The Smoly Adventures

Nearly two months after we visited, Luxembourg City is still an amazing place to think about.  The Cathedral Notre-Dame is awe-inspiring and the entire city warrants volumes to be written. After letting Will run around and explore the grounds outside the Cathedral, we continued on our self-guided tour of the city. Turning left up the Rue de la Congregation, we stopped at Congregation Church. One of the many Protestant churches throughout the city, it was built between 1739 and 1742. Coming immediately from the Cathedral, the interior design was a stark contrast to the overwhelming ornateness of the Notre-Dame or St. John's which we'd see in a few hours.

Next up was the Place de Clairefontaine with its Monument to Grand Duchess Charlotte, prior to weaving our way through several adjacent streets and pausing near the History Museum of the City of Luxembourg. 

A brief aside regarding the architecture of the city--the whole thing is a fortress.  The image that came to mind was the White City of Gondor as described by Tolkien in the Lord of the Rings. There are concentric levels and series of walls that radiate out from the center of the city and I don't seem to recall a time in history when the city was actually captured by a hostile force. The more I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if Tolkien did base his descriptions off of this majestic city. At various points, overlooks permitted sweeping views of the city walls and the surrounding countryside. 

The route we took was deliberate as we were seeking out the Casemates, which are a UNESCO World Heritage site. We reached them, but discovered that there was an entrance fee (Tarif) and as we've quickly learned in the last two and a half months, cash is king here in Europe. We headed back into the city and instead sought out lunch. Our first attempt was a miss, but the second turned out to be far superior.  The Bistro Art Scene is a neat little pub with a fantastic menu for both adults and kids.  If you're going to Luxembourg City with kids, definitely keep this restaurant in mind. Janet and I shared a huge turkey club sandwich while the boys split an order of chicken strips. The service was good, and best of all, the waitress we had spoke English.

and explore. We made our way back up the hill from the Bock and the Casemates and into the city.  We did a little souvenir shopping along the way, checking a cute children's toy store and grabbing some bottled waters for our forthcoming trip back to Homburg. From where we parked, it would be a short ten minute drive down to the church and the bridge. By the time we arrived, storm clouds were rolling in and we opted to visit the bridge before the church. 

A little more than a month ago, we ventured out on our first foray in Europe. This was an impromptu endeavor after learning of a family day on August 25th. Now facing the enticing prospect of two back-to-back three day weekends instead of a single four-day one, we decided to accelerate our plans for Labor Day and we set off at 6am for Luxembourg City.

From where we live in Homburg, it is a one and a half hour drive northwest along the A6 and A8 autobahns. The German section of our drive took us through rolling hills and the wine region along the Mosel River before crossing into Luxembourg near Schengen. Schengen is the namesake of the EU accord that enables free movement among member nations.

From Schengen, the drive took roughly 30 minutes and moved us through more rolling hills until we turned north head into the capital. As one would expect at 8am on a Friday, we encountered heavier traffic leading into the city. We were on somewhat of a tight schedule to arrive due to our primary activity for this excursion. While researching Luxembourg City, I learned that the Grand Duke's Palace is available to tour only six weeks each year starting in mid-July and ending during Labor Day weekend. It is an inexpensive outing, costing 12€ for adults and 6€ for children, with Sam getting in for free. The palace conducts tours in French, German and English on a rotating basis each day. Being sensitive to the boys' mid-day tiredness, we reserved spots during the 9am tour.  

Getting into the city was one of the easiest things yet experienced in Europe and we parked in a garage under the Place Guillaume II, which is the city's central plaza. We picked up our tickets from the tourism office, then headed for the palace. Thankfully, it was a quick ten minute walk, and we were immediately impressed by the architecture of the palace.  Once we checked in for our tour, we went through a security checkpoint, and learned that a large party no-showed for their tickets and that we were now essentially receiving a private tour of the palace.  While the Grand Duke does not permit tourists to take photos while inside the residence, you may see official photos here, but they do not adequately capture the ornateness of the residence. 

The tour began in a room set up with various artifacts and historical overviews of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.  From there, we proceeded across the primary vehicular entrance and into the residence proper. Intricate, ornate, awestruck, are all descriptors that come to mind. Even today, several weeks later, I am at a loss for words to appropriately convey what we saw. Some of my favorite items that we learned was that several of the tapestries were given to the Grand Duke's ancestors by Napoleon after learning that one of his generals stole the family's china and that many of the tapestries, paintings and other possessions were shipped to the United States during World War II for safeguarding--which explains the presence of a Franklin D. Roosevelt Boulevard. 

After the tour concluded, we walked to the front of the palace for some photos and then went in search of second breakfast. We settled on La Fournee Dorre, a fun French cafe where we grabbed coffee, juices, muffins, fruit and a quiche. 

We next set off for the Cathedral Notre-Dame. The Cathedral sits astride the Boulevard Franklin Delano Roosevelt and is a huge edifice; its twin spires soaring above the city and can be seen from most locations. The interior was every bit as majestic as one envisions churches and cathedrals across Europe. The cathedral was constructed between 1613 and 1621 and was expanded during the subsequent centuries. The frescos were amazing and the stained glass windows were simply breathtaking to behold. 

After spending some time admiring the work of devoted men seeking to glorify God, we went outside to a nearby green space where Will could stretch his legs after not being permitted to run inside the cathedral. 

Part II coming soon...