Day 150 and I hear bells. I woke up this morning to the sound of church bells, funny but I have been here many times before and stayed in the same hotel but not heard them before. So either my deafness to Luxembourg Church Bells has lifted or some church has just installed them. No matter which, it was a nice way to be brought into the day.
The milestone day (being my 150th day of travel on this project and that is since the start of April) started off as most others when in Luxembourg, wake up, visit the loo, check my emails, get a shower, check my emails, get dried, check my emails, go to breakfast and get back as quick as poss, check my emails, change into my work clothes, check my emails and head out the door. For the record as soon as I arrive at the office I open my PC and check my emails. On the news they are trying to tell us we are becoming obsessed with technology, I think they make this stuff up.
After work it was either, got back to the room and do some catch up work stuff or go out and see what I can see. I opted for the later and as I have my car this week I choose to drive out. As my Belgian colleague is staying in a different hotel and my new UK colleague was still at some other office working I was on my own as I headed out the door and to the car park.
The plan to go for a run even at 6.00 p.m. is a mistake in this city as the rush hour seems to start after 5.00 p.m. and goes on until after 7.00 p.m. I joined the queue of traffic attempting to leave the city and as I needed fuel it took me nearly 15 minutes to get to the petrol station some half a file away. I should have walked there.
The good news on the fueling up point is the price. I said last week that France is cheap well if France is cheap then Luxembourg must be really cheap (couldn't think of a great literary word). I was stood at the pump and noticed the price was 1.18 euros so with the conversion rate that is just over £1 a litre some 30% cheaper than the UK. Amazing really as we are all in Europe and the oil probably came out of the same countries oil wells. It shows the level of tax each government adds to fuel and the effect it can have on people. Looking at the driving I do it could make the difference of about £75 pound per week if I was living in Europe and when you consider that would be an additional £300 per month added to the family budget it is not an insignificant some. It would be interesting to see how much better off living in Europe is to living in Britain but I suppose that would take a lot more than simple calculations such as this.
So after my fueling I had a drive and finished up at the supermarket that I visited yesterday for some more provisions. If we are keeping on the comparison subject it is interesting to see that food is a lot more expensive here than at home, whilst alcohol is by far cheaper. Even in the biggest supermarket you can easily pay the equivalent of more than a pound for a tin of beans and not just the branded ones like Heinz. Tins of peas and carrots that would cost about 40 to 50 pence are marked in the region of a pound. Maybe the locals can stomach paying more for food but not more for fuel (please note the intended pun). Perhaps it is a case that essentials are higher priced whilst luxuries like fuel and drink are less to encourage their use. Just a thought and probably completely unsound.
By the time I left the supermarket it was almost 8.00 p.m. and I thought I would return to the hotel and do some more work whilst having the England football game on the TV. When i put the TV on I realised it must be the first time I have put a TV on in a hotel for a weeks. However the England game became a distraction and I wanted to get the minutes and actions lists out from the meetings I had been running during the day so the TV was soon switched off. Working until almost 11:30 p.m. did give me lots of catch up time so I am going to bed with a clear mind and hopefully a good sleep. With the alarm not set until 8.00 a.m. some catch up time on sleep is the order of the night.
So Night All.
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