving to Frankfurt today and will stay at the Sheraton Airport hotel this evening. We will get up tomorrow and catch a flight back to the states.
Before heading to Frankfurt, we decided the visit another castle that Evan had recommended. Eltz Castle is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle between Koblenz and Trier, It is still owned by a branch of the same family (the Eltz family) that lived there in the 12th century, thirty-three generations ago. The owner still uses the castle as a summer vacation home. No pictures are allowed of the interior, so we are limited on being able to show the stunning beauty.
