Field Trip: Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner

This past Saturday we went on another adventure with no particular plan except to eat every meal in a different country. That's it. One of the great things about Luxembourg is its location and size. If you drive about 30-40 minutes in any direction you're in another country. We decided to take advantage of that opportunity and scope out some of the areas in Belgium, France, and Germany closest to us that we can spend more time in later on. Basically it was a recon mission.

First stop, Arlon in the Luxembourg Province of Belgium. Arlon is supposed to be the oldest city in Belgium and records of it exist from Ancient Rome. We found the tourist office and picked up a map of the walking tours. There are two tours, the long and the short that focus on the history of Arlon. After having breakfast at Maison Pomba we set off. Since it was pouring and cold we opted for the short tour which passed such highlights like the Musée de Archéologique with its collection of Roman stonework, ceramics, glass and Merovingian funerary goods. At 4€ a piece it's worth a look, but it's not a very large exhibit despite the size of the building. The trail leads past several churches and through the old town. The highlight is the Pilgrim Steps that lead to the old citadel and the Church of St. Michael. The whole tour took a couple of hours, but was worth the cold and rain.

Meal: Jambon et Fromage (Ham and cheese) sandwich, croissant, and coffee at Maison Pomba in the pedestrian zone.

Reason to Go Back: The privately run Musée de Bicycle has a massive collection of bicycles and memorabilia dating all the way back to the very first velocipedes. But, you need an appointment to see it.

Next, we drove from Belgium into France to the City of Metz. It too is one of the oldest cities in France and was also settled by Rome. You need at least a day for Metz. Unfortunately we only had about two hours. Once again, we stopped at the tourist office to get some maps and guides for the next time we come and then headed right to the Cathedral de St. Etienne (St. Stephen). Now, I've seen a few cathedrals, but this definitely ranks in the top 5 most beautiful and awe inspiring I've ever seen. It's free to enter, but make sure to remove your hat. This cathedral took about 300 years to build (300 years is older than the United States, by the way). It has the largest expanse of stained glass windows in the world and has one of the tallest naves. We walked into this place and our jaws hit the floor. There is nothing like a gothic cathedral. Metz is also known for its yellow sandstone and just about everything in the center is built from it. Metz has about 6 or so walking tours to follow, but we didn't have time to go too far into any of them. It was much more crowded than Arlon, but not too packed.

Meal: Saumon Creme avec Mustard L'Ancien and salad with a Co-Ca followed by a crepe at PAUL in the shopping district.

Reason To Go Back: Musée de Metz has a huge collection of everything from Rome to modern times, throw in the ancient Roman baths and you'll have plenty of history and archaeology to keep you happy. Of course, the walking tours are worth exploring and St. Etienne's isn't the only massive church.

We swung back to Luxembourg to let the dog out before making our dinner stop in Germany. Trier is the largest German city closest to us. We've been before but have yet to experience all its sights. Trier is the oldest city in Germany and the most important Roman city in northern Europe. Many things from ancient times remain such as the gate to the old city, the Porta Nigra. So far, we've only been there after the stores closed, but is enjoyable to walk around even after dark in the rain.

Meal: Schnitzel, Sausage Salad, fried potatoes and beer followed by espresso at the tourist restaurant Kartoffel-Kiste.

Reason To Go Back: Where to begin? Plenty of archaeology, the early Christian cathedral, museums and much more. Additionally, it's worth having a meal at Zom Dommstein, known for its authentic Roman menu.

Ok, now for some pictures. Geez, I still can't believe we have been blessed with this opportunity.