Coffee

On Friday morning I attended a coffee at the British Ambassador's Residence.  This is all part of my plan to become friends with the Duchess of Luxembourg.  Ha!

Jeremy took a picture of me on my way out as I hoped I was dressed properly enough (I was).  

Arriving at the British Ambassador's house, I rang the buzzer at the gate and was greeted in French by the butler.  That was kinda weird... I really thought I would hear a British accent at this point.  He escorted me upstairs into the drawing room.  I wish I could have taken a few photos.  If you have seen classic British interiors, it was right on par with gold tone floral wallpaper and drapes to match.  

Hosted by the British Ladies Club of Luxembourg, the coffee was a fundraiser benefitting a cancer foundation.  About 40 ladies were there and all very friendly.  Most of the Ladies (that I spoke to) were British, but not exclusively. I did not meet the Ambassador's wife, as she was unable to attend the event.  So, I will have to work on getting invited back :)

Moien

That's "hello" in Luxembergish.

It's neat how one little word opens the door to learning and experiencing a little bit of life, even if through someone else's experiences.  The well educated Luxembourgers speak quite good English.  Even my 97 year old neighbor apologizes for her English at the start of each conversation, but I can understand everything she says.

There was famine here in 1918 that drove many Luxembourgers to the US to "work hard and make millions".  That is the American dream, or at least it was.  That's how the women I met on the bus had so many relatives in the US.  She told me all about her post collegiate travels in California and the East Coast years ago. She had a funny story about an old racist man and wanted to know if it was still like that.

My neighbor, Marc told me about a town in Wisconsin, named Belgium, where some of his ancestors migrated and everyone was from Luxembourg, spoke Luxembourgish and even built their houses and towns the same way as they did here.  He said he went into the pub and everyone spoke Luxembourgish as if he were back here.  I looked it up and look what I found... http://www.village.belgium.wi.us

Following the famine came the booming (or roaring) 20's.  That's when my neighborhood was built.  I'm told it was the first upperclass neighborhood to be built up outside of the city center.  It is also why all of the big old schools are located nearby.  A friend of mine lives in a really cool house built in 1920 with original stained glass and very interesting architecture... Apparently on the most desirable street in our neighborhood.  Before hearing this, I knew that street was standout in that the houses are especially beautiful and much of their original details have been well-preserved.

That's all for now.  I have to get back to taking care of sick kids!

Ghent, Belgium

While cleaning up breakfast last Saturday morning, Jeremy decided to look for a city to visit in Belgium for the day.  It turned out to be such a lovely day to leave drizzly Luxembourg and see some sun!

Ghent, pronounced with a soft G or a J sound, is northwest of Brussles in the Flemmish region of the country.  I expected to use my French in Belgium, but not in Ghent! 

There was some sort of festival with sporting challenges all around the downtown that were entertaining for the kids.  A cool old castle and several gorgeous church's.

Everyone was riding bikes and walking in the streets.  It was nerve racking as Jeremy drove through to find a parking spot as the people mostly only moved out of the way for the trolley trains.
I do not know which of the two rivers this is, but the building built along the banks were lovely!

When in Belgium... I only had a few sips, but it was fun to taste!  Jeremy not only enjoyed his favorite Duvel, but some local Ghent Beer as well.  I also ordered the caramel apple pie, specialty of the region.  It was different...very good with a soft pastry crust and spiced different than any apple pie that I've had before.

When stopping to buy bread and chocolates at the end of the day, I realized how foreign it is to not recognize any bit of the language spoken!  I can see how someone moving abroad with no knowledge of language could find the experience overwhelming.  I'm lucky that I can get along so well in Luxembourg... It really makes the adventure so much fun for me!