Luxembourg City, Luxembourg: I know y'all probably thought we would return to Paris and fly home to see our grandkids. That was an option, but only three hours away by train was a country we had never visited (and probably not many of you have either?), Luxembourg. It is teeny. It is wealthy. It is beautiful. We decided to see Luxembourg for ourownselves. After sleeping-in, we headed to the train station and boarded a nice clean French train, with first-class seats on the upper level. Perfect light for needlepointing and for seeing the scenic (mostly flat farmland) countryside. After arriving in Luxembourg late afternoon, we checked into a hotel and immediately fell asleep for a good nap. Napping is highly underrated.
Needing food and needing to move around, we headed out to the pretty "downtown" area near our hotel. This would be the downtown area in any American city, except as in so many European cities, they have closed-off all the roads to auto/bus traffic and tiled the streets with (comfortable to walk-on) pavers. The same stores we have seen everywhere - all the luxury brands, with the omni-present H&M, McDonald's, and so many cute cafés and coffee shops.
The citizens of Luxembourg speak French and German, and their own dialect of a Luxembourg-ish hybrid, and it seems everyone also speaks English. 20% of the population are Portuguese. From our little walk today, I can only say everyone was well-dressed, pleasant, and there is no litter. Street signs are in French and German.
Since we were in need of sustenance, it was fun to find a Mexican restaurant near our hotel. Mamacita is a small place, and every table was full for their Sunday (late brunch?) menu by the time we left. I was finally able to have a margarita to toast My Favorite Singer since his death nine days ago. This one's for you, Jimmy! It was a proper margarita too - white tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. On the rocks. No salt. Served in a Mason jar! We could only order off their Sunday menu, but we shared decent guacamole and chicken fajitas. How fun to find a piece of home in Luxembourg!
In the prix fix brunch menu, dessert was included. We shared the Breakfast Brownie.
We didn't want to explore too much this evening, as we have a walking tour planned for tomorrow, but we did walk to see the Passerelle viaduct.
We also saw a massive cathedral - guess what - called Notre Dame. Today, I finally had a little rest and will get to bed before midnight.
Until my next update, I remain, your Luxembourg correspondent
Pedometer: 8,000 little steps.