With a possible long weekend coming up Anneliese and I brainstormed possible spots for a cheap weekend away, we decided on Berlin as I personally was dying to get there, plus my cousin Timo recently moved up there for uni and offered me a free place to crash. Unfortunately we left booking tickets a bit late it seemed as the price for a ticekts skyrocketed within a week leaving us searching other options- Bratislava? Dublin?? We decided why not go local- Luxembourg. I had heard a lot about a carsharing website called ‘covoiturage’ that links us travellers going the same way and you help pay a small amount for a seat. After a bit of searching we found a (Bulgarian,as it turned out) couple who were heading up to Luxembourg City Friday morning and returning Sunday morning. We searched for a few Sunday night options but nothing popped up so off we went! I stayed Thursday (a public holiday in France to comemorate Rememberance Day) at Anneliese’s place, eating lots of pain perdu (lost bread: French for French toast) with the mountain of stale baguettes in the kitchen and watching one of the favourite films, Paris Je T’Aime, a collection of montage of short films by a broad spectrum of international directors. Living in Paris has brought a whole new meaning to this film as we were either blurting out ‘BEEN THERE!’ or debating as to what street they were on. I felt somewhat nostalgic watching it actually.
Very early Friday morning we rose and rushed to our designating metro meeting stop. We stopped our travelling companions quickly, jumped in the car and off we went. We had hardly got outside the péripherique (the walls of Paris) before we stopped for Stella’s first ciggie. Anneliese and I immediately gave each other that ‘oh no this four hour drive may evolve into a 9 hour mammoth drive’ look. Fortunately we needn’t have worried, although we did stop a few times at les cafés routières for a quick coffee and sustainance. They were extremely friendly and curious about these two young Aussies going to Luxembourg. Victor, mid forties, had been married to a Frenchwoman and lived in France for over 20 years, Stella, 32, met Victor on a Bulgarian dating site and moved here to be with him four years ago. They chatted, showed us photos of Bulgaria on their iphone and asked us questions during most of the drive. Rather unconveniently Anneliese dozed off leaving me the sole responder. This proved a bit tricky as Victor inquired about house prices in Australia, the average salary and even ‘I once saw this tv program (how he started most questions) and it said that Australians kill Aborigines’ This certainly woke us both up, ummm how to break it to him?? Well, not really anymore, not on purpose anyway.
Fortunately they, thanks to their handy GPS, dropped us right at the front steps of our residence for the weekend, the sole youth hostel in the city.
The hostel was amazing, although Anneliese and I (both dying to make friends) were, rather unfortunately, put in a four bed room with ensuite, though no one joined us, leaving us with the room to ourself, most backpackers’ dream. We ate dinner both evenings at the hostel as for a mere nine euros you go unlimited buffet salad and soup as well as a large main meal, orange marinated chicken and chips etc and a scrumptious dessert. One night we walked into the café/restaurant/cafeteria and there was a rugby match screening- FRA (France we figured) against FID, hmmm this country stumped us, rather then looking at the players we turned to each and starting naming countries…. Finland?? No, do they even play rugby?? The barman interrupted- Fiji. This confused us even more, why use FID, he replied Fiji Island, yes, we understand, but why choose FID, turns out Fiji is spelt FIDJI in French. We looked up at the large screen overhead and both laughed as to how we could mistake this undeniably looking Fijians for Finishmen.
Unfortunately Mother Nature was not on our side this weekend as it drizzled, pelted and showered practically all weekend.
There was barely a moment our umbrellas were closed. Despite this we still got out, especially with our hostels convenient location.
Luxembourg is an absolutely stunning country, as is its creatively named capital, Luxembourg City. Deep valleys run throughout the whole city with a gushing river and old colourful Flemish buildings filling these deep canyons with more modern archecture fraying along the steep cliffs, overlooking the vieille ville (old town) below.
We wandered along the clifftops on Rue de la Corniche absorbing the breathtaking views of the Grund (the old town built in the valley)
We winded our way through to the main streets of Luxembourg City, viewing the old Town Hall and former Spanish Palaces, grabbing a pastry on the way for lunch and window shopping along the main street that was basically filled with teenage ugg-wearing girls. As the sky darkened we wandered back along the cliffs to the hostel, providing me with some of the best night-time views I have ever witnessed, definitely a night-time stroll to remember!
It was interesting though as they changed languages as quickly as blinking, even during the same sentence. It is fascinating! It must be weird and they must be a language you favour more, if not how do you choose what language to speak, does it depend on your mood? I would love to have that luxury! We have had a few language issues though, like ordering a pain au chocolat in French and the server to respond in Luxembourgigh (we assume). Is it not just common curtesy to continue in the same language someone has just addressed you in?? Apparently not. This did happen a few times. We did however pick up on their unusual use of the word ‘s’il vous plait’, in common French it means please however the Luxembourgish have expanded its versatility using it as you’re welcome and even thank you. I admit, i threw us at first.
Our Saturday was spent visiting the other side of the country, conveniently only 17km away or so, visiting a former Roman fort turned medieval castle in Vianden, a town on the German border. Luxembourg definitely wins the prize for best and cheapest transport as our one day 4 euro ticket allowed us to go anywhere IN THE COUNTRY on any mode of public transport, thus we took two buses and a train and found ourselves within a short walk of Germany.
This 1000 year old castle, as predicted, being Luxembourg’s number one tourist attraction, was breathtaking. The mist gave it a mystical, eerie ambience, plus, it seemed, deterred a lot of tourists, leaving the castle practically empty. As we wandered up the hill to the castle we stumbled across a gorgeous Flemish house, with cute pumpkins on the doorstep (as they all oddly seemed to have-a late Pagan Halloween?) where Victor Hugo himself lived for a while during his 18 year exile from France.
The castle, which focused a lot on the amazing archaelogical foundatinos, was incredibly well restored and offered incredible views over the Luxembourgish forests and many ‘Hey look, I can see German!’ comments.
Afterwards we grabbed a coffee and some more pastries, including deliciously authentic apple studel and briocheman!! That’s right, they don’t do no gingerman here
A middle age English couple were sitting near us and the woman approached us and starting asking about Australia, as they are going there soon. She then asked about us and started asking if everything is alright, before giving out travel advice, particularly about carsharing, she wasn’t too fond of the Bulgarians it seemed! Mothers, they just can’t help themselves!
Once we got back down to Luxembourg city we decided to have another nocturnal promenade, this time down in the Grund, rather then looking from above. Whilst it was gorgeous, this was supposedly the party central of Luxembourg, however, at 7 o’clock on a Saturday evening, there wasn’t even, as the French say, a cat. Lots of trendy bars seemed to be setting up but there was no one!! Incredibly odd be thought.
With rumbling bellies and dry mouths we decided to head back to our suite, oh sorry, I mean hostel dorm, to have a taste of our recently purchased Luxembourgish wine and beer (sidenote- alcohol, cigarettes and petrol are cheaper in Luxembourg than most of its neighbours)
Our final morning we were to meet the Bulgarians infront of our hostel at 11 however we wanted to visit the Grund during the day time so headed down to the cafeteria for an early (free) buffet breakfast (Sidenote- hot chocolate it seems is rather affectionately called choky in Luxembourgish, it threw the young Frenchies next to us), checked out then went for a final drizzly promenade, passing little churches, Sunday morning joggers, little grandmas grasping their morning baguettes and A SQUIRRELLLL!!!!! Yes, my lifelong dream accomplished, despite many an effort and search, from Hyde Park London to the northern Italian countryside I have been on the lookout, but never had any luck, but finally with my ninja-eyes I spotted one. Possibly the most excited I’ve been since Mum sent me milo :P
The Bulgarians sent us a message saying they were coming out midday now so Anneliese and I sat on the hostel’s terrrasse gobbling down cheesy and ham bagels whilst overlooking the carpet of orange leaves covering the road. A beautiful, beautiful weekend. On the way home we mostly kept to ourselves and our native languages, all exhausted after our interesting weekends away.
THERE HE IS!!!
