Diekirch

After a heatwave of three consecutive days of 100+ Fahrenheit here in Luxembourg, it cooled off considerably last Saturday, thanks to much-welcome cloud cover and rain. R and I took the Rav4 and drove off to the small town of Diekirch, about 35 minutes from Luxembourg and home to the Luxembourg National Museum of Military History. There was a special exhibit about American "Doughboys" from World War I in the museum, which was interesting and educational, and a vast amount of other artifacts from Luxembourgʻs military past.

A letter from Black Jack Pershing to the Grand Duchess,
letting her know the troops would be, well, trooping through her country.

Luxembourg is very appreciative of Americaʻs help in WWI and WWII.

Classic displays.

The museum boasted a HUGE warehouse full of all kinds of military memorabilia, including vehicles.

I loved the town of Diekirch itself; it was charming. We had a delicious lunch in a little Portuguese restaurant and wandered through the pedestrian center and along the river. We visited one of the oldest churches in Luxembourg - St. Laurent - and we were lucky to stumble upon an excellent concert of classical music in progress. Youʻll have to trust me that the acoustics in the church, and our accidental discovery of it, made it just a bit magical.

A lovely walk along the river.

The town has a thing for donkeys, it must be said:

Sculpture.

Your eyes are not deceiving you. You are seeing just what you think youʻre seeing.

I couldnʻt resist pretending it was a T.A.R.D.I.S.

St. Laurent.

I Just Canʻt Get Enough

R and I go out walking a lot - we received our vehicle (yay!) last week, but in a city like Luxembourg, we just canʻt help ourselves - we leave the car behind and go out walking. We logged over 11 miles on Saturday, and enjoyed every minute. Walking gives you the chance to stop, breathe, and take in your surroundings. It also provides the opportunity to stop, breathe, and order a croissant. I donʻt think Iʻll ever tire of it.

The church near our permanent residence - weʻll be moving there in about a month.

How can you not love a country that builds around a charming existing home?

Just a random building in the old town.

The aquaduct!

What a view.

On a random street.

The view from the pub where we had lunch.

Getting cozy with the purple mermaid of Luxembourg.

The Abbey.

Luxembourg Pride Parade

R and I traveled the short distance to Esch sur Alzette, the second largest city in Luxembourg, on Saturday to participate in the Pride Parade. We joined forces with the Dutch and British embassies to represent #diplomatsforequality - and it was amazing!

Bubbles aplenty!

See close-up below!

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg watching the parade!

A big turnout!

St. Michelʻs Church

St. Michelʻs Church in the heart of Luxembourg City is the oldest in the city, dating from 987.

Very peaceful, and not too many tourists. As always, I lit a candle for my mom.

A view from the glass elevator which transports tourists and commuters to and from the valley floor.

Independence Day

The embassy through a party and Buzz Aldrin came.

The U.S. and Luxembourg have a space connection.

The original Apollo 11 crew.

An actual (tiny) moon rock!

Me and R, volunteering.

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg.

Buzz Aldrin, a popular photo subject.

The Marines, with the colors.