South Tirol & Krampusnacht Celebrations

So, the whole reason I went to Innsbruck in the first place was that I was going to stay with my friend Karin and experience Krampusnacht for real. I was SO excited about this! I heard of Krampus a few years ago and I’ve read a few books about this fascinating figure of folklore.

Day 1

I took the train from Innsbruck to Bozen/Bolzano, the chief city of the South Tirol region. It was a smooth and surprisingly cheap ride through beautiful scenery. We stopped at the Austria-Italy border, and I expected to have to show my passport or something, but I didn’t at all.

I met Karin, her sister and cousin at the station and we visited the South Tirol Museum of Archaeology, home to Ötzi the Iceman.

Vegetable pizza and beer
A real German-Italian fusion meal

We had pizza and beer in a nearby restaurant and then took the bus and the train to Kastelbell/Castelbello, in time for the Krampus parade and show.

The castle at Kastelbell/Castelbello
Saint Nicholas on stage at the Krampus event in Kastelbell/Castelbello

Finally we took the train to Goldrain/Coldrano, where Karin’s family lives.

The river in Goldrain/Coldrano

Day 2

December 5th is officially Krampusnacht, also known as the eve of St. Nicholas. Karin’s mam kindly gave us all a red bag of sweets and other goodies (this is tradition, apparently). She then gave us a lift to Schlanders/Silandro for another Krampus parade. This one was supposed to have 100 Krampuses and there certainly were a lot of them. We had an amazing day.

A Krampus
Me (on the right) and a Krampus
Saint Nicholas on stage surrounded by Krampuses

Day 3

The next day, we started on our journey back to Innsbruck, stopping at the town of Meran/Merano on the way. More pizza and drinks were consumed.

Meran/Merano
The river in Meran/Merano

Back in Innsbruck, we checked into our hotel ready to get up early and head to the airport the next morning.

Innsbruck

Coloured houses alongside the bank of the river Inn

I’ve wanted to go to Innsbruck for years, ever since I read the Chalet School books as a child. I finally got my chance this December: I planned to celebrate Krampusnacht with a friend (on which more later) and spent a few days in Innsbruck beforehand.

Day 1

I flew from Gatwick early in the morning with my friend Karin. The flight was only a couple of hours. The first thing we did after arriving in Innsbruck and taking the bus to the city centre was to eat lunch in a bakery. An elderly lady who looked just like Queen Elizabeth II heard us speaking in English and came over to talk to us. She said that she cried when the Queen died.

Alpine ibex

After buying an Innsbruck Card, we visited the Alpenzoo which had loads of cute native Austrian animals including otters, alpine ibex, snow hares, golden eagles and even a brown bear. After this we went for a drink in the Christmas market – we had several glasses of gluhwein. Karin headed home after that and I went to my hotel – I was staying at Quartier 99, which was basic but comfortable.

Me at the Christmas market

Day 2

Today I took the tour bus and visited Ambras Castle, which describes itself as the “first museum in the world”. Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol turned this medieval fortress into a Renaissance castle as a gift for his wife, Philippine Welser; he displayed his collections in a purpose-built museum on-site, including art, armour and other artefacts. The bathing chambers used by Philippine are elaborate and pretty impressive for the time, and the Spanish Hall is magnificent.

Ambras Castle
Spanish Hall

After getting back to Innsbruck I had a wander round the old town. I popped into the Golden Roof Museum which was all about the famous Golden Roof and its history. I also visited the City Archives and City Museum, which had some interesting displays, but all the text was in German.

The Golden Roof
A painting of the Golden Roof in the sixteenth century
City Archives and City Museum

I then visited the Tyrolean Folk Art Museum and the Hofkirche. The museum was full of fascinating artefacts, consisting of examples of folk art, furniture, interiors and decorations from ordinary people in Tyrol.

The Folk Museum
A traditional Tyrolean interior

The latter houses the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I and is suitably dramatic, with a cenotaph flanked by 28 statues of his ancestors and role models. On Maximilian’s death in 1519, not all of the statues had been completed, and in any case he stipulated in his will that his body should buried in the chapel of his castle in Wiener Neustadt. However, his grandson Ferdinand I later constructed the Hofkirche, cenotaph and adjoining monastery (now the aforementioned folk art museum), while his son Archduke Ferdinand II completed the tomb and added the Silver Chapel to house his own tomb and that of his wife.

Inside the Hofkirche

Lastly, I took the bus to Swarovski Crystal Worlds which was a magical experience both indoors and out.

Swarovski Crystal Worlds

Day 3

On my final full day in Innsbruck, I took the cable car (‘Nordkettenbahnen’) up to the Top of Innsbruck. There were three cable cars in total and three different levels you could get out at to admire the view. The first two were great, with incredible views of Innsbruck and the surrounding mountains, but the highest one was freezing and windy – plus there was snow – so I didn’t fancy being up there for very long!

View over Innsbruck

Once back in Innsbruck, I visited the Hofburg, including the exhibition about Maximilian I. The Imperial Apartments as they appear today was largely dictated by Empress Maria Theresa, who converted the south-facing state rooms into a memorial after her husband’s death. The Inner Apartment was refurbished for Empress Elisabeth, aka Sisi, who lived there in the nineteenth century: her portrait is the most striking of the family portraits displayed in the gallery, showing her in a beautiful dress with stars in her hair.

Hofburg
Portrait of Empress Elisabeth ('Cici')

I then went up the City Tower or ‘Stadtturm’ which offered great views of the city. The tower dates from the fifteenth century and used to house a prison.

View of the Old Town from the City Tower
View of Innsbruck from the City Tower

Finally, in the evening I went to Lumagica, a festive light trail around the park featuring animals from all the different continents.

A light sculpture showing an Alpine marmot alongside a hot air balloon

The next day, I was up and out fairly early to catch the train to Bozen/Bolzano for the next part of my adventure.

August Bank Holiday in Whitby

On the August Bank Holiday Monday I headed to Whitby with my mam for a couple of nights. I’d been once before, for a couple of hours, but that was years ago and I hadn’t really explored properly.

View over Whitby looking towards the Abbey

We arrived around lunchtime, and unfortunately it had started to rain. So we went into the cafe beside the train station for lunch. Afterwards we had a quick look round the shops before heading up the hill to our B&B. We stayed at the Chiltern Guest House, which was really nice, and the lady who runs it was lovely and helpful. We opted not to have breakfast there, as we know from experience that if we eat massive breakfasts we just want to lie down for the rest of the day, and we wanted to make sure we had the energy to explore!

Dracula and I

We spent the rest of the day wandering around the shops by the waterfront, and went for tea in the Magpie Cafe. Afterwards we went for a couple of drinks but we were so tired we were back in the hotel and in bed pretty early. Not even the ridiculously loud coughing coming from someone nearby could keep us awake.

The next day, we got on the open-top bus tour and had an enjoyable trip around Whitby. We got off at the Abbey for some tea and cake, but didn’t go in owing to the massive entry fee. We visited the Church of St Mary though, and were amused by the sign in large letters stuck on the door.

Sign which reads, "Please do not ask staff where Dracula's grave is as there isn't one. Thank you"

Once back at the harbour we visited the Dracula Experience. This was my idea but I was terrified all the way round. There was a funny moment towards the end when someone in a scary wolf mask jumped out from behind a corner. I screamed, but Mam walked past completely unfazed: “You poor soul, having to stay here and wait for folk. I hope they pay you well”.

The Dracula Experience

We spent the afternoon at the other side of the harbour, visiting pretty much every Whitby jet shop in the town, as well as the museum. We ate pizza for tea and had a drink in the pub and then went to bed early.

Beautiful examples of Whitby jet jewellery

Our last day was spent taking the open-top bus one final time, getting off at Whitby Museum. This was a local museum with plenty of interesting fossils, some incredibly creepy toys, and a fascinating exhibition on Scoresby’s Arctic. After some lunch, it was time to get the train back home.

Glasgow: Day 5 – Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery, Mackintosh House, Tenement House and the Royal Conservatoire

On our last full day in Glasgow we walked up to the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, which was a bit of a trek, but it was worth it. The museum was founded in 1807 and contains the bequest of Dr William Hunter, an eminent surgeon. It holds lots of fascinating exhibits including scientific equipment and cultural artefacts.

2014_0829Scotland006
The Hunterian Museum

2014_0829Scotland007
Inside the Hunterian Museum

2014_0829Scotland008
Inside the Hunterian Museum

2014_0829Scotland009
Inside the Hunterian Museum

Across the road, the Art Gallery contains a large collection of Whistler paintings, as well as other, varied artworks. The current exhibition, Mackintosh Architecture: Context, Making and Meaning, looks at the artist’s work in the context of his employment by the office of John Honeyman & Keppie, showing how he had his own distinctive style but also worked collaboratively as part of the firm.

Also on the site is the Mackintosh House, the home of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, which was reassembled following the demolition of their home at 78 Southpark Avenue (formerly 6 Florentine Terrace).

On our way up to the Hunterian we passed the Glasgow School of Art. Poor, poor Glasgow School of Art. The effects of the fire of a few months ago can be clearly seen; I hope they manage to restore it properly.

2014_0829Scotland001
Glasgow School of Art

2014_0829Scotland003
Glasgow School of Art

After leaving the Hunterian, we caught the bus again and got off just before the end to visit the Tenement House. This was a fascinating look at a typical Glaswegian home, left almost as a time capsule as it was lived in by the same woman, Agnes Toward, for over half a century. She made very few changes during her time in the house, and it was fascinating to look around.

2014_0829Scotland010
On the tour bus

In the evening we went to Wagamama, followed by a trip to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to see some new plays (the review is here). There were two plays, 1914 Machine and Blind Eye, and they were both very different, but we enjoyed them.

The next day my mam and I headed to Central Station, had breakfast, and parted. I returned to London, though determined to come back to Glasgow at some point!

2014_0830Scotland001
Goodbye Glasgow!

Glasgow: Day 4 – City Sightseeing Bus and Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum

2014_0828Scotland001
Tour bus

On Thursday we finally got around to getting on the tour bus. We were delighted to find that our bus was an old Routemaster, and we had an actual tour guide instead of a recorded commentary. The bus journey was great and it made us realise just how big Glasgow actually is, and how full of history.

2014_0828Scotland021
Crossing the Clyde

2014_0828Scotland023

2014_0828Scotland031

2014_0828Scotland014
The Victorian quarter

2014_0828Scotland011

We got off the bus towards the end, at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. This free museum opened in 1901 and is full of many fascinating things, including and related to stuffed animals, prehistory, clothes, the Scottish Colourists, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the history of Scotland & Scottish identity and Ancient Egypt. There is also a Spitfire aeroplane hanging from the ceiling, and, famously, Salvador Dali’s seminal painting Christ of St John of the Cross.

2014_0828Scotland039
Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery

2014_0828Scotland040

2014_0828Scotland042
Inside the Kelvingrove

After looking around the Museum – which took the rest of the day – we had a drink in the Brewdog pub across the street before getting back onto the bus.

In the evening we had tea at Ask, with a couple of glasses of wine to go with it!

Glasgow: Day 3 – Loch Lomond and the Trossachs

Today we went on a trip to Loch Lomond, taking a boat trip into the middle of the Loch and spending some time in Luss, a small village on its banks. My mam absolutely loved it, and it was certainly a stunningly beautiful place. Luss itself was small, but we enjoyed looking around the graveyard (yes, another one) belonging to the local church: it had graves dating from the 6th and 7th centuries, including Viking burials.

2014_0827Scotland021
Loch Lomond

2014_0827Scotland025
Luss

2014_0827Scotland028
Church

2014_0827Scotland027
Tea and whisky cake

We were both exhausted once we got back in the evening, so we went for a pub meal with some wine before going back and going to bed!

Glasgow: Day 2 – Cathedral, Necropolis, Willow Tea Rooms and Theatre Royal

Our original plan was to spend our first full day in Glasgow on the sightseeing bus. However, by the time we’d had breakfast and made it to the bus stop, there was a huge queue and we decided just to walk to the Cathedral, which was Stop 2 on the bus route anyway.

2014_0826Scotland004
Glasgow Cathedral

2014_0826Scotland010
Gates leading into the courtyard

2014_0826Scotland011
The Bridge of Sighs

The first thing we did was to explore the Necropolis. Opened in 1833, this huge graveyard on the top of a hill overlooking the city was inspired by the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, and was designed to provide a burial solution for the quickly growing population of Glasgow. It is reached via a “Bridge of Sighs” and it is stunning. My mam and I both loved it.

2014_0826Scotland029
Looking at the Cathedral from the Necropolis

2014_0826Scotland026

2014_0826Scotland014

2014_0826Scotland034

2014_0826Scotland042

Afterwards we paused to take a look around the Cathedral, including the lower level where St Mungo is supposed to be buried. By this time we were completely exhausted so we stopped for a cup of tea at the St Mungo Museum next door.

2014_0826Scotland048
Inside the Cathedral

On our way out Mam noticed an old-looking house called Provand’s Lordship across the road. We decided to go in, which proved a good decision. Entry to this house is free, and it is the oldest building in Glasgow, with a great deal of history.

2014_0826Scotland049
Provand’s Lordship

We walked back into town and went to Buchanan Street to visit the Willow Tea Rooms. These are a reconstruction of the original Willow Tea Rooms designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. They consist of the White Tea Room and the Chinese, or Blue, Room, where we were seated. Our tea was yummy but we had to go for a lie down afterwards!

2014_0826Scotland051
Willow Tea Rooms

2014_0826Scotland053
Inside the Chinese Room

2014_0826Scotland054
Inside the Chinese Room

2014_0826Scotland052

2014_0826Scotland055
Our yummy afternoon tea

In the evening we visited Glasgow’s Theatre Royal to see a play called April in Paris. We both enjoyed it – I wrote a review here. Afterwards we went for a drink before heading back to the hotel.

2014_0826Scotland058
Theatre Royal

Glasgow: Day 1 – Exploration

I enjoyed my trip to Inverness last year so much that I decided to go back to Scotland this year. This time, however, I decided to go to Glasgow, as I’d never really explored the western part of Scotland. My mam came too, and we decided to travel up separately – me from London, she from Newcastle – and meet at the Travelodge.

2014_0825Scotland001
Ruari the Reindeer on the train!

I had a ridiculously early train from King’s Cross, and I had to change at Edinburgh, but my journey was mostly uneventful. At Glasgow, I got a bit lost on the way to the Travelodge, but I managed to find it eventually.

2014_0825Scotland003
Queen Street Station

After we’d unpacked, we went for a walk around Glasgow to try and get our bearings. It reminded me a bit of Newcastle, with streets laid out in an orderly fashion. We had tea in Wetherspoon’s and then went for a drink. We didn’t stay out long, though, as we wanted to get a good night’s sleep the better to enjoy the following day!

2014_0825Scotland004
Settling in to the hotel

2014_0826Scotland002
Exploring Glasgow

Holiday in Scotland 2013

Back in August, I went up to Scotland for a week on the Caledonian Sleeper train. I didn’t want to go for a standard class cabin as they are for two people and I didn’t want to stay with a stranger. So I decided to compromise – on the way up I went for the super frugal option and sat in the normal carriage (which wasn’t as bad as it sounds) while on the way back I splashed out on first class!

Caledonian Sleeper at Euston
Caledonian Sleeper at Euston

Caledonian Sleeper at Euston
Ready to get into the carriage

It’s a shame the Caledonian Sleeper goes from Euston, as it’s possibly the ugliest station in London. Still, this didn’t stop me from being excited. I didn’t sleep very well on the way up, but I didn’t mind as watching the sun rise over the Highlands was amazing. I could hardly believe that I’d gone to sleep in crowded London and woken up surrounded by hills and deer.

The train got into Inverness at eight o’clock in the morning which gave me a whole day before I had to go and check in to my B&B. I left my luggage in the station lockers and decided to go on a Loch Ness cruise. This was fun but it was windy out on the loch – I’m definitely glad I took a coat! As part of the trip we also had a look around Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness Centre, which was a kind of multimedia exhibition looking at the story of Nessie. This was surprisingly well done and fairly balanced, looking at all the possible explanations for ‘Nessie sightings’ in an interesting way. Needless to say I didn’t spot Nessie myself!

Loch Ness
Loch Ness

Nessie
Nessie

Boat trip on Loch Ness
Boat trip on Loch Ness

Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle

Urquhart Castle
Exploring the castle

Later that day I visited Culloden, which is a short bus journey out of Inverness. It’s essentially just a field, but the visitor centre is excellent. It has an exhibition which is presented on two sides of the corridor, looking at events from the English and the Scottish points of view. There is also a room where you can stand and be surrounded by a filmed re-enactment of the battle, as if you were really there – this was rather frightening!

Culloden Visitor Centre
Culloden Visitor Centre

Culloden
Culloden

Culloden
Looking around Culloden

Culloden
Exploring

Culloden
Looking around

I walked through Inverness to reach my B&B. It’s a relatively small town and I liked it a lot. Some bits were slightly run-down but there was a Victorian market and some attractive buildings, and down by the river it was really nice. I also took the chance to go to the theatre while I was there. I found out that there was a National Theatre of Scotland/RSC co-production called Dunsinane, a sequel to Macbeth, being performed that week at the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness. I enjoyed it even though it took some liberties with the original – such as Lady Macbeth turning up alive and well.

I was hampered during my stay by not having a car. I could have explored much more of the surrounding area if I’d been able to drive around and stop at will. However I managed to see a lot via the train! I had a day trip to Aberdeen, which was very… grey. The Maritime Museum was fairly interesting and I had a look around the Tolbooth and the art gallery.

Aberdeen Maritime Museum
Aberdeen Maritime Museum

Tolbooth Museum
Tolbooth Museum

Beer cocktail in Brewdog
Beer cocktail in Brewdog

Beer cocktail
Another cocktail – well, I was on holiday!

Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen Art Gallery

Back in Inverness, I went to the Gellions pub where William McGonagall once recited his poetry.

The Gellions Pub
The Gellions Pub

The Gellions Pub
Plaque commemorating the momentous event

I went on a day trip to the Orkney Islands. This was amazing! It involved an incredibly early start and a long coach journey but it was worth it.

John O'Groats
At John O’Groats

John O'Groats
Looking out to sea from John O’Groats

We visited the capital of the Orkney, Kirkwall.

St Magnus Cathedral
St Magnus Cathedral

Kirkwall Harbour
Kirkwall Harbour

I got to see the prehistoric village of Skara Brae, which was just incredible. It has been really well preserved and though you can’t walk through it (or it wouldn’t be well preserved any more) they have made a replica that you CAN walk through so you can picture how it all used to look.

Skara Brae
Skara Brae

Skaill House
Skaill House

Also on the tour I visited the Ring of Brodgar, which is a stone circle a bit like Stonehenge, though the setting is much more atmospheric, I think. It reminded me of Diana Gabaldon’s ‘Outlander’ books, in which the heroine goes through a stone circle in Scotland and ends up in the middle of the Jacobite rising – I could almost imagine I could travel back in time with the stones myself!

Ring of Brodgar
Ring of Brodgar

As the coach went past some of the lagoons which lie between the islands, I could see rusty skeletons of old ships poking out of the water.

Ghostly WW1 ships
Ghostly WW1 ships

Our guide told us that they were old WWI ships that had been decommissioned and brought here during WWII in order to create a barrier preventing German U-boats from getting through. Only, one did manage to get through and sunk a ship, killing hundreds of seamen. Apparently, years later, the widow of one of the men who died was granted her last wish on her death – to be buried with her husband. So her ashes were taken down into the sea. It’s a sweet, but very sad story.

The tour also found time to stop at the Italian chapel. This was a beautiful little Catholic church built by Italian prisoners of war during the 1940s.

Italian church
Italian church

Italian church
Inside the church

I travelled on a lot of trains during my trip. As well as taking the train to the west coast and going on to Skye, I had a ride on the Strathspey steam railway. It stopped at the station which was used on the BBC drama Monarch of the Glen.

Aviemore Station
Aviemore Station

Strathspey Railway
Strathspey Railway

Inside the train
Inside the train

Boat of Garten Station
Boat of Garten Station

Boat of Garten Station
Boat of Garten Station

Broomhill
‘Glenbogle’ aka Broomhill Station

Steam train
Steam train

Countryside
Beautiful view of the countryside

Train at Aviemore
Back at Aviemore

The same day, I also went up the Cairngorm Mountain on the furnicular railway. It was freezing on the top, but there were some spectacular views.

Cairngorm Mountain
At the foot of Cairngorm Mountain

Cairngorm Mountain
Looking around

Furnicular railway
Furnicular railway

Furnicular railway
Getting on the railway

Furnicular railway
Lovely view

Cairngorm Mountain
Stunning views

Cairngorm Mountain
Amazing view going down

I also went to Dundee for the day. It took about three hours on the train, but I was dying to go for two reasons. Firstly, because it was the hometown of William McGonagall. I saw the Tay Bridge (Mark 2) with my own eyes – it was so long and the river so wide that it really brought home just how terrifying it must have been for the passengers who died when it collapsed.

The second reason was to visit Discovery Point, where Captain Scott’s Antarctic exploration ship RSS Discovery is kept. I’m really interested in Antarctica and especially the ‘heroic age’ of exploration. I loved the museum – the ship itself has been sympathetically restored and the exhibitions inside the building have been really well thought out.

Discovery Point
Penguins at Discovery Point

Discovery Point
Discovery Point

Discovery Point
RRS Discovery

Discovery Point
Antarctica mosaic

Discovery Point
Rather creepy video

Discovery Point
On deck

I also found time to visit the Verdant Works.

Verdant Works
Verdant Works

Verdant Works
Inside the Verdant Works

You can’t go to Scotland without visiting a whisky distillery. I chose to visit Glen Moray, mainly because it was the only one I could reach via train.

Glen Moray Distillery

Glen Moray Distillery
Plaque on the wall

Glen Moray Distillery
Vats of grain

Glen Moray Distillery
Mash Tun

Glen Moray Distillery
Inside the distillery

Glen Moray Distillery
Surrounded by whisky barrels

Glen Moray Distillery
Sampling some whisky

Glen Moray Distillery
The whisky I tried

I came back with a lot of alcohol, particularly beer.

Beer
I didn’t mean to buy so much, honest…

I had a great time on the way back in my first class cabin – sadly grey and modern rather than the wood-panelled warmth I always associate in my mind with sleeper trains – but it was great having my breakfast brought to me in the morning!

Caledionian Sleeper
Relaxing with some wine

Caledonian Sleeper
Yummy breakfast

I didn’t get a chance to go to Glasgow or Fort William, or travel on the famous West Highland Line, but I may be going back next year with my mam. I hope so – I had a brilliant time and I’d love to see some more of Scotland.

Luxembourg

2013 0315 Luxembourg 39

View from the Old Town looking south

I’ve just got back from a weekend in Luxembourg. I realised I hadn’t been abroad since I went to Portugal in summer 2011, so I decided to rectify this. I also thought it would be a good time to tick London City Airport DLR station off my tube station list. City is the only airport in central London and the only one (apart from Heathrow) to be located on a tube map. After using it, I would encourage everyone to fly from City at least once. The view over central London – taking in the Thames, the O2, the London Eye and the famous bridges – is not to be missed.

2013 0315 Luxembourg 03

Cercle Municipal

Luxembourg is the world’s only Grand Duchy. It is a tiny little state bordered by Belgium, Germany and France. The inhabitants speak Luxembourgish (yes, that is a real language), French and German and there are several temporary and permanent immigrants contributing other languages and cultures to the place – a real melting-pot.

2013 0315 Luxembourg 09

St Michael’s Church

Friday
The flight from City took an hour and twenty minutes. It left at eight so I had to get up ridiculously early in the morning – I actually caught the first Tube train of the day out of Ealing Broadway, which made me feel oddly thrilled. I was surprised at how many people were actually around at that time of the morning. Luxembourg is an hour ahead of the UK, so by the time I arrived and caught the bus into the centre of town it was getting on for eleven – which still left me with practically a full day ahead of me.

One thing I wasn’t prepared for was the temperature. It is mid-March after all, and I had assumed that the weather would have been vaguely spring like. This was not the case. It was colder than in Britain (although the temperature did improve over the next couple of days), and there was snow on the ground, though it didn’t actually snow while I was there.

2013 0315 Luxembourg 18

I walked into the centre and picked up a Luxembourg Card from the tourist information office. This card is amazing and I recommend it to anyone who visits. For 27 Euros (for three days; one-day and two-day cards are cheaper) you get unlimited travel on public transport, plus free admission to most of the museums in the country, and discounts on the rest. I used mine constantly and, with the exception of the 2 Euros I paid to take the bus from the airport, didn’t spend another penny on sightseeing or transport throughout my trip.

This first day, I spent some time wandering around town and getting a feel for the place. There seemed to be a lot of scaffolding, so I suspect they are jazzing the place up in preparation for the summer. The Old Town – which is UNESCO-listed – reminded me of Bruge, although I didn’t think it was quite as nice.

2013 0315 Luxembourg 11

Looking towards the Bock Casemates

The first thing I did was visit the Bock Casemates, down towards the eastern edge of the Old Town. These are fortifications built into the rock several hundred years ago which were designed for defence at a time when the castle on the hill was chosen for its suitability in this respect. I found them interesting to explore but got rather spooked at some points and had to make a hasty exit – or would have, if I hadn’t had trouble finding it.

2013 0315 Luxembourg 32

After a quick stop off for a Panini and a cup of coffee, I headed to the Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art (National Museum of History and Art). This huge museum was well laid-out and fascinating, with five floors below telling the story of Luxembourg from prehistoric times to the present day, and five above, displaying the fine art collection and temporary exhibitions. There was an English guide available for the information boards on the lower floors, which came in handy, and I particularly liked the impressive Roman mosaic on display.

2013 0315 Luxembourg 38

Roman mosaic at the National Museum of History and Art

Unfortunately the medieval galleries were closed, but I enjoyed the others, including an in-depth prehistoric section with details of archaeological discoveries. The fine art collection was wide-ranging and varied: there were even a couple of Turner watercolours there, as well as a sculpture by Rodin and an artwork by Picasso. One temporary exhibition was about Japanese art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and was fascinating, and the other was concerned with the Dutch landscape painter Barend Cornelis Koekkoek.

After my visit I walked through the town and came across an amazing café that I just had to go into. You choose a flavour of chocolate, select a block with a wooden spoon embedded into it, and dip it into a cup of hot milk. They should definitely get something like that over here. I had chilli chocolate flavour and it was delicious.

Afterwards I headed towards the station and checked into my hotel. Once I’d unpacked and had a rest, I headed out to find something to eat. I managed to find a nice Italian restaurant, not too busy but not to quiet either, and with other solo diners, so I didn’t feel too self-conscious. I am afraid I took the easy option and went for the mushroom pizza – as much as I would like to sample the local cuisine, I understand that Luxembourgish specialities tend to include meat, so they’re off the menu for me.

Whenever I go abroad, I always like to check out the supermarkets to find out what the locals like to eat. I love looking at all the weird and wonderful foods that are so like, and yet so unlike, the stuff you get in the UK. I saw one lady carrying a Dr Oetker frozen pizza with what looked like salmon on top – it looked lovely and I am disappointed you can’t get that variety here!

2013 0315 Luxembourg 42

Luxembourgish wine

I always make a point of trying some local alcohol and chocolate. At least, I try – I don’t think the chocolate I managed to find was from Luxembourg, but I’d never seen it before, so I thought it would do. The wine was local, though.

2013 0315 Luxembourg 43

Tasty chocolate

Not wanting to hang out in a bar full of drunken individuals, I sat in my room with a book, some chocolate and wine, and had a perfectly lovely evening.

Saturday

2013 0316 Luxembourg 02

Stained glass window inside the railway station

The following day, I dragged myself down to breakfast and demolished some rolls with chocolate spread and jam. I also had some waffles, but since the toaster didn’t work these weren’t as nice as they might have been! Sufficiently full-up, I wandered over to the rather impressive station. I had plans to go to Vianden for the day, and knew that I had to catch the train to Ettelbruck and then a bus to the town of Vianden.

It took me some time to decipher all the signs, but eventually I got myself on the right train and enjoyed a relaxing journey to Ettelbruck. I didn’t have to wait too long for the bus when I got there – it was a relatively short journey to my destination.

2013 0316 Luxembourg 38

Vianden

Vianden is gorgeous. It is a small compact village full of quaint little houses, with a river flowing through the centre and a curved bridge crossing it. Above it all, the castle overlooks the town high on a hill. I decided to visit the castle first, in order to get the climb out of the way. This was a good decision, as it was exhausting, and I don’t know if I’d have been able to manage it later!

2013 0316 Luxembourg 31

Castle Vianden

Looking over the castle didn’t take ages, as there were few information boards or other things to see, but it was definitely worth it. The castle was apparently sold by its nineteenth-century owner and dismantled, leaving it in a state of disrepair not rectified until the twentieth century when it was rebuilt. It still looks pretty good, considering. The place is just how I would have imagined a fairytale castle to be, with round towers and a stunning hillside location.

2013 0316 Luxembourg 55

Victor Hugo’s House

After a crepe vegetarienne in a local café I popped into the Victor Hugo Museum for a quick look around. The great writer stayed in the town on several occasions, and some of the letters he wrote here are on display. His study has been recreated in the room facing the castle. Unfortunately the displays were all in French so I couldn’t understand them, but it was still exciting just to be in a place connected with the man.

2013 0316 Luxembourg 59

Museum of Military History

I caught the bus back to the town of Diekirch, which my guidebook said was full of museums. The major attraction was the Museum of Military History, covering the Battle of the Ardennes (better known perhaps as the Battle of the Bulge) of 1944-45. I knew my mam, who is really interested in the war, would have been fascinated by the museum. I had a good look round, but the place went into a lot of depth (it is used by military historians as well as the general public) and I skimmed a lot of it. The personal testimonies and modelled recreations of real-life scenes (taken from photographs) were moving and really brought home what life would have been like during the battle.

2013 0316 Luxembourg 66

Crypt underneath Diekirch church

I popped into the town’s own museum too, but the boards were in French and German so I couldn’t actually understand anything. However, the museum is next to the church and you can actually get into the crypt via the museum, which I thought was quite exciting. I then visited a bizarre museum, home to a selection of classic cars and a selection of Diekirch beer glasses. I had planned to sample a beer in the little café, but there seemed to be some sort of event on, with lots of people arranged in chairs and sandwiches wrapped in cling film, so I made a hasty exit.

Though there was no castle, there were several quaint little streets and I grew to quite like Diekirch. Apparently the town’s mascot is a donkey, which explains the fun statue which lets you move the limbs of the donkeys into whichever position you choose.

2013 0316 Luxembourg 70

One of the rather sweet donkeys

I had planned to eat in the Old Town when I returned to Luxembourg City, but I couldn’t find anywhere that was both quiet and cheap. On the way back to my hotel I stopped at a decent-looking place and had – you’ve guessed it – another mushroom pizza. Well, it was either that or a cheese omelette.

My evening passed much as the previous one did, with wine and chocolate and books. I had debated trying to get tickets to a concert or a theatre performance, but I couldn’t decipher the leaflets, and thought it would probably be really expensive anyway.

Sunday
The next day – my last – it was raining. I walked through the Old Town for the last time, taking in the view, and visited the Musée d’Histoire de la Ville de Luxembourg (Luxembourg History Museum). This has been cleverly built within a number of buildings from different periods of the city’s history, with stone from the old defences forming part of the basement. I loved the video installation exploring the landscape and nature of the city. I could have sat looking at it for hours.

2013 0317 Luxembourg 09

Luxembourg History Museum

After a couple of floors exploring the city’s past, the museum began to look at different themes relating to Luxembourg, including its role in industry, within Europe and the natural world. Finally, the temporary exhibition was ‘The ABC of Luxembourg’ – exploring the national identity of the Grand Duchy through an irreverent and entertaining alphabet. I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent museum and I’m glad I made the effort to look for it, tucked away on a back street.

2013 0317 Luxembourg 17

Musée Dräi Eechelen

I debated whether to catch the bus, but I ended up walking to the next museum, which I’d passed en route to the centre from the airport. The Musée Dräi Eechelen tells the story of this fort overlooking the city, with armour, swords and a frightening-looking guillotine all displayed. I popped into the MUDAM (Museum of Modern Art) next door, too, but the exhibitions were in the process of changing over. The building itself was very impressive, though.

I could have caught the bus back into the centre, but frankly I couldn’t be bothered, so I just went straight to the airport. I spent a couple of hours there recharging and writing up my holiday diary (which I keep religiously every time I go abroad) before going through security and spending far too much on chocolate and liqueur to bring back with me.