luxembourg.

Thanks to wonderful grandparents we got away for a night in Luxembourg.  It was a quick trip but it was so much fun.  We walked and explored and took a lot of time to sleep and read good books!  Thanks Chuck & Karen for giving us a break and time alone.  We just keep falling more in love with each other and time alone reminds us that we are so blessed to have one another.

We took a full day to explore Luxembourg and spent the night away.  Luxembourg was a really unique city with it's own language and style even though it's the smallest country in Europe (with the highest income per capita). Most of the locals speak at least three languages, pretty amazing.

A random beautiful door.

In the city there is a massive ancient fortress that protected the city in medieval times.  The city of Luxembourg was taken over by many different countries through the years and the forts were modified to fit the wars going on. We took a walk through part of the underground fort and it was huge.  From the picture above (and below), the biggest fortress is on the left wall and goes deep into the earth and even under the river.

Notre Dame.

Always a backerei to be found in Europe, and beautiful too.

My namesake.

On the way home we visited the Luxembourge American Cemetery and Memorial.  It was a sobering remember of the ugly past in this beautiful country.  As General (later President) Eisenhower said and is quoted here, "All who shall hereafter live in freedom will be here reminded that to these men and their comrades we owe a debt to be paid with grateful remembrance of their sacrifice and with the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live eternally."

One of two maps of the Battle of the Bulge offensive.

This silences anyone, beautifully sad.

General Patton's grave.