Echternach

Sunday was forecast to be a glorious 28 degree day. We have been warned by locals that there is plenty very ordinary weather to come, hence we headed up-country to do some walking and hopefully, sampling of local delicacies. As our destination, we chose Echtenach, 35 km north–east in the Little Switzerland area. It is a very pretty, contained, old city on the river Sure where it forms the border with Germany.

By complete coincidence, it was hosting the Europiade, an organised walking weekend with trails from 6 to 42 km in length. We chose the 6 km. The town square was given over to beer, champagne and sausage stands. After our 3 years in Munich, we were feeling quite at home.

Initially, there was a great jazz group playing. Then the local radio station DJ was provided the ambient music – a great selection of old fart, 60’s music which we enjoyed. It was purely coincidental that we left when the thigh-slapping folk music came on.

In recognition of our 6 km trek, we rewarded ourselves with some gelato. After protracted negotiations with the German waiter, Joni was able to order a variation from the printed menu – a libidinous banana and Nutella crepe.

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Huy

On our way to Antwerp, we took an interesting detour to Huy in the Walloon region of Belgium.  We had lunch at a cafe on the main square. Ingrid continues her quest for the croque monsieur to rival the first that she tried in Place St Jaques in Paris a couple of years ago. Alas, she was once again disappointed.

Huy lies on the River Meuse, a key to its success in the middle ages as a metallurgy and trade centre. It still sports lanquid, picturesque barge traffic.

The town is dominated by the castle or citadel which, after a hefty trek on a 34 degree afternoon, afforded wonderful panoramic views over the river and the town centre. We avoided the reputably impressive museum dedicated to 2nd world war deportees and prisoners, the castle apparently having been used as an interrogation centre.

All the Fun of the Fair

On our first weekend spent in our newly adopted city, we visited the region's biggest funfair. Although it was founded in 1340 as a modest annual market, it now attracts over 2 million visitors each year.

With the fairs in Germany, we had become used to the idea of lots of food stalls and of course, beer stands. We were not disappointed here, particularly as there were champagne bars as well. We tried the downmarket one. Joni and Ingrid shown here with glasses of the local Cremant.

There were all sorts of rides, none to which we availed ourselves, from the classic ferris wheel to the downright frightening. There was even a traditional 100 year old merry-go-round, very popular with little kids and their parents.

We were curious to come across a lovely, old fashioned wooden caravan with a fortune teller camped inside. It was delightful to see that she had availed herself of modern technology in pursuit of her craft.

Westendorf Ski Weekend

We spent a good fun weekend with a group of friends skiing in Westendorf near Kitzbuhel in Austria. As you can see, there was plenty of snow around. I still find these mandatory snow tyres amazing in quite thick snow and ice. It’s wonderful not having to put chains on the car.

It was minus 20 degrees on the slopes, so I didn’t mind wearing a helmet like our snowboarding friends. However, moustache and beard soon became festooned with icicles. I also found that my trusted ski gloves, bought 30 years ago were not quite up to the job

We were staying in an apartment in a hotel half way up the mountain. With half board included, we didn’t have to venture out except to ski. It was little wonder that we could see no wildlife on the mountain, as it all seemed to be stuffed and mounted on the walls of the bar and dining room.

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Lenggries

Despite the below zero temperatures, Sunday gave us one of those immaculate, crisp winter days when you just have to get outside and enjoy the winter spectacle.

We drove up to Lenggries in the alps, about an hour and a half from here. It was so cold and the snow is so dry that it actually squeaked as we walked over it.

We walked for a couple of hours and then stopped by a local pub for a hearty lunch. Mind you, I don’t think it is possible to find anything but a hearty lunch in Bavaria and the further in to the countryside you venture, the heartier the meals become.

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The Cooper's Dance

Munich’s “Coopers’ Dance” dates back to 1517 and is related to the Plague. In order to contain the spread of infection the city’s gates were closed and travel from the country was limited. When the crisis passed, people were so traumatised that they did not want to come out of their houses. In order to show the townsfolk that there was no danger and to encourage them back into the city, the Coopers Guild put on an amusing spectacle of music and dancing. This is now repeated once every seven years and this was the year. The spectacle took place in our local Unterschleissheim town square. It is a bit of a worry, but Ingrid gets awfully excited when she sees grown men dancing and slapping themselves, even more so if they are wearing leather shorts. One thing was very strange, this being Bavaria, there were no beer stalls.

New Year in Switzerland

For something different, we decided to watch the New Years Eve fireworks in Zurich. On the way, we stayed the first night in Bregenz in Austria just this side of the border, as hotels cost a half of those in Switzerland. Wandering down from the old town to the shores of Lake Contance, we came across an amazing stage set for the opera Andre Chenier installed in and over the lake.

We were warned that the only reason to go to Lichtenstein was to be able to say that you had been there. I am afraid that this is probably true. Just for good measure, we had to drive through a sudden, very heavy snowfall. I love the special snow tyres we are obliged to fit in the winter.

Zurich was hopping on New Years Eve with street fairs, live bands and best of all, Prosecco bars. Hearing all of the city and church bells at midnight was pretty impressive, but there were no fireworks. This was a little disappointing, as it was the excuse for us being there. As no one seemed to be moving on after midnight, we stayed around too. For some unknown reason, the fireworks started at a quarter past midnight. They were worth it.

 Our favourite part of Switzerland was Lucerne, a very pretty small city sitting beside an idyllic lake. All of this surrounded by grandiose alps, which are as breathtaking now as they were 35 years ago when I first saw them. We had a pleasant wander along the Reuss River and then through the old town.

Ingrid’s favourite part was the dying lion carved in the face of an old sandstone quarry near the middle of town. It is to commemorate the Swiss Guards massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution. Mark Twain described it as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world”. At 10 m by 6 m, it is certainly imposing.

Our last day was spent in Schaffhausen with its waterfalls on the Rhine, the Munot, a circular fortress on the hill and its Renaissance architectural patrimony of delightful oriole windows and frescoed facades in the old town.

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