The Schleck brothers

Ok, I admit it.  Though I own a road bike, until moving to Luxembourg I had no idea who Frank and Andy Schleck were.  Turns out, they are two (really famous) brothers who have put our little European country on the map in the sports world.  Frank Schleck, 31, and younger brother Andy Schleck, 26, are on the Luxembourg cycling team, Leopard Trek.

Frank Schleck (l) and Andy Schleck (r) just made history by being the first brothers to stand on the same podium at the Tour de France, which just finished this past Sunday.  Though Andy Schleck led much of the race and, from what I understand, was expected to win, he ended up coming in second place and Frank, third.  Clad in Schleck jerseys, Luxembourgers everywhere have been going wild.

As a treat to the city, the participants of the Tour de France did a mini-race / gala last night in Luxembourg center.  Alex and I met some of our Luxembourgish friends (and the Queens, of course) for the event and it was a really big deal (complete with fireworks)!  Thousands of proud Luxembourgers showed up to cheer everyone on and to watch the pack of racers from all over the world make 50 laps around our city center.  Here are a few pictures...

Huge hot air balloons greeted us as we walked across the bridge

The cyclists wizzing by

The boys on the sidelines

And, though this video doesn't do a good job capturing the cyclists' speed, can I tell you, these guys were going FAAAAAST!  Here's a glimpse of what I saw from the sidelines...

The fun thing about the event was that it was an actual race!  Frank Schleck took first place and Andy, third.  Here's Frank on the podium.  Photo courtesy of a much taller Chris Queen (thanks :)

Congratulations to the Schleck brothers - Luxembourg's biggest celebrities!

Dearest Luxembourg...

Dearest Luxembourg,

Furry boots aren't exactly what I had in mind for our first summer together...



This photo was taken yesterday, Sunday, July 24.

Sincerely,

Your newest resident; accustomed to and fond of hot, humid southern summers

What I miss about home and how Luxembourg makes it up to me

Because living in Luxembourg has been such bliss, I hesitate to write a blog on things that I miss from the States.  I want to preface this entry with: I adore living in little Luxembourg and I wouldn't change a thing about it.  Even the things that I "miss" below make my new home uniquely perfect and I'm so thankful to have the opportunity to immerse myself in this culture for the next few years.

And now, in no particular order, the short list of things that I'm missing...and how Luxembourg makes it up to me in so many ways...

1. YOU
Of course, the thing that I miss most from the US is you- my family and friends.  Though technology has made it so easy to communicate with everyone back home, not seeing the faces of my sweet family and friends for such a long period of time is tough. That said, I'm so very excited that we just booked our plane tickets home for Christmas!  We will be in the States for 2 weeks in December - staying in Atlanta and spending a weekend in Nashville. I can't wait!  Do pencil us in!

The flipside: We have had the opportunity to meet some of the most fantastic and lovely friends in Luxembourg!  Though we've only been here for three and a half months, we've already grown to care about and love so many wonderful people from Lux and all over Europe.  For each one, we are so thankful!

2. Sundresses and stilettos
The weather in Luxembourg, I must say, has been quite a surprise!  We had a month of summer in April (conveniently, the month we arrived) but the daytime temperatures have been in the high 50's to high 60's ever since.  I'm sitting here on a Friday afternoon in July wearing skinny jeans, tall boots and a sweater - sundresses tucked away in the back of my closet (tear).  And shoes...I love shoes.  I specifically love my heels.  The walking-everywhere-way-of-life combined with the cobblestoned streets in Luxembourg has caused me to temporarily bid farewell to some of my favorite shoes in exchange for, well, more boring ones. 

Shoes I've temporarily bid farewell to:

The B-team (short for Boring), recently forced to the A-team position:

 

The flipside: There is not much of a flipside to the current temperatures and lack of sundress-wearing currently taking place in Luxembourg but the increase in walking (though be it in B-team flats) nicely balances out my increased pastry and carb intake.

3. Mexican food
Speaking of food, I never realized how much I love Mexican food (or how often I ate it) until arriving in Luxembourg.  Alex and I went from eating it several times a week to being forced to quit our chips-and-salsa habit, cold turkey.  John Ko, this is a plea to you - Local Taco Luxembourg?  Please.  We're desperate over here! 

The flipside: The bakeries in Europe - specifically Luxembourg - are amazingly decadent.  I've never experienced desserts like I've experienced them here.  Europeans know how to bake and their rich pastries make up for the absence of enchilatas and burritos.

4. Sonic diet vanilla coke (with extra crushed ice)
Its nearly impossible to find ice in Luxembourg and throughout most of Europe. Crushed ice?  Not a chance.  The more painful part of the beverage issue for me is that only .25cL Coke bottles are served in restaurants. The .25cL bottle is 1/2 of the amount in a Coke can, to give you an idea.  No refills. Water, which is not served complimentary at any restaraunts, is also offered for about $4 per .25cL.  Let's put it this way, I stay thirsty because it pains me to pay $4 for a beverage that I can down in 3 gulps.

The flipside: Europeans love their wine and coffee.  The wine comes from grapes just down the road and the coffee is strong and oh-so-delicious.  Coffee (or expresso) is enjoyed after every meal and usually once in the afternoon with a chocolate or biscuit (cookie).  I can definitely get used to this (and my body will thank me for the drastic decrease in aspertame).

5. Crosspoint
Crosspoint, our church back in Nashville, is amazing and unlike any church I've ever had the joy of being a part of.  We were heart-broken to leave such a special place where truth was taught and where people lived what they believed.  Thank goodness for the internet - we're tuning in as often as we can online. Pete Wilson and Blake Bergstrom, we miss you!! 

The flipside:  Our church here in Luxembourg, All Nations, has been such an answer to prayer.  The community has drawn us in and for that we are so grateful!

Love until next time...Melanie

Parlez-vous francais?

As many of you know, French is one of the main languages in Luxembourg.  Unfortunately, because I opted for the "easy" course in high school (which was Spanish), I arrived in Luxembourg knowing about two French words - thank you and please.  The only other language experience that I had was a miniscule amount of Mandarin Chinese from my stint in Cheng Du 10 years ago.  This, as you can imagine, hasn't exactly been helpful.

Luxembourg natives speak Luxembourgish, French, German and often English.  Because they are already ahead by several languages, I'm taking it upon myself to learn French while I'm here.  I have the time and the resources, thanks to Caterpillar, to take 100 hours from our precious tutor, Rosella...

I'll never forget the first time Rosella arrived at our house a few months ago.  She must not have received the memo that this was going to be the most beginner of all beginner French classes because she spoke NO English.  This made for an interesting few weeks of class but soon, Rosella started trying out some of her English, which isn't advanced but a heck of a lot better than our non-existent French.

I adore Rosella. She's the cutest, happiest and hippest little French lady who travels all the way from France (about a half hour) to teach us (Alex and me) twice a week.  She teaches me how to say important phrases like "I want to buy those shoes" and "How much does that dress cost?"  :)  Rosella and I have become great friends and she loves learning English expressions from us as we learn French from her.  I assure you, there are going to be French and Luxembourgish people over here saying y'all before too long!

 

Luckly, because of my relaxed schedule here, I have time to study French every day or two.  My very place to study down the street is a cute cafe / bakery called Namur.  My order at each visit is a Cappucino Italian and an occasional macroon.  Delicious...and the perfect mid-afternoon treat!



My view from the terrace isn't too shabby, either...



Studying this language can help me out only so much - its speaking it properly and without my accent that's nearly impossible.  I try to speak the little that I know around town but nine times out of ten, the person with who I'm speaking replies to me in English.  They can definitely tell that I'm American and it probably hurts their ears the way I'm butchering their language. The French language, though lovely and very romantic, uses sounds that simply don't come naturally to English-speakers.  Certain words with an "r," sound more like you've got something stuck in your throat than an actual word.  Deep down, though, I think everyone around here appreciates the effort, thus I will continue with my lessons.  Hopefully over the next few years, I will persevere and, by the end of our time here, be unilingual no more!