August 2 and 3 Catch-up Notes

Below are some notes I took as we went along. I'm going to edit them very briefly rather than try to make them literary masterpieces. I really want to just keep all of this in one place. I will add some photos here as well. This one starts on the day we were to meet with Josée and her sister Germaine with whom we were staying until they left - Josée back to her home in West Virginia and Germaine on a trip to the States with a choral group. So here we go -

 

August 2 – Breakfast, got some computer stuff done, checked emails, etc. Checked out. Ladies' Lunch at hotel. Josée, Germaine, Emelye, Mely, Holly and me. It was just great seeing them all again. We all had lunch and talked for about 2 hours Germaine remembers Louise and Donald very well.

Mely, Anne, Emel, Josée and Germaine.

 

We loaded our suitcases in Germaine’s car and went to her house in Echternacherbruck – across the river in Germany. We had a suite that had been added to the house for her daughter Nathalie. Small kitchenette, door to back courtyard which lead around to the main house kitchen, dinette, bathroom and bedroom. Germaine's house is right across the river from the Pavillon. And then she toured us around all over the place – up on a hill to look down on Echternach;

the Basilica and the Orangerie and we went past the door where we went to school.

We stopped at our house on rue des Bons Malades and Holly took pic in front. Apartment buildings across from our house now where Lissons lived. Germaine’s house in Echternach is off the Letzebuergerstrasse near the old cinema. We drove along the old wall and the towers that have been renovated to accommodate tourists; Emel’s house (her mother’s) on rue des Remparts, it backs onto the ancient wall.

 

There is a gas station is now where Schaak's was. And there are trees on both sides of promenade by the river now. Hard to see river from road.

 

We drove a bit out of town towards Diekirch where Holly climbed up a split in the rocks and came down the other side – a place called Pereskop. Germaine’s little white Scottie Diva actually whined when she saw Holly climbing up that split, it made me a tad nervous too but Holly said that if Josée could do it so could she.

Holly at Pereskopp.

 

We drove up to the old Blockhouse where we went as Girl Guides for the summer and there are lots of memories there for sure.

Germaine, Anne, Josée and Germaine's little Scottie Diva.

 

We met a few kids from Netherlands who were building a bonfire and were on their last night at guide/scout camp. They were staying in the big newer and now much updated Blockhouse. Around 11 pm we met Ria Phillips,

an old school chum on the rue de la Gare as we strolled down to get ice cream (Holly and I had grilled ham and cheese sandwiches) at a restaurant owned by a cousin of Josée’s. It was a great memory lane day for me.

 

August 3 - Big storm overnight – thunder and lightening woke us both up around 4. Had breakfast with Josée and Germaine. Took in the gift books and cards – they were really pleased. Holly went for a long walk this morning along the Sure River. She walked through the Saturday flea market. And along the river to the Pavillon. Called Jemp with info about today and he said that Mely has invited us to drinkies and nibblies at 5 on Sunday at Lauterborn. And then he invited Holly and me to go touring around until a BBQ at his house at 6.

We went to Beaufort

and Vianden where we looked the castles. There is an 8 mm film of Beaufort when we visited with Grandma Rannie in 1954.

Vianden is amazing. We did a bit of walking there and saw the house that Victor Hugo lived in on one of his exiles from France.

The Sauer River is very pretty here as well.

On our way out of town, we pulled into a closed hotel’s parking lot where Jemp kneeled down so Holly could get up on a pedestal to take a photo of the Vianden castle without trees in front. It was all pretty spectacular.

We had lunch in a little Asian restaurant in one of the little villages before heading to Ettelbruck and the Patton memorial. There are lots of photos from there.

Holly and Jemp at the Ettelbruck Patton Memorial.

The Patton Memorial plaque.

 

6 pm - We got a bit lost getting to Jemp and Lony's with Josée and Germaine. BBQ on the patio with chicken on skewers, potato baked with vegetables, salad and pineapple with cookies. Champers and red wine. A lovely evening with great friends. Home at 11:30.