eleven

Yesterday Bryce and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. Thanks to the generosity of friends we were able to get away for a wonderful 24 hours together.

We went to the brand new Pompidou Center in Metz. It just opened in May. Seems fitting as we went to the Pompidou in Paris last year for our 10th.

I know I won't be able to adequately describe the sheer awesomeness of this museum. I'll just let the pictures speak for me.

After the Pompidou we drove to the Ardennes in Belgium. There, we checked into a quaint hotel and promptly enjoyed an aperitif on the terrace. The hotel over looked the Semois river. From our room we could see a fly fisherman with hip waders and all. It was idyllic.

Today we rolled out of bed about 9:00 and then rolled into a chaise lounge in the hotel's garden. It was a wonderful 24 hours.

Day trip to Metz

Last week I was fortunate enough to sneak off to Metz, France with two friends. We planned our get-away while the kids were at school, perfect as Metz is only 40 minutes from Luxembourg City. This was our second school-day field trip to Metz and I have a feeling it won't be the last.

Have you heard of Metz? It is a beautiful city located in the Lorraine region of France. At two times in history it was taken over by the Germans, the last being in 1940. Metz was returned to the French after WWII. There is amazing Gothic cathedral, St. Etienne, that has stained glass windows designed by Marc Chagall. It is as massive and impressive as any of the more famous Gothic cathedrals. In May of this year Pompidou Center - Metz will open. Like the one in Paris (that I absolutely love) it will house contemporary art. I can't wait to go and take a peek.
We spent our time shopping, talking and having a long, leisurely lunch. It was pure heaven. The highlight for me was our walk through the indoor market. I love markets anyway, but it was such a treat to walk through with people as interested in all the offerings as I was. We looked at every bit of produce, cheese and lingered over the fresh fish. It was a lovely day. One that I hope to repeat again (and again).Did you know frog legs are found with the seafood? I wouldn't have guessed it, but then again frogs do spend time in the water.

Little Difference #19

Little Difference #19 - Wearing Fur

I've lived the majority of my life in Seattle, Washington (that's well over 30 years!!) and I've never seen anyone wearing a fur coat. Well, that's sort of true; mostly true. Just don't count the rabbit fur coats from the 70s and early 80s. A girl in my 3rd grade class had one. Um, and don't count the floor length mink coat, Mrs. Cotter, the little old lady who lived next door to my family, had. Then it's true - I've never seen one worn. Fur is not worn in Seattle. At least the Seattle that I'm familiar with.

You can imagine my surprise then moving to Luxembourg and seeing full length fur coats AND matching hats being parading all over the country. It is quite a sight, I assure you. Women out on the town or just going to the market decked out in head to toe fur. I still can't help but stare. I'm a starer anyway. Yes, mostly it's the older generation with the fur. But not always. Not always.

In a country that wears fur it is not surprising at all that there are frequent Stop Animal Cruelty protests here. By frequent, I mean I've seen 3 since we've lived here. I don't remember the name of the organization that protests here. They set up booths in the city center with graphic pictures, brochures, and bull horns and the works. They are able to protest here as long as they don't protest the specific shops that sell fur.

So, tell me, what is the fur culture where you live?

To be fair I took this picture in Metz, France. Metz is only 45 minutes away from Luxembourg City. And it could have just as easily been from Luxembourg. The timing just happened to be right in Metz. Here is one I took in a Pizza Hut in Luxembourg. Yes, we eat at Pizza Hut. Sigh.

Read about more Little Difference here.

Day Trip - Metz

Christina and I are at it again! For our first day trip of the school year we drove to Metz. Although we've been there numerous times, it is one of our favorite destinations. We weren't looking for exploration with this trip, just time to have a proper catch-up after the summer holiday. We shopped, both looking for boots, had a leisurely lunch and ended with a stop at an Algerian bakery.

This was a huge highlight for me. The pastries were so beautiful, the shop so quaint and the owner and his kids were friendly. We each selected 4 pieces to take home. Just like a child, I went for color and shape. It didn't occur to me until later than Eva wouldn't be able to eat any of the treats as they were all inundated with nuts. The owner gave us each a honey soaked pastry on our way out the door. A delicious ending to a great day.

Where I've Been

We have family in town! I've been delightfully busy being the hostess and the tour guide with the mostess. My MIL is here with her brother and sister - a sibling trip. Pretty cool, right?

We've been to Luxembourg's Petite Switzerland.

To Metz; around the city and to the Pompidou Center.

And touring Lux City, of course.

The gang is off to Paris now but back in time for Easter.

Hope you're having a great week!

Living in Luxembourg

So, now you've moved here. What next? Here is a list of some of the things to experience here in the Grand Duchy. This list is by all means exhaustive. These are just the things we've experienced and enjoyed.

Castles in Luxembourg

Vianden
here
photos

Usldange
here
photos

Beaufort
here
photos

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day Trips From Luxembourg City


Metz, France
here
photos

Trier, Germany
here
photos

Bouillon, Belgium
here
photos

Rodemack, France
here
photos

Redu, Belgium
here
photos

Malbrouk Castle - Manderen, France
here
photos

Saarburg, Germany
here
photos

Burg Eltz - Germany
here
photos

Bastogne, Belgium
here
photos

Petite Switzerland, Luxembourg
here
photos

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holidays and Festivals

St. Nicholas Day

Easter Bird Whistle Market (Peckvillcher)

Schueberfour

Bretzelsonndeg

3 King's Day or Epiphany

Carnival

Buergbrennen

List of Holidays and Traditions in Luxembourg (written in French)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take the Kids

Butterfly Garden

Park Merveilleux

Zoo D'Amneville (France)

Ice Skating

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good Places to Eat

Chez Bacano - order the Scampis Flambés or just go home.
Brasserie Mansfeld
Tout pour toi - Reserve a table upstairs
Goethe Stuff
Bosso Brasserie- Very friendly staff. A great place to take guests after touring the Grund. The goat cheese salad is tdf.
HaPP - Owned and run by Icelandic peeps. Their food it fresh, tasty and very healthy! They offer lunches to go. You can even order a day's worth of meals or a detox bag. I will miss HaPP when I move home.

Family Friendly, good food, comfortable atmosphere:
Antica Trattoria

Fancy a Curry?
Namaste

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Learn Something

Second Degree - Courses in English. I just finished the Practical Photography class. It was exactly what I was hoping for - very technical as the first 1/2 of the session focused solely on how to use your SLR.

L'Atelier de Cuisine Bertrand - cooking classes. Take one in an afternoon with some friends. Also does children's birthday parties.

Spice Curry - Indian cooking classes taught by Sunita. You can take them through Second Degree or set something up with Sunita herself. Some friends and I took an afternoon session with her; learned a lot and had a great time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PESTS

Martens - They will climb up into the underside of your car and chew through hoses or any rubber parts. Don't laugh, this really happens. We were in the Ardenne in Belgium when a marten got our car. Our neighbors told us that they have a sounding device installed in their car that keeps the martens out.

Ticks - Yup. Hedgehog ticks and sheep ticks (the ones that carry Lymes disease) are found here too. Tick season is from spring to fall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Little Differences - Small things that are different in Luxembourg from my home in Seattle (and America.)

first post Dec. 2010
edited Feb. 2011

**This post will be added to my site bar under a button called, Living in Luxembourg.

A Year in Review

2010

January
The passing of my beloved Grandmother


February
Ski trip to La Clusaz


March
My Mom visits


April
Trips to Prague and Rothenburg ob der Tauber


May
Family fun in Europapark and Strasbourg


June
11 years of marriage. Great anniversary trip to the Pompidou in Metz and a night in the Ardennes


July
Trip back to Washington to visit family and friends.


August
Great visit with old friends as they made their way to their new home in Rwanda.


September
Amazing Ireland; how green and beautiful you were.


October
A mellow month of baking, sewing and apple picking.


November
Much anticipated visit from my SIL and oldest niece.


December
SNOW, SNOW, SNOW

{2009}