Bonjour All,
Today we headed off to Luxembourg and our drive took us from The Netherlands (Holland) through Belgium and Germany into Luxembourg. On this trip we get to add two countries to our list according to Fred but as we did not stay in Germany I don't think it is a legitimate addition. We drove along an area know as Petite Suisse Luxembourgoise. The Ppcture on the right is of that area. We think it is known as Petite Suisse due to the winding narrow roads. As you can see the language of preference here is French although German is spoken.
Our first real stop was Beaufort Castle (Beautiful Castle) in the valley of Haupeschbaach. Archaeological findings date the oldest part of the castle to 1150 but it is suspected that even this part was built upon some pre-existing much older construction. Built upon a massive rock it was an impressive building with towers one on each corner, a mountain at the back and water moat in front. Around 1380 the castle was enlarged on the valley side with the water tower being added. Lastly, around 1500 a sidewing was added with its renaissance windows.
By way of background, in the middle ages as a member of lower nobility you had two career choices, that of a knight or a monk. Castle or monastery was a decision made for them at a very early age. As young as six you were shipped off to another noblemen for training which was usually a relative. A rather harsh way of life in the middle ages. If the monastery was chosen for you it was the dictates of the Benedictine Order, another rigid way of life with no personable freedom.
But back to the castle, by 1639 it was already falling into disrepair when it was purchased by Governor Jean Baron de Beck. In the early 18th century the owners of Beaufort moved out of the castle, staying at it only on an occasional basis and by the mid 18th century the castle's fall into rack and ruin began in earnest. It was not until the 1928 that restoration work began on the castle which was now under the ownership of Mr Edmond Linckels and in 1932 it was re-opened to he public. In 1981 the castle became a State Property. You can check out our Flickr site or my facebook pictures to get a true feeling for the castle.
From here we traveled through the valley and into Luxembourg City itself. Luxembourg dates as far back as 963 when Count Siegfried chose the Bock promontory to build his fortress which was to become, along with St Michael's Church the cradle of the city. But I think I am getting a bit ahead of myself here. We found the hotel and public parking and lugged our suitcase and other bags to the hotel. We got settled into what is a very small room but clean and provides us with all we need and WiFi access was free, so a bonus. After settling in we asked about parking and it turns out the hotel does have parking. The clerk tell us it is 12 euros a night and suggests before moving the car that we check out how much it will cost where we had parked as it could be cheaper. As it turns out it the hotel was considerably cheaper so we decided to move the car. Getting out of the garage however was a bit of a challenge. The machine would not accept the ticket and the gentleman that I found to help did not speak English and I could not understand him. After some sign language of pointing, shoulder shrugging and arms in the air he assisted us. We paid and escaped back to the hotel. We then took a walk to get the lay of the land for tomorrows exploration. The area we are in seems a bit sketchy especially the restaurant choices. However, we found a supermarket and decided to get some cheese, ham, apple, wine and a baguette for our supper. The baguette was fresh out of the oven and our dessert was a chocolate filled croissant that was warm as well doesn't get any better then that. A picnic in our room for a great price.
After a good nights sleep and breakfast we headed out to explore the city. Walking to all the major attractions was very easy. We stopped at the tourist information centre and the gentleman mapped out a walking tour for us that took in all the major sites in the old town which is what we were interested in.
We had already passed some of the sites on our walk to the information centre and had taken pictures as it was early and car/pedestrian traffic was light car, which was good for me because I don't like people in my pictures unless I know you. I know it's strange but that is me. Fred on the other hand has no issues.
The historic centre which I started to tell you about is bound by cliffs that once made the city an easily defensible strong hold. In 1443 the best engineers of the time turned the city into one of the most powerful placements in the world, called "The Gibraltar of the North". The Casements is all that is left of the original fortress. In 1867 after the declaration of neutrality the military withdrew and during the next 16 years 90% of the defenses were demolished. It proved impossible, however, to blowup the casements without destroying parts of the city so it was sealed up. Seventeen kilometers of the tunnel remain and we took time to explore this UNESCO world heritage site. The tunnels are a amazing feat when you consider when they were built and the depth they go down to. During the height of their time they provided shelter for soldiers, their horses and housed workshops, bakeries, kitchens and slaughterhouses. As well as shelters for people during the world wars in case of air raids or shelling.
Before we know it our stomachs are telling us it is lunch time. Fred spotted a pizzeria in the old section near the Palais Grand-Ducal. We were spoiled here as they welcome you with a glass of prosecco and two slices of plain pizza. We picked our pizzas, I had ham and mushroom and Fred had tomato and basil. We split our pizza's so we each enjoy what the other has chosen. We also had a half litre of house red wine to wash it all down. The pizza was made in the traditional thin crust style that we so loved in Italy. With lunch over we continued our exploration of the town. We did not make it to the Kirchberg plateau as I was starting to fade and as we were walking I did not want to get there then struggle to get back to the hotel. Back at the hotel we decided that since we had some cheese and meat left over from last night in the fridge that another baguette was in order with some wine as we had had such a great lunch. At the supermarket I also spotted Limoncello at a great price so we picked up a couple of bottles to bring back home. Well that is another country done. Tomorrow it's back to Belguim and the city of Ghent.
Au revoir,
Sandy & Fred
Here, however, we only get the occasional waft of scent. The gardens are varied with formal terraces, ornamental ponds and woodlands, complete with a waterfall. There are some very old oak trees and in the Valley or woodland section a California Redwood that was planted in 1886 that is now 146 feet high. There is also an Oregon Douglas Fir at 158 feet. The garden staff are doing a lot to conserve these old giants. The oak trees have suffered some illness and the soil around them has been replaced and work done to nourish the root systems hoping to save the trees.
