Echternach

As summer wanes here in Luxembourg, I recently used the opportunity provided by a bright clear day to take the boys out and explore more of the Grand Duchy. After a brief lunch in the town of Echternach, Toby, Jonas and I hiked another section of the Mullerthal - or as it's known here Le Petite Suisse.

For me, this summer was all too brief. We had some deliciously hazy, hot and humid days back in July, but now as August is ending, our daytime highs struggle to reach 20 degrees Celsius (70 ºF). Since I am a native of the Washington DC metro area, hazy, hot and humid just seems appropriate for the summer months. I'm sure with time I'll be able to cope with these clear, cool and crisp days as August tips into September. Listen carefully - that's the sound of me pulling up my Big-Boy Pants :)

Echternach is a stunning town built on a bend in the Sauer (Sûre) river that predates the Roman occupation. Along side an ancient Roman Villa Luxembourg's oldest city sprung up around the Benedictine Abbey founded by Saint Willibrord in 698! Back in the day, it was the Abbey at Echternach that quarreled with our own Neumünster Abbey over influence in the greater region. I think due to its more formidable and more defensible geography the Ville de Luxembourg naturally won this battle. The center of Echternach, however, remains a picturesque example of a Medieval village, and there are beautifully maintained formal gardens between the Abbey and the river. 

The Rococo Pavilion in the Abbey's 'Pleasure Garden'

The Basilica of St Willibrord - complete with a pure blue sky!

We decided to lunch in the town center across from the City Hall...the boys are really working hard on their table manners. 
 

Like I said, its a work in progress. The boys are doing quite well!

After lunch I took the boys back out for more Mullerthal! This area reminds me a lot of a Petite West Virginia. The limestone bluffs and babbling brooks are eerily reminiscent of the forests and mountains of the Monongahela...only on a much smaller scale. We hiked a nice circuit of about seven kilometers (or about 4.5 miles). Mr Toby is getting up in years, so we try to keep these excursions to a reasonable distance. There's plenty more to see with over 100 miles of trail yet to be explored...that should keep us busy for a while :-P

The Orient. Express.

Somewhere between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Ice Station Zebra (where Jeni is currently toiling away) lie the ancient and mystical lands of Olde Araby. Jennifer was able to procure a long (and rare) weekend without work, so we decided to use the opportunity and meet in Dubai , United Arab Emirates. What a fantastic excuse to reconnect and to allow her some much deserved down time.

The view of the Persian Gulf from our room!

Our timing was nearly perfect as we landed just after Ramadan during the Festival of Eid al-Fitr - or the breaking of the fast. I say nearly perfect because although the people were in high spirits, the food was abundant and we were welcomed to a generous and festive nation it was after-all summer in Arabia. Alas, who goes to the desert in August?! Temperatures hovered between 32°C (90°F in old money) at night and upwards of 45°C (113°F) in the afternoon! We were actually told that this was a rather cool summer!! Aside from the heat, our trip was wonderful, and because we love our misadventures, no voyage would be complete without just a dollop of drama! 

Part I - The Trip!

The trip to Dubai, like most destinations from Luxembourg, is rather circuitous, so a flight that would take about six hours direct actually takes around eights hours with a layover in Switzerland. The time went quickly as the anticipation of seeing my wife kept me otherwise occupied. The return leg, however, took 10 hours and left Dubai at 1:30am!! Both flights were uneventful, and I must say that coming from the second wealthiest nation on Earth (according to Forbes) -  the contrast with sixth richest nation is quite stark. First, Dubai is clean...and not just clean but SUPER clean - eat off the median strip clean! Luxembourg is a quaint, clean nation, but we have nothing on the UAE. Also, here in the Duchy you will actually see Luxembourgers at work...in Dubai the only Emiratis I saw working were the customs official at the airport. I am sure they are very well represented in the banking sector and in construction, but most other jobs are held by folks hailing from elsewhere on the planet. And, of course, there is the amazing modern architecture of the downtown.

Look at all them cranes! All that was missing was that 'New Car' smell ;-O

Jeni's flight to Dubai arrived early in the afternoon, and I arrived around 9:15pm local time. I was surprised to find it was pitch black outside. Funny how quickly one gets acclimated to the long days during the northern European summer. Immediately, Jeni and I began texting and e-mailing to set up our rendezvous. I was then whisked through customs and immediately into an awaiting car that took me to our hotel. Our hosts were not only hospitable but also very efficient! We scheduled a 'meet and greet' service, and I am duly impressed. These guys move at lightning speed which, as an American living in the Green (and sometimes lackadaisical) Heart of Europe, I was glad to see. It reminded me of the tempo back home :) The drive across town was also rather pleasant as we passed over the Dubai Creek, by the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa) and onto our hotel's compound, the Al Qasr. Oh yeah, it's that nice! 

 Part II - Taken!

The plan was to have Jeni meet me in the hotel lobby and then we'd go on up to our room to plan the weekend. When I arrived at the Al Qasr, I was once again met by a exuberant and energetic young lady that whisked me through the lobby and up to our room. I assumed, since she new who I was and since I did not see my wife in the lobby, all was going according to plan. Never assume...

...here's the scene when I arrived. How many clues do you see?

The room was empty. Not too worry. We probably just missed each other as the lobby was crowded with people celebrating the Festival of Eid, so it would only be a matter of time before Jeni returned to the room. Now, you Sherlock Sleuth types have already noticed that the room had been occupied and that Jeni's cell phone and her i-pad were both left behind. Odd. Oh well, she was bound to turn up at some point. Right? After a half-an-hour, I decided to check out the balcony. I know it was a horrible thought, but stranger things have happened. As I peered over the ledge I was grateful to see there were no horribly crumpled bodies on the veranda below. Whew! Next, I decided to check the lobby. It could be that I just missed her in the throng of people. Now that the crowd had dispersed I had a clear view, and yet still no Jeni. OK, then it was time to set off to see if there was a secret 'second lobby' I wasn't aware of. Nope - no second lobby. Back to the room, and still no wife. Time to write a note. Or two.

These are actual messages I left in case Jeni returned while I was out searching.

This was getting weird. Perhaps, I thought, (now that it was going on an hour) I should go back to the lobby...you know just in case. No Jeni, but the staff was beginning to recognize the sleepy dude cruising the halls of their luxury hotel. I announced there was nothing to worry about, "Just looking for my wife". Thus the second note (see above) - and finally I resorted to the quintessential 'American Abroad' move; I decided to ask the staff for help. Check. Now, because of our countless antics overseas, I am aware that we have a small red flag on our travel dossier, but this next move probably elevated that mark to an enormous FUCHSIA FLAG with sparkles and animated graphics. 

*****<<Warning: BRIAN & JENI are now entering your country!>>*****

I just assumed (again, really?) that a nice five star hotel would have a discreet way to contact a guest on their campus. Once again, nope...aaaaand security was called in! 

Ay-ya-yay!!  

Security suggested that I call Jeni's cell phone. Brilliant idea!! These guys were totally on the ball. Obviously she didn't have time to grab her phone when she was forcibly removed from the room. When security was informed that she did not have her portable phone with her, they proposed that perhaps she was elsewhere in the resort...you know like the Wild Wadi Waterpark or maybe getting a snack by the pool. This was all terribly frustrating. While the security personnel weren't exactly worried, the staff members, feeding off my obvious anxiety, were starting to get on board with my paranoia! I explained that we had been texting just minutes before I arrived, and that my wife said that she would be in the lobby! 

Still skeptical, the manager recommend I go back to the room and wait. They would begin checking the security cameras. Oh Geez!  So back, yet again, to the room I went confused and somewhat embarrassed. Then, lo and behold, a mere hour and fifteen minutes after I arrived at the Al Qasr and TWO HOURS after our last text, the door to our room swung open, and there was my lovely bride looking somewhat bewildered. "Where have you been?", we both shouted in unison!! Jeni was with Samson, one of the (non-security) staff members concerned with our situation. Jeni was a bit confused because she had no idea that theis drama that was playing out - inside the hotel. 
 

Reunited...and it feels so good.

Apparently my doting wife was waiting for me in front of the hotel....for over an hour...in the 90°+ heat! Looking back, I don't think she was confused at all. It was most likely a mild heat stroke! To anyone who knows Jeni this is not normal behavior. I never - not once - thought to look outside for her! It was super hot! Thanks once again to Samson, the employee of the month (in my opinion). Once he saw Jeni enter the lobby, he latched onto her and did not leave her side until we were reunited! Apparently Jeni and I literally just missed each other in the elevators, and then she went out front to enjoy the evening sauna! Everything worked out in the end, but we had to spend the rest of our weekend answering to choruses of, "Hello Mr & Mrs B! It's so good to see you - together." It's nice to be famous, I guess. The take away lesson from this little production of The Brian & Jeni Traveling Theater & Circus is that PREPOSITIONS MATTER :) Checkmate.

Part III - The Holiday

The 'room' was half the size of our apartment!!

With the theatrics squarely behind us, Jeni and I set off to have a wonderful weekend in the sun and surf. The one nice thing about Dubai in the summer is that there are no crowds on the beach, and therefore no rushing around for a lounger, etc. The resort was by no means empty, but restaurant reservations were easy to procure, and the very attentive faculty were even more so. One poor waiter that we engaged in conversation one morning nearly tripped over his jaw when we told him that it was actually 14°C (60°F) back in Luxembourg. "In the summer!?", he asked incredulously. I believe he was from south Asia, so his doubt was well founded. After our chat, I'm pretty sure he struck Luxembourg right off of his bucket list...brrrr! 

The scenery was stunning, and the Persian Gulf was a nice break from the hot desert sun. The only thing to point out is that one must go way out to the deeper 'blue' shades to find anything approaching cool water. Dubai was quite humid, so the only real difference between sitting on the beach and wading in the water is that the water was super salty! 

Our resort had absolutely everything...including a sea turtle rehab center!  Canals were built to navigate this stretch of coast, and as guests of the hotel, we were able to ride the Abras free of charge. I imagine the inclusive nature of this resort is similar the draw of an ocean cruise. I've never been on nor have I had the desire to take one of those Nora-virus infested hulks, but after this excursion, I can certainly see the appeal. One can dine on most anything - traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, Spanish Tapas, Thai, NY style Steak House - you name it. Most of it on offer day and night! There's even a shopping mall on site. The original title to this post was going to be "Do. Buy." Since we really did neither I went with the lame pun. Nonetheless it was a nice respite not only physically but also from the regimented daily operations of restaurants and cafes here in the Grand Duchy. 

There's even a Belgian Pub with Leffe on Tap!! Incredible - I mentioned that they have everything!

After spending so much time apart, it was wonderful to while away the hours with Jeni with no real agenda. Jeni is set to leave Ice Station Zebra in mid-September, so stay tuned as we will undoubtedly take our traveling show on the road this fall!

Yes, we had a view of the Burj al Arab from our room, too.

...and our view at sunset.

A member of the super helpful staff driving an Abra

This was on the ceiling of the room...no need for a compass to at the Al Qasr

This little guy tried to wake us up every morning...didn't work Jack.

Maultaschen Cup

Some of you may already know this next bit of information, but now I shall share it with the rest of the blogosphere. I have been playing Ultimate Frisbee.

Ultimate de Lux (traveling squad July 2013)

I thought joining a team would be a good way to meet people, get some exercise and have a bit of fun. It turns out that Ultimate is A LOT of fun...I'm absolutely hooked! I'd always seen people (interns and the pages most likely) playing this sort-of Frisbee competition down on the National Mall in DC, but I wasn't entirely sure how to play. Fortunately Luxembourg has a team, and they are perhaps the most welcoming and encouraging group of folks I've met! I've been practicing with this rag-tag bunch of miscreants since May, and I recently attended my first tournament in the beautiful city of Tübingen, Germany. Our squad for this tourney consisted of 3 Luxembourgers, 3 Frenchmen, 5 Germans, 1 Portuguese, 1 Israeli and me the sole American. To be fair, Thierry (France) and Ohad (Israel) hold dual citizenship with the US. Like I said - we are truly a motley crew playing under the flag of The Grande Duchy!

The waterfront in Tubingen alnog the Neckar river.

Tübingen is a picturesque university town along the Neckar river approximately 30 kilometers upstream from Stuttgart. As we only spent one night in town our tour was rather brief, so I'll focus here on the games. I'd love to go back and explore this lovely village since time didn't permit a proper visit. Suffice it to say they float their version of gondolas up and down the river in the warm months, and I intend to float the Neckar one day!

****

Ultimate is usually played with seven players per side, and Ultimate de Lux typically plays 'mixed' tournaments which obligates each team to include at least three players of the opposite sex (e.g 3 women and 4 men or vice-versa). The game is fast paced but easy to follow...playing the game is something else entirely. The object is to move the disk up the field with a series of passes without having the Frisbee touch the ground. You score by passing into the end-zone just like in American Football, and the opposing team can use any tactic (other than physical contact) to try and stop this from happening. I am still learning the ropes, and sometimes the play will go right past me.That's OK because, for me, it's all about having a good time and enjoying an outdoor activity with friends.

We had great weather - if you're into that kinda thing. Sunny & 35° Celsius - that's 95° in Old Money

Originally I thought Ultimate was just an excuse to throw a Frisbee and drink some beers. I now know there's a bit more involved in winning a game. We did OK winning two games and losing three. We came in 10th overall, but we did get second place in the Spirit Award. Woo-Hoo! Gooooo de Lux!

After the initial 'round-robin' group stages on Saturday, there were more games of a not-so-athletic variety...and of course the big party that night. Full disclosure here...I was the oldest person on the pitch all weekend ( I have a few months on Thierry - Ultimate de Lux was probably the team with the highest average age). Therefore I opted out of the Rubik's Cube Party Saturday night ;) 

There was, however, a 'Beerrace' immediately following Saturday's matches. Silly me...in the email invitation I saw 'BEERRACE' and thought, 'Oh how nice a TERRACE with BEER.' Not. It was actually a Beer-Race.

Here are our entrant's - Yael and Ohad.

 So, the object was to smash the opponents balloons without having yours smashed. If a balloon pops - chug a beer. Simple, right? Not when you're tied up like a three-legged race!

 

Not Fair - "Down Goes Frasier" - er Ultimate de Lux!

I did mention I was the oldest person in the tourney, right?

I made the highlights :)

Not too shabby for the old guy! Go #20!!