Are you tired of looking at that snowy photo from the last post? I am.
It took a long time for spring to arrive in Luxembourg, compared to the past three years. But it is here at last, bringing us stuffy heads in the morning and tons of flowers the rest of the day.
When Anita and I left for a brief visit to London last Thursday, Luxembourg was colored in greys and browns. We returned to find that our town gained a much brighter palette over the weekend.
(more…)
After two days of sun and relatively warm weather, it’s safe to bring out our photos of this winter’s snowfall in Luxembourg. It was the most cold and snowy winter since we arrived here. As good Illinoisans, we didn’t mind it a bit. A few more sunny days would have been nice… but we don’t miss late-winter lake-effect snow at all.
One of the good things about living in the city is that the Christmas Market is a place that I pass by — or wander through — on my way to other things. So I get to know the season’s decorations very well, and the sight usually lifts my spirits just a little bit.
Furthermore, I occasionally remember to bring a camera and take some photos to share! (more…)
Translation: Did the man in black bring you a stick?
Today’s the big day, when Kleeschen (also known as Saint Nick or Sinterklaas) comes to town to leave gifts for all the good children … and when Housécker brings a bit of wrathful justice to the bad ones. If you’re looking for more words, revisit last year’s post about Kleeschen’s arrival in Luxembourg, or read The Wort’s summary of the tradition. This year is all about the holiday ambiance here in the Ville. And the first order of business was to ride the new Ferris wheel at the Christmas Market!
Let’s look back at the 2012 Tour de France! After La Planche des Belles Filles, we drove a little way off the course to our hotel in Mulhouse, which is not far from the Swiss border. Also in our hotel: the promotion team for Nesquik. We enjoyed watching their nightly routine — mostly refilling the hoppers for the young women who tossed goodies to the crowds each day.
This first photo is where we watched Stage 8 the next morning: halfway up a small mountain above Saint-Hippolyte in Doubs. It would be a magnificent race for some of our favorite cyclists. (more…)
Today marks the thirty-first birthday of Prince Guillaume, The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. And that comes just a few weeks after his marriage to Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. The Bugle celebrates His Royal Highness’s birth to Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa by posting a few photos from Guillaume and Stéphanie’s wedding spectacle on October 20th.
I have been waiting a long time to post the following image, and now I have an excuse.
The excuse? Mr Richie played a concert in Luxembourg last week. That is all.
In late May, we poured over maps of the stages of the Tour de France. This year, we said, we would travel to see the cyclists climb the real mountains that we’ve seen so many times on TV.
The Alps didn’t fit our schedules and the Pyrenees — well, they are very far away. But there are also real mountains in one of our favorite regions, Alsace-Lorraine (and parts of Franche-Comté), and those stages fell on a convenient weekend. So we found a budget hotel and booked one night, planning to watch two stages.
We were excited about the finish of Stage 7 on the top of La Planche des Belles Filles, which has an incline of 22% for the last 500 meters! Anita’s only concern was whether she could keep from yelling at all the fans that always crowd around the leaders on the top of the big climbs.
It was lovely weather when we arrived in Lorraine.
We stayed overnight just outside of Mulhouse, not more than an hour away. We were exhausted and spent what little energy we had strategizing for Stage 8.
Some related webpages:
So, it’s been awhile. I did get your messages. I really don’t have a good excuse.
You know, let’s just try to re-start on a pleasant note. How about some flowers?
I’ll be better from now on. I mean it, just watch. I don’t blame you for being skeptical. But you’ll see. I’ve got lots of great ideas and I genuinely do want to do better.
Plus, that goat is making me feel extra guilty. I don’t really care what it thinks, but it needs to stop looking at me.
(more…)
Powered by WordPress
