“Knowing how and when to sleep is the mark of a seasoned traveler.” – Old Sean
An Intro to Luxembourg
After a week in Belgium, I headed southeast, visiting Luxembourg City.
Luxembourg is a tiny European country, bordered by Belgium, France and Germany. The majority of the small nation is rural. There are Ardennes forest nature parks in the north, rocky gorges to the east and the Moselle river valley in the southeast.
The tiny nation’s economic, urban, cultural and financial hub is the capital, Luxembourg City. Perched on sheer cliffs, this fortified medieval old town commands the lower districts. The entire urban sprawl is neatly segmented by a large valley, two rivers and a high-town and low-town area.
The people of this region officially speak Luxembourgish, which is a confusing linguistic identity. Because the nation has changed hands many times between the Germans, French and occasionally Belgians until gaining independence in 1890, German and French are predominant languages in terms of writing. Luxembourgish itself is closely related with Standard German with various independent expressions and French linguistic influences. It’s a fun language to listen to, although it’s almost never written.
A Sleepy Visage
I’ll admit that visiting Luxembourg City was a mistake.
I didn’t have anywhere near the energy needed to rally and visit another city. My company added the site as a minor point of interest if I had extra time to spare. I ended up pushing too hard to reach it, and when I arrived, I was completely burnt.
Not that Luxembourg isn’t a pretty place. The city has a smooth, deep valley cutting through the center, giving the impression that a mighty river should be dividing the population. But the stream below is a razor thin streak encased in sloping concrete while hiking trails, bike routes and skateboarders cross the densely wooded lowlands.
The view remains impressive. There are many with a lot of low-spired buildings and tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The roads are wind through the dramatic landscape and pass numerous trees.
Entering the Burnout
Sadly, I simply didn’t have the energy to take it in.
I walked lumbered around with a backpack on my shoulders, occasionally glancing up at an overcast sky. Despite my exhaustion, I got to see the small zone of tourist attractions.
I walked through Place Guillaume II town square, passed the Palais Grand-Ducal, visited the Luxembourg City History Museum, glanced at the impressive Bock Casemates natural cliff fortifications, and dragged myself to see the extremely compelling outdoor sculpture display at the Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art.
I barely made it through the short checklist, blinking sleep from my eyes the entire time.
For the most part I just ate a couple of snacks, did two laps of the city, and settled down for a nap. I didn’t go into any of the famous museums, such as the Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History, Musée National D’histoire Et D’art Luxembourg or the fortification museum Musée Dräi Eechelen,
Nor did I explore the parks, river-walking trails, numerous fortifications and prolific art galleries. I simply ground to a halt, jettisoned reports for the area and told my company it would have to qualify as a secondary off-day.
Onwards Over the Channel
Overall, my time visiting Luxembourg City was best defined by sleepy hikes and naps. Tomorrow, I’ll be traveling once more, this time heading to the United Kingdom.
I’ll be happy when I get to London tomorrow.
I’ve been traveling almost nonstop for nearly a month now. I’ll be taking a week in London to rally before I head off to handle my next assignment in Ireland and the rest of the UK.
My time in London will be largely immobile. My Chinese company has a main branch in London, which means I’ll be checking in at our offices there. While I imagine it’ll be busy, I’ll be largely rooted in one spot doing paperwork.
So until then,
Best regards and excellent trails.
Old Sean
Written June 18th, 2018
Read more about visiting Luxembourg and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Destination.
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