Luxembourg for the New Year

So Ellen and Manou had a funny story that liked to tell about my last visit to Luxembourg, and how for several days they expected me to leave and then for some reason, I’d linger around and stay another day. I can’t recall any specifics, but rain comes to mind. Of course, their incredible generosity, love of good food and wine, and getting to be creative with Ellen also all seem like good reasons to just stay in Luxembourg.

If one were to count border crossings and trips, Luxembourg would be the country I have visited more than another besides Canada. Back in middle school, my boy scout troop would go there for a camp near Wiltz. I really don’t recall much about it or the trips, just that we went and the we always had eclairs. Ten years ago, I went at the start of my European bicycling trip via train from Lille to attend Manou and Ellen’s wedding party, and then returned a month later on my bicycle to spend a lingering week with them, not including a brief mini-bike tour to northern Luxembourg (yes, there is such a thing!) to visit my new friend Georges.

I was thrilled to take Victor to Luxembourg, one of my happy places. As he keeps saying, “It’s like a fairy tale and every valley has its own castle!” Yep, it’s pretty much like that, a small-scale, staid fairyland.