Bittersweet News

Hello there.

Well, I wish I didn’t have to write this post, but I suppose it’s better to spread the word sooner rather than later… So, here goes:

2011 Christmas Market Roundup

My dad at the Strasbourg Marché de Noël

I’m just going to come right out and admit it. I’m a Christmas market junkie. I love the wooden chalets, I love the lights, the festive tunes, the holiday bustle, the treats and of course, the glühwein (or vin chaud, depending on where you’re sipping it).

Last year, in addition to Luxembourg Ville, we enjoyed visiting the markets in Trier, Kassel, Bad Hersfeld, Strasbourg, Maastricht, Valkenburg, and (pausing for a breath) Montreux. If you’re heading to any of those for the first time, I’m happy to share thoughts or recommendations for all of them if you e-mail me at luxemblogger@gmail.com.

On tap for us this December: Köln, Brussels, small towns in Alsace and the Black Forest, Stockholm, Paris and Besançon – whew! (Something tells me that I’m going to need to borrow a pair of pants from Santa Claus himself by the time this month is over…)

If you have nearby markets to add to the list or any tips, recommendations or maybe a glühwein recipe to share, please contribute to the comments section below!

Joyeux Noël!

Weekend Roundup, Nov. 25-27

It won’t come as a surprise to you to hear that there’s lots more to eat and drink this weekend as the holiday season officially kicks off. So, loosen your belt buckle and get ready for some serious noshing!

And please tune in to ARA City Radio (103.3 and 105.2) between 9-11am tomorrow to hear me dish details on these events and more!

Weekend Roundup, Nov. 18-20

I'll be highlighting a few of these events on Friday morning between 9am and 11am on ARA City Radio (103.3 and 105.2), so please tune in! 

And as always, if there's an event you'd like me to highlight, shoot me a note at luxemblogger@gmail.com. 

Here are my picks for the weekend, and some additional event-finding resources:

How to Saber a Bottle of Crémant

Today is the 20th anniversary of the release of the very first bottle of Crémant de Luxembourg. But I’m not writing this post to tell you about that. You can read all about crémant and how it came to be such a success for the Luxembourg wine industry in my Luxemburger Wort article at this link.

Right now, I’m here to teach you the ultimate party trick. I’m going to tell you how to saber a bottle of crémant.

Weekend Roundup, Nov. 11-13

I’m stopping by during Sara Flanagan’s 9am-12pm block on ARA CityRadio (103.3 and 105.2) on Friday morning to talk about a few of the events below. I hope you can tune in!

Do you have an event you’d like me to include on next week’s Weekend Roundup? Or a funny joke I can tell on the air? (I need all the help I can get, folks…) If so, send me a note: luxemblogger@gmail.com. 

User’s Guide: What the U.S. Embassy Wants You to Know

Read their brochure.

About three years ago, a small group of Americans walked up to the U.S. Embassy in Luxembourg and rang the buzzer to alert the guard. When he answered, they announced that they were there for dinner. It was Thanksgiving, after all, and they had heard that the Ambassador always prepared a large holiday feast for all U.S. citizens in the area.

While the U.S. Embassy offers a number of services to Americans living in Luxembourg, an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving buffet is not one of them. (Though I definitely think they should reconsider this policy, don’t you?)

So just what is the Embassy good for, if not for a decent slice of turkey? I had the opportunity recently to sit down with David Fetter, the Embassy’s chargé d’affairs (i.e. the guy holding down the fort until the new Ambassador arrives in a week or so) and Dr. Stephanie Shaheen, the Embassy’s public affairs officer, to ask a few questions, like: When is it appropriate to go to the Embassy with a problem, and when it is not? How long should a person expect to wait for a response from the Embassy? and Why doesn’t the Embassy ever update its web site?