Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The border between Germany and Luxembourg is just a few miles from the home of Emmy’s cousins, so we have been to Remich, Luxembourg, many times to buy groceries and fuel, both of which are lower in price than in Germany.

Not too far from the Luxembourg City Center, the US Army Cemetery, fifty acres in a beautiful wooded area, holds the remains of 5,076 American dead, mostly from The Battle of the Bulge. The most famous grave belongs to General George Patton. His grave sits by itself, his stone is like all the others.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was completed about 1625, but the two distinctive steeples were added in the mid-1930s. Inside, there are beautiful stained-glass windows, and the surface of the round pillars are carved in an interesting motif.

There are interesting bridges that span the Valle de la Petrusse, a very deep valley with steep sides, that runs right through the heart of the city.

One year we found the Electrolux dealer, and bought a 12V-220V-Gas refrigerator for our US made Dodge camper. He sent us to a plumber who might be able to install it when he gets home at 4:00 PM, except he didn’t get home until 5:00 PM. Even with two helpers it was a bigger job than he had expected. The biggest problem was fitting the US size copper tube in the camper, to the European size tube on the refrigerator.

One year, in France, our RV was broken into, and some Travelers Checks were stolen. I went to the American Express office in Luxembourg, they asked how many, replaced them, no problem, just like the advertisements promise.

On a day before a holiday, I asked, “What war are you celebrating,” the man said it was the birthday of the Prince. He told me (in a few words of German/English), “Luxembourg has neither won nor lost a war, we just seem to be in the way when other people are fighting their war.”

I told the following story to the man, and he was quite impressed. Soon after the Battle of the Bulge, my Brother Paul drove his US Army truck into Luxembourg on the day it was liberated, with a member of the ruling family inside. I suggested Paul contact the family. Paul said, “No thanks,” he didn’t care to revisit anywhere near the Battle of the Bulge.