Livin' La Vida Luxem: A Mid-Winter Milieu

Hi Gang! Well we're nearly done with January, and so far (JINX) the snow has held off. True, there's been little to no snow in Luxembourg this season, but the rains continue unabated. So when a sunny patch broke out recently, I grabbed the boys and we headed back up north to ramble through the woods and farm fields in the rural communes of the Grand Duchy.

Ahhh…just look at that nearly cloudless sky!

Well, yes you've guessed it. - There's not been a whole lot going here either, but any excuse to upload photos of our lovely country is a good one! I also have a couple of new "Fun Facts" on Luxembourg. First, I recently learned that Luxembourg has no jury system in criminal trials partly because it became impossible to gather 14 people that were neither related nor involved in some way in said crime! Also, I discovered that there may not have even been a Luxembourg after World War I if it weren't for a quirky accident of diplomacy. After the US liberated the Grand Duchy in 1918, France and Belgium started to carve up the european map prior to the finalized Treaty of Versailles. Here in the Grand Duchy, the Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide abdicated the throne in favor of her sister, Charlotte. Thus raising the question of who actually was to rule over the Green Heart of Europe. Charlotte then wed in 1919, and, unbeknownst to the French and Belgians, the British sent envoys to the wedding thus (much to the chagrin of our neighbors) legitimizing Charlotte's claim to the Luxembourg throne. Believe it or not, if the English hadn't come along at the right moment the Grand Duchy may have vanished after only 70 years of official existence!

Oh, and don't worry. I haven't run afoul of the law. I have a friend engaged to a Luxembourgish lawyer ;)

ANY-WHO...

Woohoo! We're Off!

I learned early on living here, that when the opportunity to enjoy a bit of sunshine presents itself. You take it! On this hike Toby, Jonas and I explored the Banglesbësch…which really looks a lot like other woodlands in the area. We did, however, come across some interesting finds.

Like this old road marker…apparently this used to be a road open to traffic.

These markers are all over the place. They're just usually along the shoulders of actual roads.

This one even has a trail blaze on it!

Look what JoJo found!

Jonas discovered a hunter's stand right along our route. Apparently you can just construct a blind anywhere, but you seldom hear of people getting shot.

Obviously it does precipitate quite a bit here, and therefore it can be muddy when we go out for a walk in the country side. For some reason, it rarely floods. Only in Luxembourg...it can rain for weeks straight yet the streams rarely leave their banks. I know the larger rivers have all been canalized with locks and overflow protection, but the little creeks throughout the forests never show signs of flooding. Mysterious.