Sunday, October 14, 2012

Luxembourg in the Rain

10/14/12
We had a great morning walk in Brussels.  The sun was out, & the buildings in the Grand Place were beautiful.  Most businesses are closed on Sundays, so there were just a few people out strolling, looking up at the amazing architecture & taking pictures.


Every building seems to have literally hundreds of statues & other fancy work on it.  Here's just one small area of a huge one:


Dave noticed this 3 in one door.  Look closely to see all 3.


The sky was bright blue & a perfect backdrop for this spire:


We went back to Restaurant Row this morning, & all the awnings were rolled up, chairs put away, etc.  A far cry from the evening before when the place was jumping!


The last picture we took this morning was a funny one, & we have no idea the context, why it was there or what it might mean.  You decide.....


We were able to find a Trappist beer on the menu at the bistro where we ate dinner tonight.  We figured we'd better order it while we can.  I wonder if we can find it in Germany.  I learned that it is to be served in a dry glass unlike other beers which can be served in frosted or slightly wet glasses.  Again, I have no idea why that is.

You probably know this, but it always surprises me that there are no top sheets in European hotels, at least not any where we've stayed.  Bottom sheet, yes, fresh every day, plus a snuggley comforter wrapped in a soft sheet material for the duvet.  In most of the hotels, we've had square, not rectangular pillows.  The entire setup is quite comfy.

We drove the 3+ hours to Luxembourg, & it rained during the second half of the trip.  It continued to come down the rest of the day & only stopped while we were eating dinner.  It's cold too--low 40's.  Maybe winter's starting here.  We hoped it would wait until we left Germany Oct. 24.  That's my excuse for not much to report from here yet.  We did walk around in rain gear & took a few pictures.  Luxembourg looks like another beautiful city which we hope to explore on a  bus tour tomorrow.  Rain is predicted but it might clear by the afternoon.  Since tomorrow's our only full day here, we'll be out & about, rain or not.

Here are three Luxembourg pictures we took today.  One, a beautiful building, another a manicured park where some roses were still blooming & three, a soggy scene outside a cafe.




I've no choice, I have to eat in places where people smoke, & tonight was no exception.  We entered the bistro/bar & chose a table as far away from smokers as we could, but you never know when someone will light up which happened.  Two guys were waiting for their meals to arrive & puffing away, & I'm happy to say they did not smoke while eating their food.  As soon as they finished, however, they lit up again, & by now our food had arrived.  All of a sudden the server came to their table & admonished them for smoking after 7 PM!  We asked her later if we heard correctly, & she said it is a "city" rule, no smoking after 7 PM.  I wish I'd thought to ask if that applies 7 days a week, or just on Sundays.  I plan to test it out tomorrow night---wish me a smoke free dinner!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:  My mom smoked & could never quit although she tried.  That's why I don't smoke.

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