Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Literally no idea why there is a giant cream colored bar across this next one.  I've tired to fix it but I'm computer deficient.

The Grand Duchey of Luxembourg



The blurb from the WWW

 Luxembourg is about half the size of Delaware. The Ardennes Mountains extend from Belgium into the northern section of Luxembourg. The rolling plateau of the fertile Bon Pays is in the south. 

 Luxembourg, once part of Charlemagne's empire, became an independent state in 963, when Siegfried, count of Ardennes, became sovereign of Lucilinburhuc (“Little Fortress”). In 1060, Conrad, a descendant of Siegfried, took the title count of Luxembourg. From the 15th to the 18th century, Spain, France, and Austria held the duchy in turn. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 made it a grand duchy and gave it to William I, king of the Netherlands. In 1839, the Treaty of London ceded the western part of Luxembourg to Belgium. The eastern part, continuing in personal union with the Netherlands and a member of the German Confederation, became autonomous in 1848 and a neutral territory by decision of the London Conference of 1867, governed by its grand duke. Germany occupied the duchy in World Wars I and II. Allied troops liberated the enclave in 1944.

Luxembourg joined NATO in 1949, the Benelux Economic Union (with Belgium and the Netherlands) in 1948, and the European Economic Community (later the EU) in 1957. In 1961, Prince Jean, son and heir of Grand Duchess Charlotte, was made head of state, acting for his mother. She abdicated in 1964, and Prince Jean became grand duke. Luxembourg's parliament approved the Maastricht Accord, paving the way for the economic unity of the EU in July 1992. Crown Prince Henri was sworn in as grand duke in Oct. 2000, replacing his father, Jean, who had been head of state for 26 years.


We'll have to go back when the kids don't hate life, it'll be better then. 
And there will be pictures of them then.

Oh yeah, you are going to get boring nature shots


Eyeball tree

Warty tree

The day we visited, crazy right

Stairs down the wall

And more stairs, it's a long way from top to bottom

Bridge over troubled ravine

Climb for you life

Take me home UFO

Would the French die if it weren't a perfect garden

The Tin Man, I think this one has a heart because he moves


Just liked it
Antique and Junk Market


Lovely large church, with ghostly Aurelia
The Church Entryway
Aurelia letting loose with her own kind

Crazy man by a restaurant, I think he's hungry



Apparently soldiers have to do this all over the world

Trier Germany

Here is a blurb from the WWW

 Trier is a historic city in west central Germany, just six miles from the Luxembourg border and 120 miles SW of Frankfurt. Trier makes a manageable, and very worthwhile, day trip from Cologne or Frankfurt. Trier is Germany's oldest city. Legend has it that in 2000 BC the Assyrians established a colony here. The Roman colony of Augusta Treverorum (Trier) was founded by Augustus in 16 BC. Trier became a favored residence of several Roman emperors, including Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor. The cathedral Constantine built in Trier in 326 AD is Germany's oldest. After destruction by Germanic tribes in the 5th century, the great city of Trier became a small town. It still feels pleasantly small today, despite its population of 100,000. Trier's market square (Hauptmarkt) is one of the nicest in Germany, filled with fruit stands, flowers, painted facades, and fountains. Catholic pilgrims still come to Trier in large numbers to honor the relic of the Holy Robe at the Dom St. Peter and the tomb of St. Matthias in the Benedictine church named for him.

                      
We didn't see most of that stuff, it was just a quick visit.  But what we saw was very cool.

 A pretty lane

Not sure why pink was such a popular building color , just roll with it

I don't envy this gardener but I love the view

All the statues are of Roman Gods and Goddesses

Ruining the Ruins

The Thinker (he wanted to be like the statue on Sponge Bob...kids)

The Lover

The Orator

The other side of of the lovely lawn

A pretty sort of whirley fountain

There were nun's EVERYWHERE felt a little conspicuous with out a habit on

I love the big foot, makes mine feel normal

Amazing

Some people only eat doughnuts, some people wish they could be one of those people

Carl Marx, well his profile at least
Carl Marx's childhood home.  Mecca of Communists world wide, literally