Cruising down the river, Mon afternoon

Our guided tour this morning took us to the charming and prosperous city of Luxembourg. Following centuries and annexation by the Spanish, the French, the Belgians, the Austrians and the Dutch (!), the city had by the early nineteenth century been fortified so strongly it was called “The Gibraltar of the North.” None of the great powers on its borders, who had helped themselves to great chunks of its land, were prepared to see such a threat fall into the hands of their competitors. Cue the Treaty of London in 1839. The rump of Luxembourg was declared fully independent of Belgium, with its own Grand Duke. It was declared neutral- as long as the fortifications were removed. This took 16 years! There are still significant remnants of the original 23 kilometers of tunnels and underground rooms . Fascinating, but not enough time, and too many stairs!

In modern times Luxembourg has become a political and financial hub, with investment in a wide range of areas including space travel. It is financially very well off - as we could see from the many luxury marque cars which drove past!
Tour guide Adeline took us first to the impressing State Bank buildings. Next we crossed the deep Petrusse valley, a chasm that splits the city. An impressive sandstone New Bridge spans this. It is cleverly designed with a pedestrian/cycleway beneath, and a roadway above. The arches give stunnng views of the remains of the old Vauban fortifications (that name again - he was a busy lad!). A formal garden has been set out on one of the terraces.

Next stop was the Gold Lady. This is the war memorial to the Luxembourgers who died in the First World War. Many joined the French Foreign Legion (not having an army of their own). The Golden Lady was spirited away and hidden ahead of the German invasion in World War Two. She was found secreted in a soccer club in the 1980’s, and has since been refurbished and replaced at the top of her column.
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The door of the Jesuit Church, which became a cathedral once the city was given a bishop, looked really impressive. Sadly the church was closed.. Close by was the statue of the heroic Grand Duchess Charlotte, head of state during the Second World War. She and her family escaped to the United States, where she gave radio broadcasts supporting the Allied War effort and was active raising the profile of her people.

By the time we reached the Ducal Palace wth its brawny sentry on guard (their feet must get terribly sore on hot days) we were flagging. I suggested a strategic withdrawal to a chocolate shop that sold hot chocolate in a format I haven’t seen before: a thick lump of chocolate on a stick, which you dissolve in a jug of hat milk!

A stroll around the Corniche (the old fortress walls, giving stunning views over the city below) and it was time to return to the boat for another delicious lunch.

Ouir afternoon excursion was a wine tasting at the Wormaldange Collective, the oldest cellar in the Moselle valley. Built in 1931, it was the only winery not bombed in World War Two. The cellars are on the upper levels. not underground, as the valley floods.

You will see Neil looking hopefully at a huge old vat, the new vats, each holding 60,000 litres for the second fermentation,, and a solid wall of some of the 16 varieties of wine produced by the collective. The tour had the great advantage that it was 1: inside and cool; and 2: seated for the tasting.

The MV Leonardo da Vinci caught up with us beside the river, pulling up beside us on what looked like a bare stretch of river. With a flourish the sailors laid the vessel alongside, hauled up a folding gangway, opened it out to join a flight of steps hiding in the grass, and invited us all to go aboard.Read more