Allotments 4 All

This time of year always drags me down, darkening nights, worsening weather, and the obsession with Christmas (I hate Christmas, but won't dwell on that since it is a lovely time for most people). Anyhow, it is my wife's 50th birthday just after Christmas, and I asked her for ideas, since choosing presents is possibly my worst attribute. She said that she would like a few days abroad, a bit later in the year when the weather is better ...
So I got a local brochure for coach trips (we both enjoy the luxurious relaxation of coach travel) and today my wife confirmed we are booked on a 5 day break at Easter to Vianden in Luxembourg (the choice was hers, I merely offered suggestions). I gather this is a hidden jewel in Europe, it will certainly be a treat ! Plenty of time to research what to see etc, although trips are built into the holiday.

sad to hear you're not keen on christmas, but what a treat to look forward to

I don't like cold, dark wet times, whether summer or winter, anyway, enjoy the anticipation as well as the holiday  :D

My brother lived in Luxembourg for a couple of years. It is a fabulous area - apart from Luxembourg City itself which has lots of interesting places to visit - there is the area known as la petite suisse luxembourgeoise and some interesting trips to Belgium including a coal mine that went under the Maginot line from Luxembourg - this is a bit hazy since they lived there about 20 years ago!! - and the castle of Du Bouillon with all its implements of torture. \good food and friendly people who speak French, German and letzebuerger - but will readily drop into English if you hesitate for a moment or two!

Hey also if you need cheering up have some hugs! :-*

Oooo lovely to have something to look forward to in the New Year.

Curry, your trip sounds lovely, Luxembourg is reputed to be very scenic with fairy tale castles and beautiful gardens.  Something to look forward to.  Just don't think about what we have to go through before then, I'm trying not to! ;)

:) hugs from me also Curry,Xmas is a hard time for lots of folk,bad things happen to us at Xmas as well as the rest of the year :'( keep your chin up and look forward to that hol in Easter and before you know it, it will be summer again/shades :-*

christmas last year was rough for us, here's hoping you can find something nice about it, and hugs from us both :D

Thanks for all the support and comments, chaps and chapesses ... I am fairly open minded about what we will see, but included in the break, are trips to Luxembourg City, and Echterbach (sp?) and a tour of Vianden Castle. Google is working overtime to give me snippets of info, and I have a particular delight in sampling foods, not to mention the beers and wines ...  :D

I have a smattering of french, and a touch less of german, so hopefully I will not find the language too arduous, although it seems a meld of those, plus dutch and flemish? I must try and learn how to say thank you in the local lingo (Letzebuergisch?), hopefully that will bridge any gaps ...

http://www.byki.com/

this was put on another thread, by Kenkew, it's a pretty good site for languages, may help with your quest  :)

Oh there are wonderful Belgian/Flemish/Dutch trappist beers. I'd forgotten.

How can you forget wonderful beers?  :-\ I can still remember the exquisite Diebels we drank when staying in Germany, both the pils and the dunkelbier. Best beers I have ever tasted, in my opinion.

Depends how many you had Curry!!!
::)

Hmmm that is a point I suppose, but in that case, I never forget the hangover !

Warsteiner is the beer for me.

Nicknamed "wobbley" by the RAF lads.  ;D

I'm fond of obscure Continental beers... found a smoked wheat beer last weekend, had to try it... not as good as either a proper rauchbier or weisbeer sadly!
;D

Sounds like a real treat.  Hope you get a few bright sunny days and pass a few hours in some wonderful cafes and bars.  :PEnjoy all the research, when you get back do let us know about your discoveries...

In the meantime, I have found myself a new short term hobby, choosing wines for Christmas dinner ... I have already tried a reduced price Cava which will do for beforehand - struggling to choose a main wine, my first selection sampled last night was woefully poor - Rioja Marques de Grinon Reserva 2002, listed at £9.99. Still, I have several other bottles to try ...  :D

My wife has already selected a 50cl bottle of Eiswine for the pudding, and there is LBV port available if needed.

Quotewe both enjoy the luxurious relaxation of coach travel

Hell on earth if you ask me :o

Christmas dinner wine? Pomerol & chateau neuf for the oldies, SA rosé for the youngsters

No wine here; the rest of the family are all militantly anti. I can just about get away with the occasional bottle, but that's as far as it goes.