I used to visit London regularly, mainly for work, which gave me a great chance to see friends and explore all the different parts of the city where they lived. With time spent in London either in work mode or seeing friends mode, I rarely did “touristy” stuff, and on the rare occasions I have…
A great advantage of multi-leg rail travel is that you can, if you wish, spend a couple of hours in your interchange cities along the way. It’s something you just can’t do when flying, because the hassle of fighting your way out of the airport, finding transport, and then getting back in time to have…
In terms of the gastronomic map, Luxembourg is in a great location. On one side, it borders France – and little introduction to French food and wine is required. On the other, Germany – where beer, sausages and generous portions are the orders of the cliche. But Luxembourg also neighbours Belgium, a country much maligned…
I must confess to having a soft spot for the Luxembourgish language. Partly it’s a combination of my interests in languages and small countries. But also it’s because one of my lesser-known skills is the ability to sing “Happy Birthday” in Luxembourgish. Back in my university days, a bunch of us undertook a long minibus…
Pretty much anywhere in Luxembourg City is close to a cliff. The heart of the upper town (la Ville Haute, which I’ve explored in my previous post) is built on a network of long fingers of rock that tower over the low town (la Ville Basse) and the two rivers that run through it. Quieter…
Topographically, Luxembourg City is a diverse place considering its size. The city grew up around a gorge through which the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers flow, and the high and low parts (la Ville Haute and la Ville Basse) are separated by imposing cliffs, the gorge crossed in several places by huge bridges (like the one…
I’ve always been drawn to little countries. You know, the sorts of places that are so small that there’s only room for two symbols on their television weather forecasts. Perhaps it’s due to being Scottish or growing up on an island, but there’s something quite captivating about a small nation that exists independently and sustains…