Wednesday, January 5, 2011

9 Months In

They say that some of the most stressful things in life include selling a home, moving, leaving a job, and planning a wedding.  In 2010, my (now) husband, Nick, and I did all of those things.  So, with the craziness of last year behind us, it's time to start blogging about our experiences living abroad!


Nick arrived in Luxembourg at the end of January 2010 and I followed three months later at the end of March. We've learned quite a bit over the course of our time here, whether it's how movers move one into an apartment building that has only a tiny elevator and a narrow staircase (see photos below); how to utilize the Luxembourg public transit system (the best deal in the country), how to navigate our way through the Champagne region, how to find and take advantage of low-cost train travel into and throughout Germany and France, where to bicycle along Luxembourg's excellent and extensive bike paths (without yours truly having to bike up too many hills).
A scissor lift is a must for movers moving people into tight spaces!
In April 2010, all of our large, heavy items were moved in through our living room window via scissor lift, including our furniture. And let me tell you: it's a funny thing to see your couch being moved in to your apartment from your second story window...
We've designed some great walking routes in town for showing off our new city to visitors; we've found the key to drinking inexpensive but excellent quality wine (drink Luxembourgish wine!), we've learned how to recycle, join the library, keep in touch with friends and family back home on the cheap, and last month, we even learned how to buy a Christmas tree without a car.  Next step: learning what to do with it now that the holidays are over...

So, whether you're a friend, a family member, or just someone researching a vacation or upcoming move to Luxembourg who stumbled upon this blog: welcome, and we hope our experiences here will help you plan your own Luxembourgish adventure!




3 comments:

  1. Hi! We did the same in getting married, moving, renting (not selling) a house, and getting settled here last year too :) I was going to put together some walking routes - do you have any I can borrow?

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  2. Hi Jenny - you had a busy 2010, too! You know, I don't have any specific walking routes on a map to send, but one route I really love for a stroll or for taking company on starts with descending the stairs into the Petrusse valley by the Petrusse Casemates. When you get to the valley base, turn left and walk toward the petite train that kids can ride on (good for a laugh), where the church is built into the rock (always a crowd pleaser), and then continue on into the Grund. If they want to keep going, I take them to Clausen via the path that continues from the end of rue Plaetis, that winds through the old ruins and continues along the Alzette and finally ends at Cantine Mousel. You've probably been, but if not, there are some neat old pictures along the path that show the same view from the early 1900s. I've been meaning to play with creating my own maps on Google Maps though, so if I create walking maps at some point, I will blog about it or let you know!

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  3. I must say that those 2 pictures of moving furniture into an apartment blew my mind. My family and I are in the process of moving to Luxembourg and we were curious as to how a couch would fit into a small elevator. I guess it just goes in through the window, instead! haha. I've been reading a few of your posts (found it through Google) and I'm amazed at what life is like there; it sounds like such a great experience. Also, I just want to thank you for blogging about your experiences for newbies like me...it's a big help!!

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