Echternach Luxembourg

I am sitting in Cafe Poste here on the square in Echternach, on a very slow computer, watching Italy play Slovackia. I can use the computer as long as I drink bier. Thank god for the qwerty key board.

We walked from Grufflingen, Be. to Ouren on the Our River and had the best dinner on the trip. Cold and threatening, but that did not stop the band concert in Burg Ruland on the way. From Ouren we crossed the bridge between three countries: Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. Then on along the river to Dasberg Pont, where we crossed the bridge and stayed in Germany at Relles Muhle, an old flower mill site that now makes hydropower for the bakery we slept over, for 50 euros. the only retaurant was closed so we ate trail mix and beer for dinner. From Dasberg we walked and bused to Grundhof.

Put this on your to do list: The hike from Beaufort to Grundhof to Berdorf to Echternach. It is breath taking. Beautiful streams, sandsone cliffs and grottos, and wonderful beech woods with trees three feet in diameter. We had hiked here before but not the whole route. We stayed again at the Hotel l Ernz Noire. You can do this hike in a day or split it into three very easy days with wonderful hotels in quiet villages for overnights, buses at both ends, and trains from any place in Europe to Luxembourg Ville to begin the trek.

We have seen more people on the trail here than anywhere else. Groups of school children, climbers on the sand stone cliffs, families, old couples in their eighties, and we ran into our Dutch friends Hilly and Jacob, who we met in Spa, when we arrived here in Echternach.

When we climbed out of the forest into Berdorf the church bells in every village rang for ten minutes to celebrate Luxembourg Independence Day. There were festivities in front of the church including speeches by local dignitaries. We went down the street to a cafe and watched the town brass band march by followed by many citizens dressed up in their finest clothes.

Tomorrow we head down the Sure to the Mosselle and on into France for our next layover day. The weather has finally turned fine and we will be in short sleeves for awhile.