Day 92 - Luxembourg - The elephant in the Room

Before I start with today’s blog there was one thing I forgot from last night, as I said we found a supermarket and had a look around.  As we went through the check out we noticed little 6 X 4 inch flags that were hanging from the pole on each checkout.  This identified the language of the checkout worker.  It was a really good idea and wonder if such a thing would ever be adopted in the UK.  It goes to show that they understand that we are all European and that we all speak different languages and much different from the “if you come to the UK then learn English” attitude we have.  Also I wonder how many flags could be flown above each checkout person in Tesco or Morrisions in Goole.  I noticed some of the check out operators had five flags, French, Belgian (I assume Flemish), German, English and some had Turkish.  I really took to the idea although the queue for the girl who only spoke French was the shortest so I went to that one as I didn’t want a conversation just to pay for my bits and get on my way.

Now on to today and the outstanding memory of today has to be the guys working on the building at the back of the hotel, as you can probably tell I have a lousy view just looking out onto another building.  Not a hotel but an apartment block and there three guys doing some work.  Health and safety has not yet hit them as one guy was on a huge ladder dismantling a drain pipe on the 4^th floor and then passed it to another guy on about the second floor ladder who then threw it to a guy on the ground supposedly holding the ladder.  He did catch it to be fair and laid it down.  The guy then extended the ladder and worked a bit higher putting a new piece of drainpipe in.  The point is that the guy standing almost five stories up has one hand on the ladder and leaning over fixing the drain pipe, very scare stuff.

So onto other things, as you can tell from above it was mostly working from the hotel today before my meeting which was scheduled at 16:00.  We had finished by 18:00 and rather than go back and start straight away working again we decided we would go for a walk.  This time my colleague led the way as the last time he had been here alone he found a nice walk down into the valley area and around some lovely streets and passed the city walls.  So we ventured and have to admit it is like a different city down there.  Little streets with bars and of course the River Alzette (or so he told me, I am not sure how he knew but I bow to his knowledge).  We spend a entertaining five minutes firstly watching a dog swimming in the river and then looking down at the fish which you could see just below the surface.  After that it was onward and passed a few little bars.  Whilst walking we have noticed a lot of painted sculptured elephants and to show what I mean I got my photo taken behind one of them.  Also another photo shows a house that is built between the rocks that adorn the lower areas of Luxembourg.  It was all very pretty and a nice change from just working every night.

As all things come to an end it was time to head back which we did by taking the long way through the upper city centre, past the bus and railway station and then back to the hotel, a nice walk in the evening warmth and sunshine.

After some time checking emails and writing up meeting minutes it will soon be time for bed as tomorrow it is up early to travel to Esch sur Alzette where I will be working in a workshop for the best part of the day before heading the four hour or so journey back to Dunkirk.  We have put the hotel on standby that we could be quite late arriving and not to let our rooms go.

So that is all for tonight

Night all

I am the one behind the elephant in the less bright tee shirt

This was a house that appears to have been build in the rock, a very nice area to walk around