Day 52: Luxembourg

I spent more time on the train today than I'd slept the night before -- more than twice the time, actually. Despite a 6AM wake-up, we only got to Luxembourg at 3PM due to yet another train delay. It rained the entire way and got even windier and rainier as we began to walk around downtown. Despite the miserable weather and the very limited time, I was quite relieved to be in a French-speaking country again. It had been 48 days since I was somewhere where I knew the language and I'd forgotten how nice it was to be able to communicate fluently.

Luxembourg City was much more modern than I'd expected, with very well-kept streets and high-end shops around the downtown area. Pastry shops were abundant and very much worth trying.

Our walk eventually took us to Chocolate House, situated right in front of the Grand Ducal Palace. There, I had one of the best hot chocolates of my life.

It was served as a chunk of chocolate on a popsicle stick with a cup of steamed milk, and melted into an amazing drink when mixed. That alone would have made the train ride worthwhile.

From the second floor window of the Chocolate House, we were also able to see the changing of the guard right across the street.

We were also just in time to see the Royal Family come out on the balcony.

After finishing our drinks, we walked around some more and eventually made it to the bock casemates, a 21 metre long network of underground passages that were originally part of an impressive defensive fortress. Although we didn't go inside, we ventured around the top of the ruins, admiring the view.