July 18, 2013
Luxurybourg: Its one of the richest countries in the world, don't you know?
After spending the night camped in the woods in Belgium, I crossed into Luxembourg early the next morning. All the traffic was travelling the same way as me, presumably because lots of people that live in Belgium work in Luxembourg City, making it all wealthy and that. There is certainly a lot of wealth in Luxembourg and that was immediately obvious from the well maintained roads and the fact that every single thing looked like it had been painted yesterday. It is a really interesting place. It is, for example, the only Grand Duchy left in the world (a monarch, the Grand Duke, still calls the shots)
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Luxembourg has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world, but fortunately for me that hasn't transferred to the cost of cheap supermarket waffles, which I obtained from the very first supermarket I saw. At 2,500 calories per one Euro spend they proved incredibly good value energy.
Mapless and after following a cycle path which was initially heading east and then rudely turned southwest, taking me in the wrong direction, I decided the safest thing for me to do was to get on a road heading east directly to Luxembourg City. It was quite busy but that was okay because Luxembourgians turned out to also be the safest and most courteous of drivers I have ever had the good fortune to share a road with.
I have been to the city of Luxembourg before on a bicycle and I absolutely loved it the first time. So now, even with time against me, I simply couldn't resist passing through again and doing a whirlwind tour of the city. Its just such a brilliant and fascinating place. The whole of the old town was once a great fortress, strategically placed in the middle of Europe and geographically dominant surrounded as it is by a deep valley, the walls of which almost merge into the fortifications. These days the bottom of the valley is a park full of joggers and picnickers, the old town a relaxed place where city workers and tourists mingle.
As I was cycling down the hill into the valley I came up behind a bus that looked like a train that was carrying tourists. As it was going quite slow I was easily able to keep up with it and a group of gorgeous German girls leaned out the back chatting and flirting with me. But that's just the kind of magic that happens in Luxembourg. "Sorry girls" I said, preparing to take a turn in the road "I'd love to talk more, but I've got a party to get to."
I followed the river through the valley south east out of the city before a steep climb took me up and away and I rode east on quiet roads until I reached the river Mosel, which marked the border with Germany. It had been very hot and sunny since I had begun from Paris, with the mercury consistently above thirty degrees. Some of the roads in France had even been melting, although I think that's mostly because the French can't build roads. Upon reaching the Mosel I celebrated by jumping right in it to cool off. I was considering swimming over to Germany when a big cargo ship came sailing down the middle of the river and I reconsidered. I followed the Mosel north on the Luxembourg side until the river turned east and there was no more Luxembourg left. A shame really.
18/07/13 - 162km (89km in Luxembourg)
LUXEMBOURG SUMMARY:
Time: 9 hours
Distance: 89 km
Waffles consumed: seven
Best bits: Everything
Worst bits: Leaving
Top tip: Make time for Luxembourg
Today's ride: 89 km (55 miles)
Total: 467 km (290 miles)
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