Emaischen

You are probably (or not) wondering what happens in a tiny place like Luxembourg. Well I've just been looking at some photos we took a few weeks ago. Early on the 25th April (well we thought 10am was early for Luxembourg) we walked into town to find it packed full of people! Very strange for this hour on a public holiday.  And no, nothing to do with Anzac day. Instead it was Emaischen.

We have been told that this is one of the few uniquely Luxembourgish traditions, and it involves small clay bird whistles. Lots of them. Old ones and new ones, for sale. You may wonder as we did why so many people were pushing and pressing to buy these clay birds, but apparently they are collectable. And everyone had the day off work to celebrate, well, bird whistles I guess!

new ones

old ones

these ones look like chickens

more new ones

 
And a festive occasion in Luxembourg would not be complete without beer and sausages, even at 10am (Personally I prefer to stick to eating muesli for breakfast). And there was even an organ grinder - with a stuffed monkey!

So that is something new we learnt about Luxembourg this year. Fortunately for us, we could celebrate Anzac day with a bunch of other kiwis in the park. (For once, the Aussies were definitely outnumbered).

There are alot of public holidays in May/June due to catholic church traditions; we've just had Ascension day and Whit Monday is coming up. And then the Duke's Birthday is on June 23, which of course isn't really his b'day, but just the annual Luxembourg day celebrations and fireworks. So we get to finish the school year on a festive note!

I'm dreaming of a white christmas...

 

This is Luxembourg city this week.  It's even whiter than last week.  Not a big deal for some of you, but a huge deal for this town.

We decided we had to change the words of the song 'I'm dreaming of a white christmas, just like the ones we used to know..'  because of course this is still new to us!     So now we're singing 'I'm dreaming of a white christmas, just like the ones in the movies ....'

Our landlord tells us that Luxembourg hasn't seen this much snow in 30 years.  And they are certainly not equipped to deal with it, even the main shopping street in the city is piled high with snow and as you can see, even good for a sleigh or two!   And there is not a snow shovel left on sale in the city - so Phil has been borrowing our landlord's to clear the foot path in front and just enough to get the car in and out of our garage for essential trips out.

If you are up with the news you will know that travel in Europe has been severely affected by all the white stuff, so we are very glad to be staying at home this year.

We wish you all a Joyeux Noel!

the big freeze

 Last week we had what they call 'the big freeze'.   Basically, that means it gets cold enough for long enough that the ground starts to freeze and ponds etc along with it.  And it was cold, averaging about -5 degrees all week.  And those ducks are still swimming about in the parts of ponds that aren't frozen.

This week it has been warmer, but on wednesday we got the biggest snowfall in Luxembourg for 20 years, resulting in a 'snow day' to Phil's great delight, as they cancelled school yesterday!   So we decided to go for a walk and kick (and throw) some snow about, and enjoy the beauty of an almost monochromatic winter palette:

So what do people do in weather like this in Luxembourg?   They go to the Christmas market and eat and drink and shop.  Looking at these photos, I noticed how the festiveness of the Christmas markets helps to explain the pleasure of colour and light when there is none anywhere else.  

the big freeze

A week ago I was telling people in the southern hemisphere that while it was freezing, it wasn't actually snowing in Luxembourg. I spoke too soon! The city is covered in the icy cold white stuff that is perfect for making snow balls. With little wind, we went for some lovely long walks in the weekend to enjoy a different kind of beauty - verging on monochromatic - and blending nicely with Phil's hair!

The ponds are frozen, even with the fountains still running, and it amazes me that the birds can still find food. In fact, with few leaves anywhere, winter is turning out to be the best yet for bird watching. We've also been studying up on our snowflake forms, and can report that we have alot of dendrites - aren't they lovely!

Christmas markets!

It snowed yesterday! We feel like kids that are seeing it for the first time. We've never actually lived where it snowed, so it is strange and exciting. Little freezing drops that dissolve as soon as they touch your face. Tiny white balls that cling to hats and jackets as you walk.

The best thing about the snow is that it brought some sunshine with it, which is the most we have seen in two months. So this week it is VERY cold but there is no rain - can't complain about that.

Christmas markets are a german tradition, and in every town they are a little different. The one in Trier had lots of Christmas wreaths and mistletoe for sale, reindeer made from pine branches, gingerbread, a merry go round covered in garlands, and a giant windmill in front of the church. They typically sell local handmade gifts for Christmas presents, but it seems alot of imported goods are now for sale as well.

So far the only downside of the markets is how many people one must wade through - they are jam packed full of people that want to stand outside in the cold (make that literally freezing!) eating hot food and sipping mulled wine.

The markets are prettiest in the dark (which we have alot of at the moment), as the christmas lights warm the heart. Last night we walked into town to watch the Luxembourg Christmas Parade, complete with freaky blow up snow-man, dancing girls and santa bringing up the rear. Sadly, not a sign of what Christmas is really about.

The last photo is from Vienna, where Phil went a couple of weeks ago. It brings new meaning to the phrase 'lit up like a Christmas tree'. Thinking back just a year ago, our situation couldn't be more different - try 30 degrees difference in temperature for starters. Phil is enjoying the cold (how weird is that?), while I am coping and secretly dreaming of the tropics! We are both really enjoying the new experiences.

food glorious food

It's something we do every day, but people do it differently all over the world and it's always interesting to see how! I've got to say that the food on display in Luxembourg often looks as if was made for artistic pleasure rather than mere consumption. From lunch time fare to party treats, the attention to detail is often exquisite.

I've been told the french influence is the greatest in regard to food, although the heavy sausages and pickled vegetables are undoubtedly german. I certainly need alot of german and dutch/flemish at the supermarket to read the labels (I'm very thankful for little pictures at times)!

We haven't tried all of these delicacies (yet), but we can say that the bread is the best we have ever eaten, and the pastries are VERY good. Filled baguetes are sold in their hundreds for lunch every day, and I see lots of people walking out of Patiserre's with pastries in the mornings. The most common breakfast pastry is one filled with chocolate - not a particularly good start to the day. I doubt that anyone actually bakes here given that there are so many beautiful and sweet goodies for sale; I'm surprised that the average waistline is not bigger.

There is a patisserie just a few doors down from our apartment that makes the most amazing creations (photos below). They vary from week to week, as the decorations on the tortes reflect local celebrations and events. I try not to loiter too long outside, but they literally are works of art.

Oh, and the guy at the top is eating a fresh waffle laden with strawberries and cream - waffles are a big thing here too!