My Days as a Lady of Leisure Come to an End

After over two years of travelling, vegging, moving house (and country) I've finally landed myself a job here in Luxembourg - see it can be done - even with no French!

My blog entries might be a little sporadic from now on but I'm so excited to be going back to work, socialising with people properly and living a more normal life.

OK, give it a few weeks and I'll be begging for a break!

Lycra Overload

A cycling frenzy has descended on Luxembourg this week with the Tour de Luxembourg. Cycling is Luxembourg's national sport and they sure do love it!

I know nothing about cycling although I do know Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggens (he's English) and now have been introduced to the Schlek brothers who are Luxembourgers and apparently quite good.

I didn't get a photo of Lance unfortunately, he was absolutely mobbed by TV crews, press and the public alike.

The Place Guilliame was at the heart of the action with all the teams rocking up with their tour buses and bikes galore. And then they were off...they're doing four stages around the country and will be back in Ville on Sunday afternoon.

I Spy

This is the view from the window this morning. It's a cherry picker, extended to full height and we think it's monitoring the roundabout at the end of the village. It was up the other end yesterday.

This has coincided with a big census of traffic today with everyone getting stopped as they drive in and out. The commune are obviously trying to work out how much traffic is driving around Sandweiler and where it's coming from and going to.

Five Men and Some Decking

Anyone who is friends with me on Facebook will know how painful this garden process has been. Because of the cold winter we had, it took until May for the landscapers to come round and start sorting out the rubble pit that was the garden.

We were looking forward to halcyon days spent sipping Pina Coladas on our little strip of decking watching the sun set over Sandweiler. And two days into June, this is what we have so far.

To be clear, this little strip of decking is no more than a few metres wide and it has taken five men, three whole days and counting to get this far. If you look closely, you'll also see they are installing some fencing at the back to divvy up the gardens. C could have rustled this up in a weekend.

We live in hope that they will eventually finish the garden. Perhaps we'll even get some 'herb'. And perhaps we'll even get to enjoy it before the end of the Summer. But in the meantime I'm not holding my breath and I'm glad I'm not paying for it!

Rubbish!

Yes, hands up, I admit I haven't posted much recently. I've been busy-ish...not quite sure doing what but it seems to have taken up a lot of time. So in no particular order:

1. We've had our satellite dish installed, we have got a Freesat box connected and a new tele. So I'm catching up on six months of missed TV. Only problem is everything is an hour behind.

2. The gardeners have managed to lay half of our deck and installed a few fence posts. Noticed activity has ramped up significantly since the landlord came round at the weekend to view (lack of) progress.

3. I've been shuttling backwards and forwards to job interviews.

4. And busy ridding the spare room of boxes for our impending guests (C's Mum and Dad) in two weeks time. Cue a few trips to Ikea.

5. Plus stocking up on cards and pressies to take back to the UK at the end of the month - we seem to have four birthdays, two new babies, father's day, a get well soon and one holy communion to shop for.

6. Finishing off a few bits of paperwork

7. I have a dentist appointment (urgh)

The Echternach Dancing Procession

Echternach folk procession- Video

Maybe one for next year, check out the video of the dancing procession which happens in the small town of Echternach on the German border every Whit Tuesday.

We didn't go as it's a working day but it certainly looks interesting and it's a very popular event on the tourist calendar. The procession celebrates Willibrord, the patron saint of Luxembourg, who bizarrely hails from Northumberland (does that make him a Jordie monk then?). 

Local people stand five abreast and then perform a kind of jig (of which the steps have been passed down from generation to generation) to music whilst winding their way around the town, ending up at the basilica and finally dancing past Willibrord's tomb in the crypt. It allegedly came about as an act of penance on behalf of those afflicted by epilepsy. You couldn't make it up could you?

NB. Check out the priests doing the dance about half way through. 

Eau de Cologne

We got back from our mini break to Cologne last weekend. What a fantastic city and at this rate Germany is proving to be one of my favourite countries in this neck of the woods - and I didn't think I'd be hearing myself say that.

It's compact and we based ourselves in the new and funky Art'otel on the banks of the Rhine in the up and coming marina area near the Chocolate Museum (a ten minute walk from the city centre).

The cathedral, probably Cologne's most famous attraction was a little disappointing. It's certainly imposing but it's drab and the gothic architecture wasn't really for me. However, it's interesting to see the areas they're restoring and some of the intricate carvings are quite amazing up close. It's also heaving with tourists but the plaza is vibrant with mime artists and entertainers giving it a Covent Garden-style feel.

So aside from the cathedral, you come to Cologne for two things - the beer and the shopping! Although it's compact and you can easily walk around the main city centre, a huge amount of shops are packed into a smallish space. It's split into two parts - the pedestrianised Hohe Strasse and Schidergasse (plus various little roads off either side) where the big department and chain stores are up to Neumarkt. And then around the back - Ehrenstrasse and Freisenwell house more upmarket, independent boutiques. We stopped at Foto Gregor, an amazing camera shop that has every brand, make and model under the sun, on Neumarkt and ate big bowls of Japanese rice and chicken teriyaki at Bento Box.

So a fantastic weekend and a place we'll surely be visiting again.