Petite Suisse Luxembourgeouise

The Michelin Guide gives three stars to the Petite Suisse Luxembourgeoise, a small area of the country near the German border, bounded by the Moselle River. We would have taken a boat trip along the river, which is really quite narrow in many places, but we couldn’t find a parking space in Remich, one of the towns where the boat docked. I mean literally....nowhere to park at a quarter to three on a Sunday afternoon.The reason? The entire town and many visitors from Luxembourg, France and Germany were all playing in the riverside parks or having their Sunday lunch in the parade of restaurants looking out over the river. So we ended up cruising the river …in our car, which was really no hardship, since the views were spectacular, and we were able to stop off in a number of the small villages set amongst the vineyards which lined both banks of the river.Although my father was a fan of German wines ( he developed an appreciation for them AFTER he was rescued from a German prisoner of war camp), I have never been particularly fond of them. However, our first stop was Ehnen, a small wine growing village, where we enjoyed a bottle of local Rivaner in a riverside restaurant which offered a Sunday noon all-you-can-eat buffet. Nine hours later, and I still was not hungry.

One surprising feature of the regional small towns along the river was the extensive use of colour on the buildings. However, looking across the river at the small German villages, I realized why...here one also finds a similar colour palette. It’s not quite as dramatic as Albania, but it’s certainly more colourful than what we found in Belgium.At one point I thought about going over the bridge to Germany to look around, but decided against it. However, an hour later I was surprised to have someone race past me with German plates. When I looked more carefully, I realized that most cars had German plates. Somehow I had crossed into Germany without even realizing it! At that point, Sally decided to turn the navigation unit on and fifteen minutes later, we were back in Luxembourg.

After a day of exploring and being tempted by the hot spring waters of Mondorf-Les-Bains, a popular spa town, we decided to settle for the night in the very attractive town of Echternach. Since we had not reserved any accommodation, I spent an hour searching hotels on the internet while having a drink in a cafe overlooking the main square... only to end up booking the one hotel recommended in the Michelin guide which turned out to be right next door.A major consideration in choosing this hotel was its very high satisfaction rating from previous guests. If you don’t use TripAdvisor or similar websites to check out guest comments, you are missing out on some useful information. As an aside, I was tempted by some photos and the description of a more deluxe hotel set in extensive gardens just outside of the town. However, when I checked the guest rating it was not that high and comments noted that the property was located at the junction of two very busy streets and one guest complained that the least expensive bottle of wine in the restaurant was 28 euros.

(I will add my comments about the hotel where we stayed. It was well located; extremely clean and good value for money. But the TV was very small and although there were 34 stations, none were in English! There was also no internet, both a blessing and a curse. )
The next morning, we set off for Vianden, a very picturesque hillside village, overlooked by a very large castle. We could have spent quite a bit of time exploring, but we were looking forward to getting to Brussels and wanted to keep enough time for other finds along the way as we drove through the Ardennes, the forested and mountainous region of Luxembourg and Belgium.

It was not quite like driving the road to Squamish, but with a lot of tight hairpin turns it was a very different experience than touring the rest of the country which is about as flat as the Richmond Golf and Country Club. The road included plenty of warnings for motorcyclists (I suspect there had been a few accidents) and it was interesting to see roadside markings painted on trees that had been specially planted along the side of the road in some areas.On a somewhat related matter, when I read in the Vancouver Sun that there had been a tragic accident in Vancouver at a location where there had been 60 other accidents in the previous four years, (the Assistant City Engineer said it was about normal), I could not help but wonder why the city doesn't install signs letting motorists and pedestrians know this is a dangerous intersection.

Also, compared to Belgium, Vancouver pedestrian crossings are very poorly marked. Here one often finds pedestrian crossings marked by tall black and yellow poles with extra lighting, even in the middle of a small town. It might be overkill (if you'll pardon the pun) but I suspect it works!

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Sally wanted to come to Luxembourg because her sister danced the Luxembourg polka for the Penguin Concert Party. I wanted to come because I always had a fascination with the country since my stamp collecting days.

We had planned to take the train since on the map of Belgium, Luxembourg seemed a long distance away. However, on Friday night we started to chat to a couple in a restaurant who, it turned out, lived in Luxembourg. “How long will it take you to drive home?” Sally asked. “Oh, about 3 hours” they said. (Actually, they said trois heures, since they spoke to us in French”.

“Is that all?” Sally exclaimed. At which point I realized it was foolish for us to take the train…for one thing, it took four hours, and for another, having a car would allow us to explore more of the area. Furthermore, on Monday we were planning to go to Brussels which is less than two hours from Luxembourg. And so early Saturday morning we set off for Luxembourg, which is both a city and a country…the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. After two hours we stopped to get some gas and use the facilities and who did we see…. our new Luxembourgish friends from the restaurant. C’est vraiment une petite monde. (We now realize that they probably thought we were following them!)

Luxembourg the country has a population of about 450,000 and the city has a population of about 84,000. It sits on top of a sandstone bluff, with deep gorges along a river that separates the old town from the ‘new town’; although it should be noted that the new town was built in the early 20^th century. A very impressive 'red bridge' connects different parts of the city.In the early 50’s Luxembourg became the headquarters of the European Coal and Steel Community which was a sort of forerunner for the creation of the European Economic Community or Common Market in 1957. At that time Luxembourg and Strasbourg became the alternating homes of the General Secretariat.

While I had seen images of older Luxembourg buildings, I did not really know what to expect.
We took a ‘hop on hop off’ bus trip around the city and enjoyed some dramatic views and significant differences between the different parts of the city. As a general comment, it feels quite different from the parts of Belgium we have been frequenting, by virtue of its topography and vegetation. But like Belgium, the city is clean and well kept.

Although Brussels is now the primary capital city of the ECC, Luxembourg has continued to be the home of many ECC entities which are housed in some very impressive new ECC buildings located around the ‘European Precinct’ on the Kirchberg Plateau. This area is vehicle oriented and feels quite ‘futuristic’ and reminded both Sally and me of Brasilia, another purpose built capital city.In addition to the government buildings and related private sector offices, there is also a new shopping mall designed by a famous French architect... and very impressive Philharmonic Hall. A prominent site is reserved for this sculpture of 'the thin banker'. (While a fat banker might have been a more appropriate image for the country, I suspect it would have used up too much material and cast too much shadow.)We discovered a new residential area that is being developed for European functionaires and others moving to the city. Some of the buildings were very attractive.While I knew that Luxembourgers spoke both French and German, I didn’t realize that they have their own language…Luxembourgois which is a mixture of both. Students also learn English at school, making them multi-lingual at a very early age.

Luxembourg is expensive. It cost 1.1 euros (about $1.75) to use the public toilet in the train station. While the hotels are fairly priced, (perhaps due in part to a recent government directive that encourages conference calls as an alternative to business trips) we found the restaurants to be more expensive than Belgium…28 euros or $44 dollars is fairly standard for a main course in an average restaurant…and the seafood platter with a half lobster (a Canadian lobster I might add) that we enjoyed on the Belgium coast for 29 euros, was 60 euros in a comparable restaurant in Luxembourg. (Which, I guess is why our Luxembourger friend was eating there too!)
It was impressive, but after 24 hours, we were ready to head off, and explore more of the country. On the advice of a number of people, and our Michelin Guide, we decided to set off for the Moselle and the highly rated Petite Swiss Luxembourgoise.

We programed our GPS navigator and were shocked to discover it would take us almost three hours! But then we remembered that we had re-programmed the unit from 'vehicle' to 'pedestian' travel...in fact it took about 20 minutes to get to the Moselle.

At the Border

Although I have a NEXUS pass, I hate going across the border into the USA. I find the whole process so unfortunate. The level of security is bordering on the preposterous, especially when flying into or through the states.

So it is so refreshing to travel between European countries. In fact, on our way from Luxembourg to Belgium, on a couple of occasions, I took the wrong turn and ended up in Germany for a few minutes at a time. Often the only way to tell was by the more run down buildings and aggressive drivers in Audis with a small D on their license plate!

When we reached Belgium, we did see this border sign, and to let us know that we were truly in Belgium, it was shortly followed by the sign for frittes!

Louvain-La-Neuve: A University Town

When I was working on the development of UniverCity at SFU, I tried to find other examples of 'purpose built' university towns elsewhere in the world. One place recommended to me was Louvain-La-Neuve, 30km south of Brussels...the only completely new town built in Belgium since 1666. While I thought about visiting, I never got around to it...until earlier this week.

Unfortunately, I did not make any prior arrangements to meet with university officials, and the main information centre was closed (since it was Monday!) But we did look around, spoke with an Irishman who ran one of the many pubs, and took some photos. I would like to have stayed longer, but Sally hated the place, and we both wanted to get to Brussels. I will return one day.

What I found was indeed a completely new town, built in conjunction with a new university. The raison d'etre for the university was linked to the linguistic conflicts between the French and Flemish in the 60's..without going into all the details, it seems that the Flemish students remained in Louven, and a completely new university was built for the French speaking students, along with a new town.

The buildings were designed in the late 60's and can best be described as a vivid example of "The New Brutalism". I found the following description of the place in Wikipedia:

The town was created with the sole purpose of hosting the Université de Louvain. As such all the grounds are property of the University.

Consequently, the University was able to play an important role in the conception and planning of the town. They decided that city should not be only inhabited by students, but rather draw a diverse community as is found in any classic city. Moreover, one of the main points of the urban design of Louvain-la-Neuve was to make it people rather than automobile centred. As a consequence, the city center is built on a gigantic concrete slab, with all motorized traffic travelling underground. This allows most of the ground level of the city center to be car free. Most buildings are built on the slab (la dalle), and the pedestrian area is expanding even far from the city centre.





As evidence by the photos, it is a rather harsh environment. Moreover, many of the buildings have been poorly maintained, no doubt due to the same government policies that make it difficult to maintain public universities across Canada.

While there have been some efforts to create a few elements of delight, the campus felt very oppressive, due to the 70's architecture, the lack of vegetation, and the general scale and site planning. However, some of the newer buildings were quite good, and I suspect that the outlying areas are more attractive. I just didn't get a chance to visit them.Today there are about 30,000 students and community residents. The goal is about 30,000 permanent residents in addition to 15,000 students.

From what I did see, both in terms of the physical form and student and resident programs, I suspect there are lessons to be learned from Louvain-La-Neuve which could benefit the continuing developement at UniverCity and UBC's University Town. If nothing else, it is worth a visit to try the moules frittes at Le Prof restaurant!

Reubens Sport Sijsele: The best bicycle shop in Belgium

As I have often mentioned, most Belgians use a bicycle to get around for work or pleasure. While bicycle thefts can be a problem, one way to deter them is to have a 'built-in' locking system. I first noticed these rear wheel locks when I was in Sweden, and planned to buy some for our bikes in Canada, but they were quite heavy, and I assumed I could buy them at home. But in fact, I could not find them in a number of shops, and eventually gave up.So yesterday, while driving through a small town called Sijsele on my way to Bruges, I decided to stop at a large bike shop on the main street to buy some locks....since it had an OPEN sign in the window.

"I noticed your sign. Can I assume you speak English?" I asked. "Of course" said a very attractive lady behind the counter. In fact, my husband is from Vancouver Canada."

Out of the thousands of bicycle shops in Belgium, we just happened to pick the one owned by a Canadian from Vancouver! He came to Belgium 22 years ago to race, and stayed. But he proudly wears the MAPLE LEAF on his racing jersey. And now, so do I, since he and his wife wouldn't let me leave the shop without giving me my own RUBENS SPORT SIJSELE racing shirt. I was also given some matching socks.

Sally has asked me not to buy matching spandex shorts until I lose 20 pounds!So, if you are ever in Belgium and need something for your bike, you might want to check out Rubens Sport, or go to their website at reubenssport.be. I suspect you too will find a lot of products not available in Canada. You can also read about the amazing life of a Canadian cyclist who races all over the world

C'est vraiment une petite monde.

European Cars (I wish we had in North America)

I have always preferred European cars to North American or Asian cars. My very first car was a Simca 1000....not one of the world's great cars, but certainly better than the Vauxhall that I thought I was buying. My next car was a Peugeot 404, with a sunroof...that had the most comfortable seats...in fact, when the car no longer was functioning, I removed the seats and used them in my living room in Ottawa.

When I moved to UK in 1968, one of my flatmates helped me buy a Ford Anglia for 35 pounds (I couldn't test drive it, since I couldn't drive a gear shift). But the cars that I truly remember were my Jaguar Mark 1, that I bought in 1968 in Manchester since my Anglia was too small to sleep in, and I was heading off on a long trip to Cornwall. Before you get the wrong idea, it was not a new car...in fact, it was quite an old car. The Mark 1 was made between 1955 and 1959. Mine was a 1956...I can't remember whether it was a 2.4 or 3.4 engine...but I do remember that my good friend Eli Harari with whom I lived wanted me to wear a chauffeur's cap whenever I drove him to the university...I also remember that every time it hit a bump in the road, YOU COULD LITERALLY HEAR THE RUST FALL OFF!Eli and I didn't take the Jag when we decided to tour Europe together in 1969. Instead, we purchased a used NSU Prinz 30 for $100 which was notable for the fact that the front and back were virtually indistinguishable and it was so mechanically simple, that even I could repair the clutch.I mention this since now that I am back in Europe, I can't help but notice all of the cars we can't buy in North America. There are some wonderful small cars and compact 'hard top' convertibles made by Peugeot, Ford and GM (Opel)...perhaps if they had sold them in North America they would have fared better. There are also some very nice Citroens (always one of my favourite manufacturers) and others that I have never heard of. So for any of my blog readers who like unusual cars not found in US, here are some photos...I hope they will remind you of your favourite European car stories...And finally, the little Renault that has been my car away from home for the past three weeks...

In Memoriam: Abe Rogatnick

I was very saddened to learn about the recent passing of Abe Rogatnick. He was truly a remarkable person and to my mind, someone who lived each day as if it were his last. He was a regular participant at a variety of civic events, and although he always seemed so frail, he was a very vital person with a brilliant, inquisitive mind.

One of his most recent interests was a desire to promote greater public discussion about urban issues in the city. He told me he wanted to make a substantial financial contribution to an appropriate entity and was talking to a variety of individuals and institutions to determine what might be the most effective way to make this happen.

I just hope that somehow his dream will be realized. While we have some organizations in the city which promote discussion on important planning issues, (The City Program at SFU, ThinkCity, the Vancouver City Planning Commission and the somewhat dormant Urbanarium Society all come to mind), there seems to be a hunger in our city for a suitable forum to discuss important architectural and planning issues.

I hope that Abe’s passing will not stop the discussion on how best to promote such public and professional dialogue. On the contrary, I would like to see some institution or event, bearing his name, (although he didn’t particularly want this) to celebrate the memory of his wonderful life, his contribution to our city, and his desire for a more passionate dialogue on art, architecture, planning and design.