On the Road with the Europeans

One amazing perk about living in Luxembourg is that we were given a car. Last year we relied on our bikes or the train system to get us everywhere. It was do-able, but nothing beats the convenience of jumping in your warm car to get where you need to be. Plus we are living outside of the city, and getting around without a car in the small town we live in would be nearly impossible.

We are very fortunate that the Luxembourgish drive on the right side of the road and have the steering wheel on the left side of the vehicle, just like in the US. However, unlike in the US, the cars here are tiny. No medium-large size SUV's, at all. No Explorers, no Suburbans, and absolutely no pick up trucks. I am not exaggerating to say I have seen exactly zero trucks on the road here. We live in very close proximity to two car dealerships, and there are no trucks for show at either one. Quite a change of scenery from Texas. What you do see on the roads here are lots and lots of two door and four door compacts, hybrids, and smart cars. Luxury vehicles are very common here in Lux. I've never seen so many Mercedes, Porche's, and BMW's in my life. We, however, can be seen around town in our little Ford Fiesta. (It's actually not called a Fiesta over here, but thats the equivalent of it back home.)

Touring the Heineken Brewery, Amsterdam.

The general consensus among the five of us was that none of us were Heineken drinkers. However, after reading the reviews on Trip Advisor, we decided that The Heineken Experience Tour sounded fun and worth checking out during our two days in Amsterdam. After spending nearly half a day at this attraction I can say we are very glad we did. This was not an average brewery tour. After reading about how the company was started, the tour moves onto highly interactive and exciting exhibits where you are able to "become beer," play games, help make beer, taste ingredients, and put yourself into photos and videos to send home. It was so entertaining that several times we had to literally drag the boys from one exhibit to the next. One of the nice things about the brewery tour is you go at your own pace, so if you wanted to spend less or more time taking the tour, you can.

March Wrap Up

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

March has officially come and gone. With it came visitors, more trips and warmer weather. The most exciting part of March was when three of our best friends from home came to visit. Two of Nathan's old college roommates, Travis and Jordon, and Jordon's fiance Lora flew over and spent a week with us. We showed them around Luxembourg first, followed by a few days in Amsterdam, and a few days in Brussels. If you have ever lived far away from home you know how exciting it is for your friends to come visit you. Im still catching up on posts from that trip, but I promise to have it all posted soon!

The Bock Casemates; Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Luxembourg may be small, but its really a unique and breathtaking country. Distinguished by a beautiful mix of modern city and untouched ancient European fortresses, it is unlike any other city I have seen. The landscape of beautiful green hills, sprinkled with fascinating architecture, both old and new, is a sight to be seen. Among the things to see and do in this tiny European nation are the Bock Casemates.

The Casemates, which sprawl throughout the undergrounds of Luxembourg city, were originally built as a defense system. The history of the casemates dates back to 963. They were most recently used in WWII as a bomb shelter, able to house up to 35,000 people. Now the hollow Casemates are preserved as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attract thousands of tourists every year. While walking the halls and exploring the narrow passageways of this former underground system you can't help but think how amazing it is that these caves were once basically an underground city. Now only a few cannons remain.