Our last day in Luxembourg! As it was National Day, we knew that shops and cafés would have reduced opening hours, however it was basically a ghost town as nothing was open at all.. apart from Pret! We had hoped to visit one of the local bakeries this morning, but the chain will have to do. We had a granola bowl, toasties and drinks, and because we were bordering on re-mortgaging the house to pay for it all (don’t let all this talk of cost put you off.. we’re just pigs) the lovely man behind the counter gave us a free cookie. The food was really tasty – I definitely think Pret is up there with the best tasting coffee chain foods.
We could see large groups of people and families heading over to the Adolphe Bridge, so we guessed this is where the events of today would take place. We joined the crowds of people who were all waving their flags, and watched the military planes fly past. Although really cool to see, they really don’t do it as well as the Brits 😉 the Luxembourg Amry then all drove past, followed by the police, fire and ambulance. We were a bit too far away to hear the band that was playing, so decided to move a bit further down to see what was going on. Unfortunately we got there just as they had finished, however we managed to grab a spot at the front just in time to see the Grand Duke and his wife get in their car and drive past. We even got a wave! So surreal, but funny to think we have gotten closer to the big bollocks of Luxembourg than we have to our own.
The craft bar we had stopped at a few days prior wasn’t far away, so we decided to pop in for a cold one. We watched the dignitaries in their smart get-up wandering the streets and shaking hands with people, and members of the military band chatting to the crowds. It was really lovely to watch. We spotted a large crowd over by the army tents so decided to check it out. They were only giving out free beer!! As many as you wanted! They had stands where you can try on their gear and sit in vehicles. There was a band playing and food being served. It was such a great atmosphere, and the weather was perfect.
We decided to spend our last few hours in Luxembourg just wandering the streets. However, now the parade was over, the shops and restaurants were starting to open. We have walked past a bar called Urban every day, so we grabbed their last table and settled down to a fruit beer and some lunch. The food was really tasty, and the portion sizes were huge! For the final drink, we went to a vintage bar over the road, where locals sat on knackered old arm chairs playing chess.
On the walk back to the hotel to get our bags, we took the scenic route for one last look at the ruins and then up the panoramic elevator. It takes you from historic at the bottom, to modern at the top and is 71M tall. It’s free to use and gives great views across the city. We could hear music playing in the park so decided to check out what was going on. It was absolutely swarming with families. There was games everywhere, including inflatables, racket games, giant board games, as well as food and drink carts. As we’re not one for early arrival to the airport 🤣 we decided to grab one last drink and take a slow walk through the park. It’s such a massive shame to be going home. We’ve had such a great time soaking up all the atmosphere of the last few days, and The Script and 1975 were headlining City Sounds that evening!
I hope we have put Luxembourg on your radar to visit as it’s such a lovely country. Maybe even get a trip booked for 22nd/23rd June 2024 to party with the locals! Whilst public transport is free, hiring a car will allow you to see all the little towns around the country in just a few days. There are plenty of hiking trails, and even a little waterfall. The old town is stunning and perfect for a peaceful walk, and the bars are great for just watching the world go by.
The Travelling Ginger 