6/16/2017

The Grand Duchy: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

The River Queen arrives in Trier, Germany at 1:00p.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2017 and will remain in dock overnight. Where we will visit Luxembourg American Cemetery and also a walking tour of Trier, Germany - birthplace of Karl Marx.

Luxembourg is officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and is a landlocked country in western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Its capital, Luxembourg City, is together with Brussels and Strasbourg one of the three official capitals of the European Union and the seat of the European Court of Justice, the highest juridical authority in the EU.

Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina
A grand duchy is a country or territory whose official head of state or ruler is a monarch bearing the title of grand duke or grand duchess.


Luxembourg is a fortified city designed by the military architect, Vauban, who designed most of Europe’s medieval walled cities.   The scant remains of Luxembourg’s walled city and subterranean tunnels are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
Scribbles and Smiles by J Christina

The WWII Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial, lies just within the limits of Luxembourg City.  A 50-acre cemetery, established December 29, 1944 by George S. Patton, Third U.S. Army, which liberated Luxembourg.  More than 5,000 U.S. military men (no women) are buried here, many who were killed in the Battle of the Bulge, from December 1944 through January 1945. General Patton is also buried here after he was killed in a car accident after the war ended.  This cemetery is exactly like other American Cemeteries in Europe, all stones are white Liza marble, with engraved Christian crosses or Stars of David.   




About J. Christina:
J. Christina is the author and hobbyist photographer behind  Scribbles and Smiles, writing a personal travel blog from the Midwest. Christina (Christie) is married to John, a.k.a. Mr. Christie. Where Mr. Christie is right on-board with their travel jaunts around the world - sharing in their blogging endeavors. He supports, encourages, handles gadgetry and embraces the role of in-house editor - hence, their bespoke pen name, J. Christina.

J. Christina’s blogging journey began before the word blog was trending, writing about European travel destinations on share-sites, forums and online journals. After many years of intrepid travel, they thoughtfully opened their treasure-trove of European travelogues, artfully sharing with a worldwide audience. Intentionally sharing the joie de vivre through their words and images, so others can travel vicariously. J. Christina believes smiling with your eyes is a beautiful thing.

You can read their most recent dispatches from aboard an elegant European river ship, sharing the allure of Europe’s great rivers and their capital cities. Or, follow them through serendipitous discoveries in the Cote d’Azur, where J. Christina captures the essence of a perched medieval village.

J. Christina’s work has been featured on France Today, Bonjour Paris, The Good Life France, and Perfectly Provence.






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