Leaving Lhasa

We have had four glorious days in Lhasa and thoroughly enjoyed this exotic city.  We have stayed in a typical Tibetan rest house owned by a Tibetan family in the heart of the old city and only a 10 minute walk to Johkang Square the centre of town.  Lhasa is a city under construction - almost every road in the old city is torn up while they install heating.  Not for the Tibetans to do one road at a time and with their obsolete tools their progress is slow only quickened by the fact that they work long hours.   

The main square is framed on one side by the Johkang Temple, the most important temple to the Tibetan Buddhists.  It is smoky and mystical, with candles burning in yak butter and many relics and idols lining the various crowded chapels.  The Tibetans are a devout people, lucky for the Chinese occupiers!!!  They always believe something good will come from situations but the presence of the Chinese police and army is obvious and blatant.  Check points everywhere, loudspeakers telling you what a blessing they are for Tibet and a huge statue in front of the revered Potala Palace called the Peaceful Chinese Pacification of Tibet monument.  Think John and I will be joining in a few marches on our return. 

The most wonderful asset of this country is its people and nowhere is this more obvious than on the circumambulation around the Johkang Temple where young and old join in to better their chances of heaven as their destination in the next life.  All walk clockwise with prayer wheels, rosary beads and prostrating themselves as they make their way around the temple. Large stupors burn incense and the whole experience is very spiritual and intense yet uplifting and relaxed at the same time. 

We visited the wonderful Potala Palace - probably the most impressive building we have ever seen and once home to the Dalai Lama.  It was very interesting.  Our guide is a passionate Buddhist and we have learnt a lot from him.  No one is allowed to enter Tibet without a guide and a car booked so it's an expensive business.  Probably the most expensive country we have ever visited.  But our guide, Tenzin, is very experienced and is keen to help us see the best Tibet has to offer.  We went with him yesterday to the Deprung Monastery which was also extremely intersting. 

Today we leave Lhasa and head toward Everest Base Camp via Gyantse and Shigatse.  The weather has been great here so we are praying for a fine day at EBC so as we can see that beautiful big mountain in all its glory.   

Hope all is well at home.  Happy holiday, Jules.  Hope you really enjoy Canada.  Will be thinking of you.  Take good care.

Deb and John

The beautiful people of Tibet

 

We are in Tibet!!!

We enjoyed our time in China and had a couple more wonderful days in Yangshuo.  After getting a very sore bottom on a bicycle, we swapped to a scooter for a day riding around the mountains with new friends from America.  Steve, our bandb owner came with us for part of the way and showed us places off the beaten track.  We had a wonderful day.  The mountain scenery here is different and dramatic and the lushness of the watered countryside makes the vistas remarkable.  Steve and Jess kindly let us have our room till late the next day when we taxied over to Guilin and finally got our flight to Chengdu at 2 in the morning.  It was a long night and one you would rather forget.  When we got to our hotel which I had booked because it was near the airport we had to leave the windows open because the planes flew through.  We spent the day in Chengdu going out to the Zoo as we thought this was where they had the panda nursery.  But no, just another sad Chinese zoo.  It was filthy and sad.  

Well, we are now in Lhasa in Tibet.  We flew over here on Sunday morning and we were met by our guide and driver for the next 10 days who brought us into our typical Tibetan hotel.  Lhasa is amazing and is preparing for one of its major festivals of the year, Saga Dawa.  We both got a pretty bad dose of altitude sickness for the first two days but noticed a big difference yesterday after John and Tensey, our guide, got some strong Chinese medicine to help us.   

Yesterday, Densey took us to the Johkang Temple.  It was incredible.  Hard to explain.  The Tibetan people are Buddhist and this is one of the most important Buddhist Temples for them.  There is a sense of the mystical and spiritual as you enter the Chapel.  It is smoky and full of their gods and people circumambulating the inside of the temple.    In the afternoon, John and I wandered around Lhasa by ourselves and we have both decided we love it here.  Certainly a different experience from the first day which was clouded by headaches and tiredness.   

There is of course a strong Chinese army presence.  Constant checkpoints and soldiers marching with batons are reminders of the aggression these people have suffered.  The Tibetan people are wonderful and very long suffering.   

The streets in the old town here are being pulled up at the moment to install heating into the houses.  Every street is difficult to navigate and we are constantly stepping over big holes and trenches.  Wouldn't want to have a few too many beers. 

Hope all the Mums had a great day on Sunday.  Thinking especially of the new Mum in our family, Maree, and hope Gary and Lachlan treated you to a great day. 

Deb and John

Us on the roof of the Johkang Temple looking across to the Potala Palace

Riding in Yangshuo

On the Bund in Shanghai

Our street in Shanghai - it was a pet market

What a sight!  The Potala Palace in Lhasa - one of the most impressive buildings we have ever seen

Rainy and misty afternoons ...

are perfect for reading and sleeping and writing blog entries especially after cycling all morning out to Moon Hill near Yangshuo in southern China.  What a morning!!!!  John was very patient with my frequent stops but we did it together and covered the 12 or so kilometres among the karst mountains and bursting rivers in the morning sunshine.  Although Yangshuo is quite the tourist retreat, we have enjoyed our time here so far with good food and great hospitality at the Stone Bridge B&B owned by an Aussie and his Chinese wife.  Amazingly they used to live near Fernvale so we had immediate common ground.  It is a beautiful area - one of the prettiest in China and we look forward to the next couple of days.

We came here from Nanjing.  Caught the train there from Shanghai.  Although it wasn't a bullet train it reached speeds of 300 kmh and we covered the distance in no time at all.  We liked Nanjing and walked the walls and visited the Southern Gate where the Japanese broke through.  Also went out to the Yangtze River.  But without a doubt the highlight was a visit to the site commemorating the Nanjing Massacre.  Nearly 400,000 Chinese citizens - men, women and children - were slaughtered by the Japanese here in 1937 and this site respectfully and fittingly pays homage to those who died.  It is more than a museum with memorial parks, cemetries, peace parks etc.  The Chinese might not see the irony of promoting peace throughout the world - think the Tibetans might have something to say about that. 

We have found the Chinese people pleasant especially when I practice my exquisite Chinese on them which Patrick taught me.  Food has been a challenge at times especially in Nanjing where not many menus had English translations.  When you know that pig brains, tripe, intestines are on the menu you tend to be a bit careful. 

Of course, all social media sites are blocked as is my blog site so Lynda is putting these posts up for me.  Hope you enjoy the photos (not arrived yet). 

Deb and John

Shanghai - now this is a City with a capital C

After a lovely comfortable day in KL which is pretty much becoming our home away from home, we flew in Shanghai late last Thursday night or early Friday morning and arrived at our hostel exhausted and looking for a good night's sleep.  The place we are staying in is great.  Right behind the Marriott and a lovely big room and a beautiful hot shower.  Just what we needed.  Shanghai has been so enjoyable and our first day we spent wandering down Nanjing Road which must be one of the most incredible city streets in the world - busy, bustling, shopping, food, buskers.  It's all there.  It took us quite a few hours to get from our hostel down to the Bund where we took in the Peace Hotel, the Customs House and the Bank of Shanghai.  My favourite was the Peace Hotel and John's the Bank.  These are buildings all built in the 1920s by the British and are amazing.  The most beautiful ceilings which add light and colour to the rooms they umbrella.  We did a look around first from the restaurant atop the Marriott - from the 36th floor and got a look at sprawling Shanghai.

We have never seen such an array of skyscrapers - each one almost a architectural masterpiece.  Our friend, Bob Reuben, recommended we go to a place called Xuijihu - not sure of the spelling - to see cityscape at its grandest and we headed there yesterday morning.  Standing on the overpass there and looking around was an architectural overload and really worth seeing.  From there we headed to a village of Qibao.  Now village is hardly the word but they have a section of old town well preserved and we spent a few hours wandering around the wooden Chinese houses and over the bridges, eating glorious and tasty street food and generally enjoying the balmy spring weather.

In total contrast, last night we rewalked Nanjing Road on Saturday night.  What a blast.  The lights are like nothing I have ever seen.  Something you can never capture in a photograph.  There were people everywhere and you wouldn't go many steps without being intrigued by what a group of people were watching.  Dancing, singing, acting buskers were everywhere.  A really popular pastime here for women's exercise is they learn a dance.  Not zumba style but to their own level and they perform as a group in the mall.  Mind you not a smile on any of their faces!!!  We ended our walk on the Bund looking across at Pudong and the light show that it puts on every night.  We also called in to the Peace Hotel and listened to a famous Chinese jazz band.  The Jazz Bar there was once voted the best bar in the world!!!!!  The average age of the band is 75 and the drummer is 90 - so hope for us yet.

We leave this afternoon for Nanjing.  We have really enjoyed our time in this big big city.     

I don't want to leave Ireland

but sad to say we will be tomorrow.  We are in delightful Cork today after leaving our little cottage on the sea and between the Mugillicuddy Wreeks and the Slieve Mish Mountains this morning.  The sun was shining was on the mountains and it was glorious when we drove out.  We had a wonderful time there.  Of the last couple of days we spent one in Kenmare and then on the Beara Peninsula.  Maree our niece had recommended we go here and she was dead right.  Not as well known as Kerry and Dingle but every bit as beautiful and not as many tourists.  My favourite part of any drive here is when we go over the mountain passes.  The scenery is breathtaking and we love it.  On the Beara Peninsula you drive along the top of the ridge and can look both ways down green valleys and it was just gorgeous.  I was reading an article about Maureen O'Hara the other day and she lives here.  Probably most of you might not know who Maureen O'Hara is and I probably should not have mentioned that little fact.

My favourite pass was the Gap of Dunloe just out of Killarney.  We shared an extremely narrow road with horse and carts and walkers and other cars and trucks.  Sometimes we had to stop to see where the road went it was so steep but oh so beautiful with the mountains all around, waterfalls, THE most amazing valleys. 

Yesterday we went to Tralee and had some time in that little town and then drove along the northern coast of the Dingle Peninsula.  Once again wonderful green views of coast and mountains.  We have been surprised at the beautiful beaches here.  Very near to where we were living was the Inch Strand - a seven kilometre beach.  It's been unseasonally cold here so no swimming for us but lots of others were swimming. 

We have had a lovely day in Cork just wandering around the shops and picking up some last minute pressies.  Tomorrow we will go down to Cobh (pronounced Cove) where the Titanic sailed from before it sank and also the emigrants from Ireland after the famine left from.  So that should be interesting.  We fly to Heathrow tomorrow afternoon and after a couple of days in KL on the way home will arrive home late Wednesday night. 

Hope you have enjoyed our blog.  I keep it mainly as a diary but if you have enjoyed it too we are happy to share our travelling days.  This has been a wonderful trip and we would recommend this way of travelling.  Staying a week in each place has been really wonderful and we arrive at the end of our holiday fresh and relaxed.  Mind you the trip back to Australia will fix that.  We could easily keep going but can't really ignore our responsibilities for too much longer. 

Cheers everyone.  See you back in Australia - which is still, by the way, the best country in the world!!!!!

The sun she is a-shining

today.  I am writing this from Adare Manor.  I don't think I'll leave this place.  It is so gorgeous and I am having a pot of tea and biscuits in the most beautiful surroundings.  We have just had a glorious day going up to the Cliffs Of Moher and then up through the Burren.  Our half Irish niece, Maree, had told us how to park down from the Cliffs and trudge across the farmer's field to get the best views of the cliffs and so we did just that and saw them from an incredible vantage point.  From there we drove up through the Burren.  Hadn't even heard of that before but it is the part of Ireland that is not green fields and stone fences.  It is stone fields and stone fences and fascinating.  Especially with all the wildflowers going off with the rain and sun now.

We have had a great few days here.  One in the Ring of Kerry, one in the Dingle Peninsula and one around Killarney.  Even though the weather could have been better for the first few days it hasn't stopped us seeing anything at all and we have thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful part of the world.  The Irish people are the nicest in the world.  They are just so helpful and of course that tilt in their voice is so charming.

We feel very very comfortable in this country and added to the fact that there is so much to see we will be leaving very reluctantly. 

John is off exploring this beautiful place at the moment so I had better join him. 

Top o the morning to you all

Here we are I wish I could say in sunny Ireland but alas in drizzly cloudy Ireland but still loving this wonderful country.  We are well established in our cottage overlooking Castlemaine Harbour and the Mugillicuddy Wreeks - isn't that a wonderful name - with the mountains of Dingle behind us.  We are really well positioned for accessing both the Kerry and Dingle Peninsulas and we did just that yesterday when we did a drive around the Ring of Kerry.  The weather was kind and we had a lovely day with absolutely spectacular sea and mountain scenery.  Everywhere is a picnic spot and we are very happy driving slowly and taking it all in.  Went down also and did the Skellig Ring which I think was our favourite. 

Today we are in Killarney as the weather is not too good but enjoying it none the same.  I could just sit and listen to the people talk all day.  Wanted to put the guy at the tourist bureau in my pocket and take him home - he had the most beautiful accent. 

Home next week.  I can't believe I have booked a place without wifi but figure it might be good for me to forget about computers and internet for a week.  Thanks Lou for all the work on our house sale.  Really appreciate it.  Glad it all went smoothly.  That little Zeus is not so little anymore, Paddy and Ab.  Take good care everyone and look forward to catching up on our return.

Last day in Edinburgh

and we have decided we really like this very liveable city.  We have walked its streets, ate delicious food, met wonderful people, seen pretty well the entire Royal family, heard hundreds of pipers playing in a parade, not seen the sun very often and have cheered for Andy Murray in the tennis.

Yesterday we had a wonderful day.  William (of the royal kind) was in town with Kate as he was being given Scotland's highest honour, the Order of the Thistle.  Him and Her were also here as was Princess Anne.  So we went up to St Giles, somehow got ourselves into the front row and saw them all although not very clearly.  The best thing though was that they had a big parade of pipers and dancers afterwards down the Royal Mile and that was great.

We have spent the last couple of days seeing those places we hadn't been to.  We had a good walk around the New Town, visited places in the Old Town we hadn't spent enough time in eg St Giles where William's investiture was.  The Thistle Chapel here is wonderful and the cathedral itself is glorious. 

We now have the task of packing for our first flight in a couple of months so it's a bit daunting but I think we have it organised.  We fly to Cork tomorrow, pick up a car and drive out to the Dingle Peninsula where we have a little cottage by the sea for a week.  We are looking forward to that.



Rob Roy is buried here



In the Border country

Edinburgh Castle

The Royal Mile connects Edinburgh Castle
and Holyrood Castle

Pipers parading down the Royal Mile

And Scottish dancers - gotta love it!!!

In the Thistle Chapel at St Giles

St Giles

Cheers everyone.

Bonnie Scotland

This morning I woke up and there was no castle in our window.  The fog was so thick that I could see nothing but now a couple of hours later it is starting to lift and hopefully it won't be the bad day they are forecasting.  We've been pretty lucky so far here with the weather and although it is not brilliant blue skies, as my daughter Cait says, "If it's not an utterly miserable day in Edinburgh, it's considered OK."

On Tuesday we hired a car and set off for the day to the surrounding areas.  We had to go down to the Port of Leith to pick up the car and that is near where the Britannia is moored so called in there quickly on the way out of Edinburgh.  We headed along the coast road up to St Andrews, famous of course for being the home of golf.  Aside from that it is a beautiful little town set right on the coast and we enjoyed a coffee and a wander here.  We then headed up past Dundee and Perth to Loch Earn where we had lunch on the side of the Loch.  I had cullen skink, a wonderful soup recommended by my friend, Deb Beattie.  It is made of potatoes, leek and smoked haddock.  Ended off with a scone and it was perfect. 

On our way down to Stirling Castle and Bannockburn, we called in at a little village in a beautiful glen where Rob Roy was buried.  Apparently he died of old age in his home and at his funeral they processed him 24 miles down this glen.  Stirling and Bannockburn were interesting.  John had visited Bannockburn with its impressive statue of Robert the Bruce 30 odd years ago and apparently it was better then with a very progressive display etc than it had now.  Still it was sobering to stand on the hill where the standard was planted and realise how many lives were lost in the fields in front of us.

We headed then down to the border country to the little town of Peebles.  This was stunning countryside and we visited the oldest house in Scotland, Traquir House and Neiderpath Castle before heading back to Edinburgh.  It was a great day and we really enjoyed it.  thanks to Dani and Aaron for their suggestions.

Yesterday we spent hours at Edinburgh Castle and had a fantastic day.  We enjoyed wandering around this castle that is our next door neighbour and has fantastic views of the city.  We were lucky as there was a wedding in the little chapel while we were there and they had a piper pipe the bride in and playing after the wedding.  Very very nice.  The Scottish boys look quite charming indeed in their kilts and with bagpipes slung over their shoulders.  I can appreciate that!!!  We saw the Scottish Crown Jewels, the Great Hall with its painting of Sargeant Ewark and the standard, the Prisoner of War Museum, the Scottish War Memorial and while John visited Museums to the famous regiments of Scotland I went to a fiddle concert put on by a wonderful group from the States.  They played in the Great Hall and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

We had a walk down the Royal Mile, the road that connects the Castle to Holyrood Palace.  The Queen is actually here for the week too.  You can't have anything on your own, hey?  William and Kate are coming in today and he is being given the Order of the Thistle at St Giles today.  We might go down for a look - we'll see how we go.

So all in all we have had a great time.  This has all been interspersed with a good dose of tennis and everyone here is excited that Murray might have a chance this time.  Great chatting with everyone again and we are glad everything seems fine at home.

There's a castle in our window

View from our kitchen window

Couldn't get John out of here -
 had to put on my cranky wife voice

We are pretty well established in Edinburgh now. Even though we have only been here for a day and a bit we feel like we know this delightful town and how to get around. It is only quite a small town but it is so picturesque and quaint. It is divided into two sections - the old town and the new town. The old town sits on a ridge starting wlith the castle and then continuing down the Royal Mile lined with blackened spires and high tenement buildings which are sometimes separated by wynds or closes. These are narrow allies that you can wander down consisting of steps, courtyards and lanes. Then there is this big ditch down running parallel to the old town that has now been filled with verdant gardens - very colourful and well maintained. The new town (which apparently is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the world) is on the other side of the ditch so from there you look across and up to the old town sitting on top of the ridge. The new town is also fascinating and wonderful to wander around.

Armstrongs - for Cait

We are staying in the old town in a section called the Grassmarket. It is quite the trendy place to be. Last night they had a big dance off. A crack at the foxtrot record for the Guiness Book of Records. Over six hundred couples dancing foxtrot at once for six minutes. We tried to get in and help them along but couldn't so we just danced on the fringes. Had dinner there last night while thousands watched the final of the Euro 2012 football which Spain won convincingly. Think that was a popular win here.



Arnstrongs



Pete and I went fishng
out on Lower Hill Farm

Chrissy in Shewsbury



Dinner with Steve, Muriel, Pete and Chris



The weather hasn't been great but not bad either. It is raining in the morning but by the time we get going it's usually eased and yesterday by mid afternoon the sun was shining. We have had a couple of easy days which we needed after a very hectic week. I think Edinburgh is going to be a perfect time.  We both love this relaxed city with lots to offer. 

John is still in bed and sleeping.  I think it's time for him to get up and make some scottish porridge, don't you?

Love my English family

We are in Shropshire at the moment spending a couple of days with our English family and they are just wonderful.  We are staying with my cousin, Christine, and her husband Steve and it has just been delightful.  They have looked after us so well and we have had a wonderful day today in Shrewsbury, Much Wenloch (where the modern Olympics were started) and preparing for a Beer Festival.  We are off to dinner tonight but have just had a wonderful day.  Yesterday when we arrived on the train from London and after lunch with Muriel and Chris, Pete, my cousin also, came around and took me fishing for four hours.  It was so relaxing sitting out on Lower Hill Farm by the side of a stocked pond and fishing and talking and barbecueing.  Haven't seen these lovely people for quite a while but it was very easy and comfortable to renew our friendships.  Wish we didn't have to leave tomorrow.

Our last couple of days in London were spent either at the theatre or wandering around places we hadn't been last time we were there.  Went to see Singing in the Rain on Tuesday night which was great fun.  Believe it or not they had it raining on the stage and I think the people in the front rows got a bit wet.  We went to the British Museum and Buckingham Palace and other places in between.  Probably the highlight of our time in London, beside spending time with our good friend, Alana, was going to see War Horse on stage.  It was the finest production I have seen on the stage - anyone who is London soon go and see it - you won't regret it.  We got the tickets just by walking in to the theatre at the right time when someone had just cancelled so we were lucky and then Alana also got a ticket the same way.  We all thoroughly enjoyed the show - it was mindblowing.

Tomorrow we head off to Edinburgh on the train.  Although we are looking forward to this stage of our trip it will be sad to leave our good friends here. 

Congratulations to our baby girl on her fine results in her Uni degree.  Good talking to everyone this week.  Take care.

Love English speaking countries

Writing this from London where we arrived on Sunday after a lovely couple of final days in Belgium.  We had a pretty quiet day on Saturday after our big day in Luxembourg.  Went for a canoe down the Ourthe River which proved a bit of a challenge.  After our float down the Dordogne this was a bit more "dangerous" as the river was quite shallow and full of rocks.  Thank God for kayaks that skim off rocks especially when the water is cool.  Still it was lovely and we find paddling very relaxing.  Caught up on a couple of pubs in La Roche in the afternoon, John visited the "crumbly" - the castle overlooking the town - and we had a nice dinner out.

Sunday we drove acrosss to Lille and caught the Eurostar to London where our friend, Alana Britton, met us with Oyster Cards and good advice and brought us back to her place.  We basically threw our bags in and went down to Greenwich, not far from her place.  The Cutty Sark has now been remodelled and is their in all her glory.  Greenwich was buzzing on Sunday afternoon and we enjoyed walking around and going to a book shop or two, wandering through the market and then having beef and ale pie at the King's Arms.  Perfect. 

Yesterday we got up early to go out to Wimbledon for the first day of the tennis.  We had to sort out a problem with the return of our car in Lille so we were delayed a bit and got there about 8.45.  Well, Lanie and Ben, you will know what I mean when I say the queue was amazing.  We got ticket number 5704 and 5 and they issue 6000 ground passes a day.  It is so well organised and very civilised.  Can imagine this happening in other country and it sends shivers up my spine.  But not in England.  They have it sorted.  We got into the ground about 12.30 - the tennis started at 11.30 - and there we were at Wimbledon.  Had to pinch ourselves.  We went straight to a court where Carsten Ball (the Aussie) was playing doubles and got good seats and watched him.  He did not play well and they lost.  Had a good walk around.  We were surprised - it didn't seem as crowded as we thought it would be.  We got seats at every match we wanted to watch.  It's good going early in the tournament as although we didn't see any seeds you see the up and coming players who are so determined and very well matched.  Think I would rather see that than Federer win 6-0, 6-0, 6-0.  We didn't leave Wimbedon till about 8.30 pm and really enjoyed the day.  It is predicted that the weather will be iffy (well it is England) for the next two days thought today I wake up and it looks good outside. 

Glad you are home safe and well, Phil and Bea, and found that nice apartment.  You did very very well.  We didn't get to see Sam Stosur play but I tell you when we are in the country she always does well.  Like Mark Webber - I hold great hopes for him for the British GP as we'll be here.  Carmel, you look after yourself.  That does not sound good.  Look forward to our catch up on our return.

Take good care everyone.

One more day in Europe

We only have one more day here and tomorrow we are off to London where our good friend, Alana Britton, is meeting us and we will stay with her for four days before heading up to our rellies in Shropshire. 

Belgium has been very relaxing and we have seen quite a bit of the local area.  On Thursday we did a lovely trip to the south where we followed the Semois River Valley and ended up in Bouillon.  All along the river where little villages and scenic outlooks.  It was just lovely. 

Yesterday we had a full day in Luxembourg.  What a great little country.  Apparently it's the only country in the world where its name doesn't fit in its space on the map.  But there's lots to see and we had a delightful day exploring.  Started off in Esch sur Sure a small town set in the loop of the Sure River.  Did a walk here up to the top of the hill.  Well, John went to the top and I went till I couldn't go any more.  Then off to Bourscheid Castle and a scenic drive down to Luxembourg City.  Our first stop here was the Villeroy and Boch outlet shop where we had bought a lot of china years ago.  Well for the price of my dinner set then, I bought a plate.  but it is pretty and I hope gets home in one piece.  Really enjoyed our time in Luxembourg City and did a walk around.  It's a vibrant city and there was lots going on - bands, buskers, outdoor eating etc. 

From there we went to another town on the German border called Ecthernat.  I forget how to spell it but it was also a cutie with a huge monastery and basilica and a quaint town.  We wanted to check out some mediaeval towers which they have turned into apartments and suss them out for future trips.  Vianden was our next stop with its imposing castle and village in the valley.  As John said, if anything happened they obviously would kiss the villagers goodbye.  This was my favourite.  We had a beer there in the shadow of the castle and then drove home via Clervaux. 

So all in all a charming day seeing this wealthy municipality.  Very enjoyable indeed.

Hope all is well at home.