I have loved the last six days of cycling but it has been equally good to have a very relaxing day off in a laid back place like Luxembourg.
After a full English breakfast (!) at the hotel I strolled the 200 metres or so into the city centre and wandered. It was only around 11am so the place was still very quiet. Most of the city is built on a plateau with a river cutting it’s meandering path through the rock to create a “haute” and “basse” town. Most of the (albeit limited on a Sunday morning) action is in the high town and the first place I stumbled upon was the city’s history museum telling the story of the city (and really the country). A fantastic place to start my day as it did exactly what it said on the tin. In addition, it was empty so there were no screaming kids pushing the buttons interactive exhibits to the point of destruction. I learnt about the history prior to 1867; Luxembourg had a series of rulers until the Treaty of London in 1867 which guaranteed its independence and Borders. This is how things have remained ever since with the odd invasion by the Germans.
History lesson over. I continued to wander, eventually into the lower part of the town which was predominantly closed. A lift inside the rock brought me back up to the top of the city which is where I remain, sipping a local Bofferding beer while watching and listening to a Luxembourg version of Roy Castle; he seems to change instrument after every song!
It’s nearly 5pm and I must put my mind to planning the next few days; I am spending the day with friend Claus on Friday in Strasbourg so I must arrive there on Thursday. All that remains is to the cycle between here and there into four, shorter (than last week) cycles. Au travail! (As they say in the best holding companies in Luxembourg…)