We woke up this morning to the weather we are usually blessed with on our adventures… rain. We had planned to explore the Mullerthal Region today, which is referred to as Luxembourg’s little Switzerland, however we hadn’t really packed for wet weather, and decided it would just end being a soggy and miserable day. Instead, we went for breakfast at one of the highest rated spots. Obviously, when we got there, every table was full; the majority with cool young hipsters and their laptops who clearly had no plans to move all day. Luckily, a table of mature ladies vacated, so we dived straight in. Whilst the latte was a massive letdown, the food made up for it and set us on our way for a day of cafe hopping.
Walking tour Ken had recommended the Chocolate House for its delicious hot chocolate and perfect view of the guards outside the Grand Ducal Palace. We got there as the rain had stopped, so we were able to get a seat outside. There are so many different flavours of hot chocolate to choose from. Mark chose orange, but unfortunately, he had to say pardon 3 times when the waitress asked if he wanted dark or milk. When he eventually realised what she was asking, he went with milk, but she had other ideas and gave him dark instead.
Another recommendation we had been given was Bock Casemates – a subterranean defence system made up of kilometres of tunnels and one of the most important visitor sites in Luxembourg. It’s an inside activity, so perfect for a soggy day! During the two World Wars, the Bock Casemates (and those of the Pétrusse valley) served as a shelter with the capacity to protect 35,000 people in the event of a bombardment. It’s an interesting site to walk around and also gives you alternative views across the city. Luckily, these tunnels are a lot bigger and wider than the ones we visited in Vietnam! As there was a break in the rain and feeling a little snackish, we popped to Ladurée for some overpriced drinks and super tasty macaron. The rain break didn’t last long, and accompanied by lots of thunder, it began again.
When we booked this trip, we had no idea of the significance of the 22nd/23rd June to Luxembourg. The 23rd is National Day – a day to celebrate the Grand Duke’s birthday, but celebrations get underway on the 22nd. It all begins with the traditional changing of the guard in front of the Grand Ducal Palace, with the participation of an honorary detachment from the Luxembourg Army. The Luxembourg Military Band also provided musical entertainment, including ACDC Highway to Hell! We managed to get a really good spot to watch everything, but felt very out of place without a Luxembourg flag to wave.
The evening celebrations was a DJ set by Flavour Trip, Wade (nope.. no clue either!) and Lost Frequencies. As this didn’t kick off until later, we decided to pass some time by visiting a cat cafe. The first one we visited in Prague was a bit of a disaster as a cat piddled all over my scarf! Luckily no such event happened this time. We were surrounded by lots of fabulous kitties who were very interested in trying to lick the cream out of Mark’s milkshake. Just before we left, the owner gave us some treats to give them, and they all came running. Actual cat heaven.
The forecast for the evening was poor, so we decided packed our umbrellas. As we got bag searched to go into ‘City Sounds’ we were told we were not allowed to take umbrellas in, and to leave them by the entrance in a giant umbrella pile. I’ll give you one guess as to whether they were still there when we left 🙄 we got some food, beer and wine and got our spot ready for Lost Frequencies. The heavens decided to open just as the set began, and everyone around us got their umbrellas out!! Absolutely fuming! Luckily I had the wanker hat. The main event of the 22nd is the firework display – one of the biggest in Europe. We piled onto the tram with 1000s of others and got to the viewing area. There was so much pushing and shoving, and we ended up being stuck behind a tree. Although we had a slightly reduced view, the fireworks were INCREDIBLE. There are so many great places to watch the fireworks, so getting there early is a must.
We had seen all the bars getting ready earlier in the day for the huge street parties which kick off after the fireworks, so were keen to check them out. Unfortunately being 5ft2 in a crowd isn’t the best, and I hated every minute of being squashed, shoved and trodden on. It really was hell. Although the atmosphere was great; the drinks were massively overpriced and it was impossible to move, so we decided to head back to the hotel. On the way back through the square where we had met Ken, we discovered lots of space, a great DJ and cheap drinks. So we were able to enjoy some of the party vibes with the locals.
The Travelling Ginger 