Spring Break Day 3: Friday April 6, 2007

I had to check out of my hotel by 11 A.M. so I woke up at 9:30 A.M. and left by 10:30.




With my giant back pack and my Sigma Kappa bag I set out to explore the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Walking with all my belongings got old after about 2 hours so opted for a bus tour of the city. I used the company Citysightseeing. The ticket was 12 Euro and was good for 24 hours. On Citysightseeing tours they give you headphones and you sit anwhere on the double decker bus during the tour. There are many stops and you have the option of hopping on and off and any of them. It was definetely beneficial because I saw the entire city and got mini history lessons as well.


So I guess now I should mention a bit about Luxembourg, because I knew quite a bit more about it than most people I would guess, but still not that much. It is sort of an obscure location to visit.




Where is it?
Western Europe. Completely landlocked by France, Belgium, and Germany.



Why is it called the "Grand Duchy of Luxembourg"?
Although it has a parliament it is ruled by a Grand Duke and has been for almost 200 years. The current Duke is Henri.



Why is Luxembourg very important in the European community?
First of all, it was a founding member of the EU, NATO, and UN among other international treaties. Most notably, it is the location of many of the institutions and organizations of the European Union. It is also a major financial hub in Europe with a Luxembourg city bank district consisting of over 200 banks.







What is Lux like?
They have 3 official languages-Luxembourgish, German, and French. They are the richest nation in the world per inhabitant. They are a Roman Catholic majority.



Good Friday in Lux:



The Duke's Palace:



Luxembourg's Old Town Unesco World Heritage Site:










More pics of lovely Lux:








I caught a 5:00 P.M. bus back to Frankfurt Hahn Airport in Germany. I hung out at the airport for about an hour and had a Schnitzel Baguette. Then at 8P.M. the kid who runs the hostel I stayed at picked me up for free.

The hostel in Germany was about 10 minutes from the airport on a farm. We stayed in a barn looking area-it was really neat though. The bunk beds were hand made and super elaborate. it was an 8 bunker...amazing. I shared a room with 2 girls from University of Arkansas who were studying in Galway, Ireland.

The next morning we had European breakfast at the hostel and I was driven back to the airport about 9 A.M. free of charge again. A great night in Germany for only 16 Euro.