Luxembourg 🇱🇺

Day 0: Paris: the “In-Between Day“

Last I left you, Heather and I were wrapping up our incredible Jordan trip, and headed to Paris before parting ways. We woke up early to finish packing and to catch our ride to the Queen Alia airport at 7:30. We had the same driver I had when I first arrived in Jordan, and I loved this full-circle moment:). The airport was a breeze, although, they took extra care to swab electronic devices, which slowed us down ever so slightly.

Soon we were headed towards the gate, awaiting to board the flight to Paris. When Heather was originally planning this trip, the best options were to fly from Amman to a European city and then take a standby flight from there back to Boston… and Paris ended up being the winner! The flight was about 5 hours long, and I ended up with another row to myself! Yippee!

Before we knew it, we were landing in Paris, and ready for the adventure of finding the hotel shuttle in the mayhem that is the CDG airport. We had instructions from the hotel on where to go and we were following airport signage. We finally get curbside and take a seat, hopeful the shuttle would come soon. We kept waiting and waiting and waiting, until finally, Heather was able to get a call through to the hotel and they informed us that the shuttle doesn’t run between the hours of 10am and 5pm. Guess what time it was? 😅 So, after feeling disappointed and frustrated, we book an uber and try to find the pick up location. We found it quickly, but our uber was showing that he arrived on the opposite side of the terminal. Uh-oh. Luckily, he called me and knew exactly where we were and came to get us. Merci beaucoup!

Weary from our jouney and a slight transportation snafu, we make it to the Jangle Hotel, and it is adorable! Now we wish we were staying here longer than just an evening. We get to the room, which is quite spacious, and notice how ridiculously large the TV is: just as big, if not bigger than the king size bed! We definitely considered staying in for the night to watch a movie and relax. 🙃

But that’s not what Heather and I do, and we know it. Where there is something to be explored, we simply cannot pass up the opportunity. Heather found a quaint town on the other side of the airport, Roissy-en-France that offered a small walking tour of their places of interest. We grab an uber and head over there, just as it started to rain pretty heavily. Of course 🙄. We hastened our pace and did the speed walk tour, but not without first stopping at a “boulangerie” for a French croissant. Mmmmm, so delicious. 😋

Finally we work our way back to the restaurant, about half an hour early for our reservation due to the rain. Heather ordered escargot, and we reminisced about the last time we ate those together… Heather nearly flung one all the way across the restaurant, just like in the movie “Pretty Woman.” 🤣 Fortunately tonight, that wasn’t a problem. But, it’s always something, and Heather had a very different problem; she had trouble getting the little snails out of their shell at all! Perhaps they were shy and didn’t want to be flung across the room, so they held on for dear life 🤣. Eventually, Heather got them out and enjoyed the French delicacy. Patience is a virtue… I on the other hand, opted for a less exciting, but extremely delicious pasta. I was definitely craving some comfort food on a cold and rainy night.

We get back to the hotel, pack our bags, sort out our morning schedules, and crash. It’s been a beautiful and enriching week, but also a long one. And tomorrow it’s off to Luxembourg to continue my adventure! 🤗

Day 1: Train to Luxembourg

I wake up exhausted, but as usual, I’m excited for the journey ahead. 🤗 I’ve decided to take the train to Luxembourg City instead of a flight to try out the European rail system. But first, I have to take the hotel shuttle at 7:15 to the airport. From there, it’s an easy ride on the metro to the main train station in downtown Paris.

The train station is beautiful and open-air. It does have a roof, but it was quite chilly “inside.” I arrived way too early for the train, but didn’t want to pass up the free airport shuttle, as the later ones were completely full. 🙄 Oh well, time to get comfortable! As my departure approached, I did a lap and purchased a delectable Parisian sandwich on a baguette for the ride and used the bathroom. The train station doesn’t assign a platform until what feels like last minute… so I am set to go, fully stocked on snacks and I just sit and wait. And wait some more. Eventually, the platform is revealed and I head over. Nobody checks my ticket as I enter the platform, or the train. I take a seat, and hope I’m on the right train… if nobody is checking tickets yet, it would be easy to hop on the wrong one. 😅

The train starts moving and while I’m confident I’m on the right train, there is always a tiny seed of doubt. But I notice a digital sign that shows the direction of the train and the stops along the way. Phew! I’m for sure on the right one. Eventually, a woman comes through checking the train tickets. I guess its more an honor system, and I wonder what happens if you get caught without a ticket? How much is that fine? The train speed was shown on my favorite digital screen, and we were screaming between 160 to almost 190 mph!

The train made two stops along the way, and the towns looked beautiful, making me wish I could pop off just for a quick walk around. Before I knew it, we were pulling into Luxembourg Station, and I decided to take a local bus to the hostel. I asked for help with directions, making sure I got on the right bus, and I also double checked that they were completely free! It’s a very hard concept to wrap my head around, but all the public transportation within Luxembourg is 100% free! Amazing! 🤗

It didn’t take long to reach the hostel, and along the way I was getting a sneak-peak at the fortressed city, and I couldn’t WAIT to put my bags down and head out to explore. After a very steep walk down a hill, I found the hostel and checked in. I was alone in the room! For now… haha. In the past, I have actually lucked out in a dorm room with only 1 other person, and once, and only once, I had it to myself. 😁 You never know! Especially in the off-season :).

I get my bed situated and lock away my belongings, and head out to wander the streets of Luxembourg. I began by just following my instincts and walking towards the beautiful towers and walls of the city. But I had also read about the “Wenzel” walk, and wanted to follow that around. The walk is 2.5km and takes approximately 3 hours to complete. While on my walk, I experienced a “traveler’s high:” moments of pure joy where it was difficult to contain my excitement. I couldn’t believe I was standing here, taking in the views of this magnificent city! I may or may not have been all smiles and giggling to myself. 🙃🫠

I must have walked at least 3 hours, if not more, before I decided it was time to grab some food. My Mom’s work colleague, Sean, lives in Luxembourg, and he gave me some recommendations. First up, Konrad Cafe and Bar. It was a beautiful cafe with ornate decorations and wall paintings. I chose a seat downstairs, and it looked like it was an old wine cellar perhaps, furnished with an eclectic mix of antique decor. I tried a baked feta dish and although it wasn’t super filling, it was delicious and definitely hit the spot.

After resting for a moment, I left the Konrad and found myself in the main plaza. Most of this area is pedestrian only, and it was lovely to just stroll around, admiring the buildings. I stopped by a grocery store for some snacks and water, and began the walk back to my hostel. While on the walk, I noticed signs for the “Vauban” walk, something similar to the Wenzel, but a different route. I’ll have to save that for another day.

Day 2: Trier, Germany! 🇩🇪

My hostel included a free breakfast, and it was quite impressive! Is this a new thing for hostels? Has it been that long since I’ve stayed in a hostel? Or was I just lucky? They had an assortment of breads and some cheese and salami for sandwiches, yogurt, and orange slices. I can’t help but wonder if they’re trying to keep everyone as healthy as possible with the oranges in a group living environment 😅.

After my yummy breakfast, I head to the central train station on a FREE bus! I still can’t get over the fact that all the public transit is free. I wonder if that has encouraged more people to use it versus owning a personal vehicle? If I lived in Luxembourg I don’t think I’d bother with a car at all… free transportation PLUS the well connected trains all throughout Europe? When would you need a car?

My journey of the day would be to Trier, Germany, once a bustling Roman town, and now beautifully preserved for all to enjoy. I imagined the city being quite small, but it was bigger than I thought. I got off the train and followed Google Maps to a few points of interest on the other side of town, before heading to where the Roman area was. While walking the nearly empty streets, I saw a GORGEOUS VW GTI, in the motherland! 😁🥰 It made me miss my little “Black Betty.” 🥹

Next up was the “Porta Nigra,” an ancient Roman gate, and the official entrance to the Roman part of the city. I bought an entry fee to go inside, which I was hesitant about, but it was surprisingly worth it! The inside is decorated with carvings on each floor, and the architecture is beautiful. Not to mention the views of the city below… 😁

From the Porta Nigra, I walked the circuit to see all of the historical buildings (mostly churches and cathedrals), ending up at the Roman Baths. There was an entry fee for these as well, and ultimately, I don’t think it was worth it. 😅 These baths look more impressive from the street, but only because as one point in time, someone decided to build a castle on the same land, and those are the ruins that can be seen from the road. Not to mention, these baths were never finished. They began constructing them, but the project ended before completion. I did also visit the Barbara Baths, which were intact and functional in Roman times, and guess what? They were free! There was a catwalk that goes right through the area. Less to see, perhaps, but more interesting knowing that these baths were functional. At least for an anthropology major 😅.

On the other side of town, I crossed the street at a stoplight, and it had the “walking man” indicators, except for this particular one was 100% Karl Marx, haha. Karl Marx was born in Trier, and you can visit the house he lived in and there a big statue in the middle of the town. A lovely little nod to my social theory class in college:).

As I was headed back towards the central area of the town, I came across a cafe selling my new favorite Jordanian dessert, Kunafa! I of course needed to try it… and it did not compare at all. 🤣🙈 I knew that’d be the case, but I still had to try it. I sat there and rested my tired feet while remembering what an amazing trip Jordan was. After my snack, I had to of course sample at least 1 German beer. So I found a little outside area to sit down and I enjoyed exactly one beer before heading back to the train. 🍻

Back in Luxembourg, I decided to walk from the central train station all the way back to the hostel. It really wasn’t THAT far of a walk, and I got to see more of the “modern” side of the city. When I got back to the hostel, I asked about laundry, as I was getting desperate. 😅 Turns out they have a self-service laundry system. Okay…. Not ideal because that means I can’t go out and explore and have it ready to pick up. Oh well, I can work on the blog, right?

I get down to where the laundry room is, and there are 2 washers and 1 dryer. 🙄 Both washers are busy. So I get comfortable. Soon one of the washers ends, but nobody comes to get their stuff. I take their clothes out and put mine in. The wash was about 40 minutes. Now time for the dryer. The dreaded European dryer. In my experience, they always take forever. As I put my clothes in and select the “extra dry,” it showed over 2 hours! Ugghh. So I get comfortable again. After about 45 minutes, I optimistically check the clothes, which are definitely not dry. 🤣 I try another half hour, and then some more. By the end, it was nearly a full 2 hours for my clothes to dry… I mean, it DID tell me… But hey, at least I have clean clothes now:). The downside, I was so tired and angstsy, I decided to just go upstairs and to bed. No dinner. I’ll eat extra at breakfast. 😅

Day 3: Happy Valentine’s Day in Vianden!

Today’s adventure would be taking me to a small town near the German border, Vianden. Home to a majestic castle and a bar recommendation from my mom’s colleague. Rather than leaving from the central station, I’d be leaving from a station right next door to the hostel. I only had to hike about up about 100 stairs to get there. 😅 I had seen the tracks way above as they pass over the viaduct, but I didn’t imagine the station would also be situated right on the side of the cliff. Starting the day off strong!

I make it to the first stop where I need to change to a local bus to finish my journey to Vianden. And guess what? It started snowing! It felt wondurously magical to be on my way to a castle with snowflakes falling gently outside. 🤗❄️

I arrive to Vianden shortly after 9am, and the castle doesn’t open until 10. So I decide to do the walking trail that claims to have a beautiful viewpoint of the castle and the town below. Along the way I catch sight of the ancient ramparts that once protected the imposing castle.

As I found the trailhead, I noticed it was closed. Womp Womp. Bummer! I was really looking forward to that! So off I go to another viewpoint I had marked on Google maps. Success! It was a steep walk up, but I was grandly rewarded. It’s always worth it! After taking in my fill of the views, I head back towards the castle entrance to begin the tour.

The castle was stunning and it was easy to imagine what life must’ve been like here. One of my favorite things I learned was that the head-chef’s bedroom was half a flight of stairs above the kitchen, and had a window looking down into the kitchen, so they could keep tabs on the staff and make sure everything was up to snuff. No rest for the weary!

After the castle, I did find a trail down the hill towards the infamously decorated dam. I was here, so I might as well explore that as well. 🤗 I was curious to walk along the river and check out the flooding, too. There was a riverside walk at the water level, but some of it was completely submerged with dirty brown storm water. Actually, all the water I’ve seen so far has been brown. I can only imagine what some of these places look like with clear, blue water.

On my walk back to town, I caught a glimpse of a bell tower, and obviously, I had to investigate. I consulted my trusty Google Maps for directions to it, and that turned out to be a massive failure. It led me right to a giant cliff with no way up. 😂 But I wasn’t going to be thwarted, so I walk up the only possible street the entrance could be on, searching for a solution. In my efforts, I ended up passing the “real” entrance, but still found another route up. Not the easiest to find, but it boasted pretty epic views of the town. Its always worth it!

Finally, it’s time to sit down and rest at the Ancien Cinema, a unique bar that shows movies on a huge projector screen. Too bad they weren’t playing anything when I went in. I wonder if it’s just certain days and/or times? I sat in a comfy chair and enjoyed a much deserved beer. Soon, a woman asked if she could sit in my little nook… it WAS a very cozy and chic nook.:) I invited her over and we began to chat while we warmed up. She’s from Luxembourg and she asked me how I was enjoying it, and she told me a bit about the country, and how the Luxembourgish language is slowly disappearing. A lot of transplants come to Luxembourg, and the locals, rather than help the new arrivals learn the language, will speak to them in French or English, and so unfortunately, less and less people are learning and using Luxembourgish.

Soon my new friend left to host her showcase; she is a local artist and the gallery next door was displaying her artwork. And so I began the trip back to Luxembourg City. When I made it back, I did an extended city tour of the Vauban Circuit, the one I had seen a couple days ago. There were a couple of fortresses I wanted to see, and one was a museum. It looked super interesting, so I did pay the entry fee to go in, but ultimately was dissapointed. Even with the roof access, the views weren’t that great. The best thing about the museum was the guillotine they had inside. “Off with his head!”

After walking more than I thought I could, I head to the main plaza, in search of a cake shop that was also recommended to me. Well, guess who didn’t put 2 and 2 tougher that today is Valentine’s Day and I’m trying to squeeze in a cake shop visit 20 minutes before they close? Haha. Let’s just say, there wasn’t much left. Dang! So I leave empty handed and attempt to have dinner at another recommended restaurant, only to find out they’re at capacity already! #Valentinesday. 🤣 So I ended up next door at pasta restaurant that only had seating outside…

…Brrrrr! It was soooo cold out, but they had blankets, and I was exhausted and super hungry. So I dealt with the frigid temps (I do consider myself a hearty New Englander, afterall 😅) and ordered a Luxembourg sparkling wine (very tasty) and a sizeable pasta dish. Perfect! Well, except for the my hands nearly going numb in the cold, lol. 🥶

After my delicious but chilly dinner, I head back to the hostel to pack up what I can and get ready for the trip to Bruges tomorrow morning!