I have finally arrived in Luxembourg! We landed on Wednesday and were immediately taken to the Chateau in Differdange where were greeted by our host family. Andre (the dad), Lucie (the mom), and their sons Jim and Jo are all very welcoming and helpful. Andre took my roommates (Meghan and Lauren) and I into the city for a tour of Luxembourg’s history. The entire city is built around an ancient fort, with most parts remaining today. There are great shops, cafes and pubs in the city.
Thursday was our first day of scheduled events, which included lectures at the Chateau and a scavenger hunt, which we all ditched in favor of headeding to the local pub called Das Boot. It is the place where you will find most Miami students after classes. They serve their beer in huge glass boots. But don’t let the name confuse you, “Das Boot” actually means the boat. On Friday we had more lectures and then headed to the American and German cemeteries for WWII. It was really interesting to see the differences between the two cemeteries. The bus then dropped us off in Luxembourg City where we had to complete another scavenger hunt. We ditched that too when it suddenly started pouring! That night all of the students and their host families met at the Chateau and enjoyed a BBQ prepared by our chef.
On Saturday all of the Miami students met up for three separate field trips. Our group went to three countries over the course of the day. It started with a picnic on the Moselle River in Luxembourg where the Schengen Agreement was signed (on a boat). It created a borderless zone of 25 countries covering 400 million people that makes travelling from Luxembourg to France as easy as crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky. From there, we went to Chateau de Malbrouck in Manderen France. They were housing art from Niki de Saint Phalle. The art was not really my thing, but the castle was gorgeous and the views amazing. After that, we headed to the Wellenstein Winery in Germany. We got a tour of the winery and then went on to wine tasting. They taught us proper tasting technique and allowed us to sample three of their Riesling wines and one sparkling wine. All of them were delicious! After that, the bus took us back to Luxembourg City where we had a traditional meal of sausage and fries at the Schueberfouer (the Luxembourg city fair). This is no normal fair! They sell everything from candy to pots and pans. And their rides are better suited for somewhere like six flags. After that we walked to the city and went to a pub called Fire and Ice.
Sunday is a traditional family day in Luxembourg, and so we spent the day with our new host family. Andre took Lauren, Meghan and I out to the European center and we say all of the governmental buildings. We also took a stroll through the old Luxembourg fortress. We then went back to the house for lunch (which is as big as our dinners), and took a quick break. Then Andre whisked us off to the old steel mines. I was a little apprehensive about going down into the mines, but it was so much fun(if not a little cold).
It was a great first week in Luxembourg! Our host family is great and I am so excited about the other trips in my future. Next weekend I am headed to Brussels and Bruges!
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