DeLuxembourg

June 6: Moved on to Luxembourg today. The only thing noteworthy about the drive was the noticeable shift from a relatively economic doldrums part of France to a perceptively wealthy Luxembourg. 

Our campground is about 10 kms south of the city, but there is a frequent and free bus service direct to downtown. Indeed, all transit services in the country are free! So we hopped on and we’re in the centrum by about 2:30. 

Luxembourg city is an interesting melange, with most of the city built above a large gully. Looking down into the gully one sees formal gardens and wooded park, and a bit further on, some renaissance era dwellings and an old stone bridge across the little river. Such a contrast to the mix of 19th 20th and 21st C transit traffic, pedestrian buzz and shops and restaurants of the town. I, Bill, have been struggling a bit with typical foot and ankle problems. Biking is the good alternative we have been using, but we couldn’t take bikes in on the bus. So we decided to take a sightseeing bus tour, which was quite amazing. The past history seems to be that the country was a political football up until the 20th C wherein they managed to make themselves into a neutral financial broker hub, for the EU and it’s trading partners. After some views of the classic 18th C old town, the bus took us through the very modern business district built over only the past two decades. It consists of block after block after block of ultra modern 4 to 5 level glass and steel office buildings belonging to the worlds banks, insurance companies and accounting firms, each trying to outdo one another with the most prestigious architecture. Some of the most important EU financial offices and courts are located here. It was all a bit surreal with the contrast between this ostentatious and sterile display of modern architectural one upmanship, with the gardens and vibrancy of the old town. We are here two nights so will go for a better taste of the city tomorrow. 

June 7: Spent the day in Luxembourg. Or really three different Luxembourgs. Our free bus from campground lands us in the very active centre with the typical bustling pedestrian area, mostly 18th and 19th C shops, cafes and squares. 

Later in the morning we found the elevator that took us down some 100 metres into the deep green horseshoe valley of the tiny Alziette river, and back a few centuries in time, from the Ville Haut to the Ville Basse. Here were the narrow cobbled streets and stone bridges with small cafes and shops and limited vehicular access. Looking up from the valley we could see the 19th century spires and some of the 20th C steel and glass. 

There was some rain today so we had to take shelter in a cafe for lunch. Our picnic will be saved for supper back at the campground. 

We walked through the valley a bit, and as we ascended back up a few centuries, the rain came again. So we decided to transition to 21st century Luxembourg by hopping on the three year old tram system which took us out to the futuristic Kirschberg area. This is the kilometres long strip of ultramodern steel and glass head office buildings of the world’s banks and finance companies, in a carefully planned “community” with recreation facilities, shopping malls, a concert hall and sports complex, apartment complexes, and even an attached “Central Park” of fields and garden trails for the inmates to exercise. To us it represented a rather dystopian view of future cities. Sorry, no photos worth the trouble. 

June 8:  Alors, c’est le fin!  We arrived back at son, Jeremy’s near Ciney, Belgium, so likely no more day by day posts. Just family stuff. We’re here cleaning up the van, and getting sorted. On the 12th we leave the van with Jeremy and train back to Uithoorn near Amsterdam to stay with Michelle and Nyah for a few more days before hopping on the plane on 16th.