Our first visitors...Paris (part 2 of 2)

Ernest Hemmingway once said this about Paris...

"Il n’y a que deux endroits au monde où l’on puisse vivre heureux:  chez soi et à Paris."
(There are only two places in the world where we can live happy:  at home and in Paris.)

Another quote I like is from the movie Sabrina, "Paris is always a good idea."

Ahh, Paris. Its called the City of Love and the City of Lights.  Its also the most visited city in the world.  Alex and I knew Brian and Meghan had to see this magical place while they were on their first European voyage so, lucky for all of us, we just had to hop in the car.

Since Alex and I had both been to Paris while in college, we knew a little of what to expect on our trip.  We decided to rent an apartment for the weekend in the cute neighborhood of Montmarte, in the 18th arrondissement, near the Sacre Coeur.  (We found the apartment on Airbnb and I highly recommend it!)

Here's are some of the things we did and saw...

First, we visited the Sacre Coeur, which means Sacred Heart in French, and the surrounding area of Montmarte. 

The Sacre Coeur

The view from the top!

It was here that Brian and Meghan caught their very first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower :)

That evening, we had dinner at Le Grand Colbert, from Something's Gotta Give, starring Jack Nicholson.  Friends recommended this restaurant to us and it was delicious!

Le Grand Colbert

One of our favorite finds of the weekend was a precious neighborhood restaurant in Montmarte called Coquelicot (coquelicot means "poppy" in French).  We stumbled upon it and the cute bakery / breakfast spot caught our eye.  There were no tourists in the entire place, which was a good sign, and the pastries in the front counter drew us in.  In addition to the pastries, Coquelicot served fresh bread, homemade jam and amazing coffee in big bowls.  We proceeded to go back two more times in two more days :)  They even packaged us up a jar of of their delicious jam for us to take with us.  Love.

The coffee bowls :)

Yummy!

We are full and happy and sure to return to Coquelicot

Notre Dame cathedral was next on the itinerary.  We visited the inside and also climbed the 400 steep steps to the top to get a special photo.

If you've ever been to my house, you know that I love old black and white photos. Alex and I have this black and white photo print from the 1950's hanging in our living room... 

Alex had the great idea to find this location in Paris and copy the photo with us in it, eventually hanging the pictures side by side.  The problem was, we initially didn't know where in Paris the photo was taken.  Even our Parisian friend, Bertrand, didn't know exactly where this lovely shot was staged.  To our surprise, when we arrived in Paris, we saw a postcard of the photo with "Notre Dame" written on the back.  So, the hour and a half line and 400 steep steps were worth the effort to get this special shot...

With a little photoshop to erase the protective "cage" around us, this photo will hopefully look a lot like a modern day version of the original above.  So excited!!

Pause for a sunscreen application for the pale one.  Thanks, sweet, Alex...

After all that climbing, a snack was absolutely neccessary so the four of us made our way to the Ile St. Louis.  This small island is beside the Isle de la Cite, where the Notre Dame is located, and is known for its gelato and ice cream shops.  Rick Steve's travel book mentions this one...Amorino.

Rick Steves was right.

In order for us to see the most of Paris, I chose a restaurant in the neighborhood of Marias (4th arrondissement) for our last dinner.  Les Bonnes Soeurs, which means "the good sisters" in French was delightful.  We were seated literally in the window, which was totally open on the lovely evening.  Our waiter was fabulous and the food lived up to every expectation we had.

Les Bonnes Soeurs

We saved the best for last and saw the Eiffel Tower on the last day.  Nothing says Paris quite like the Eiffel Tower.  It will always be romantic, no matter how many times you see it.  I'm happy to have finally experienced this landmark and the city of love with my husband :)

Love until next time...Melanie







Our first visitors! (part 1 of 2)

I could hardly sleep last Wednesday night knowing that my brother and sister in law were on a flight to visit us in Luxembourg!  Brian and Meghan landed Thursday morning in Brussels and I brought them back to Luxembourg as our first official visitors!

I'd prepared a little itinerary for the 4 of us, which was a challenge since Brian and Meghan were only going to be here for one week.  Between Luxembourg and Paris, there is just SO much to see and do!  We spent half of our time in Luxembourg and the other half in Paris.  It was the perfect combination of exploration, charm and adventure.

Here's a little rundown of our activities in Luxembourg!

- A tour of the Grand Duke's Palace (this is only offered one month out of the year and it happened to be August - yay!)

Brian & Meghan in front of the palace

- A drive along the lovely Moselle River (our wine region and border to Germany) and champagne tasting at Bernard Massard

In the beautiful vineyards overlooking the Moselle

Champagne tasting at Bernard Massard

Our tour guide at the Bernard Massard caves, Richie

Leaving Bernard Massard

- A bike tour of Luxembourg's Grund area

- Luxembourg's 671st annual Schueberfouer Festival

Schueberfouer's ferris wheel

- A train ride to Trier, Germany, which is the oldest city in Germany (16 BC)

Brian and I waiting for the train to Trier

Trier's Roman Ruin, Porta Nigra (2nd Century)

Lunch in Trier

- Drinking hot chocolate at the famous little Chocolate House and sampling macaroons from Kaempff-Kohler

Meghan's first (but not last :) macaroon

- Eating at our favorite restaurant, L'Entracte, and having raclette (a very French DIY meal) with the Queens

A huge thanks to my sister in law, Meghan, for the use of her photos :)  You can also view her blog here, which I'm sure will soon be updated with a post on the trip.  Check back soon for part 2, the post on Paris!

Love until next time...Melanie

A day in Brussels

This weekend, Alex and I made a day trip to Brussels, which is about 2 hours away from Luxembourg by car.  Our friends, Kristy and Jacques, who recently moved to Lux from South Africa, joined us for the adventure!  I've been known to forget my camera at very crucial times - for instance, our honeymoon - and it happened again.  But thanks to Kristy and Jacques, I have some great pictures to share :)

Brussels is known for several things including chocolate, waffels, beer and an odd little statue called Manneken Pis.  Tourists always flock to this tiny "monument" in the old city but I'm not sure why.  It seems that the little boy was a fountain dating back to the 15th century that played an essential role in the former distribution of drinking water.  The little guy has survived traumatic events in the city including a bombing in 1695 and now stands proud (but not tall) in the middle of Brussels.  Evidently, people in the city dress him up in funny outfits year around but sadly, last weekend, we found him only in his birthday suit...

See how small he is?

After seeing Manneken Pis, the four of us headed to the second most coveted thing to do in Brussels - eat "frites," (or french fries).  Did you know that french fries aren't French?  They are Belgian!  Kristy had some some research before arriving in Brussels so she led us to the "best frites" in town - Fritland!

No idea what the flesh colored sauce is below the fries.  I stuck with Ketchup.

After some frites (and a stomach ache), we ventured to the Grand Place, the (ancient) city centre of Brussels.  The gothic buildings were breathtaking!



After a little more exploring, it was time for another snack.  A Belgian waffle...

Alex and I opted for the waffle with chocolate.  We were still full from the frites :)

After snack #2, the 4 of us continued to explore the city and saw several Cathedrals (almost a dime a dozen over here), some chocolate shops (our favorite is Neuhaus) and popped in a famous brewery, Delirium Cafe.  Because Brussels is a popular place for tourists and the streets were packed, we decided to take our explorations to the outer edges of downtown, which turned out to be a great idea.  We saw the Palace of Justice (with views over the entire city) and Kristy found an adorable restaurant for us to eat dinner.  En route back to our car was the best view of the trip but its hard to see behind us...

Meet Kristy and Jacques!

And again a little closer...

Great friends...great day...the end!

With love until next time...Melanie

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!