A and I got up kinda-sorta early on Saturday to go to her barn.  I'd brought breeches, socks, and half chaps.  I had some shoes that I felt would be sturdy enough for riding.

Here's the (first) really cool thing about A's barn:  it's within walking distance of her flat.  She left D with a set of spare keys and instructions on her washer (because, oh my god, wash at every opportunity) and told him to make himself at home.  And we went on the short walk to her barn.

Walk out of a neighborhood, and bam.  Ponies.

This was adorable. "Hey, Mom's here!"

Nancy.

Kika.

Nancy giving me a well-deserved side eye.  Smart pony.

Blurry from the dslr because I took it with me!

A pointing out the pony-eating tarps.

Tarps. See how the road goes left and there's a break in the woods on the straight?  We went in the woods.

Pretty steep for this coastal Georgia girl.

A said to let Nancy pick her path and that "little" mare was amazing.

Take a moment to appreciate how ghetto I am and how nice A's stuff is.

"Screw you, stranger."

"Oh."

"Cookies?"

Kika, checking things out.

I loved this little pony!  So much personality!

 I told A that I wanted to steal Nancy.  I cannot say enough things about this mare, how well-behaved she was, how amazing on trail she was, and just what a great personality she has.  She's a dog in horse form.

Scritches.

Once we finished up and turned the ladies back out, we headed on the short walk back to her flat.  Upon opening the door, D was sprawled out on her couch with gummy bears, watching Guardians of the Galaxy on her lustable TV, with our laundry drying on her porch.  This is a testament to how friendly and approachable A is, that D took her invitation to make himself at home literally.

I'm absolutely indebted to A for giving me this experience!  I cannot thank her enough!  One day, we'll reciprocate.  :)

Ponies will come tomorrow, to brighten up your weekend.

So, Luxembourg.  I wish I could do emojis!

Aoife met us immediately off the train and we proceeded to take a little bus from the train station to her apartment.  Lemme just say:  if you ever find yourself somewhere in the vicinity of France and Germany, you absolutely have to meet Aoife.  She was an amazing host and welcomed us into her house with open arms.  She's also incredibly knowledgeable and a very willing tour guide.

Lux is a great city.  From the technology to the people to the layout, everything was just amazing.  For example, she was able to purchase the bus tickets online, while sitting on the bus, which operates on a punishable honor system.


I get a little foggy on the sequence, but I think we dropped our bags and headed back downtown.  The first night, we had a great dinner at a Japanese restaurant with the best scheme ever:  everyone is $25, plus drinks.  You pick five items five times (if you make it that far) and they bring everything out in rounds.  I ordered multiples of the same things, because the food was just that good.

The bottom of my saki glass.

He's so cute.  I made him stick his hand in a random box.

A men's department store had a pet turtle.

The second day, we visited some historical sites (D loves history, and especially WWII).

The Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial:

"The dead of this cemetery admonish to peace."

People still visit these graves, seventy years later.

"An unknown German soldier."

Wolter is a family name.

Proof.

Lux berries.  I picked them off the sides of an unearth castle wall. And I ate them.

I just couldn't.

Fun fact:  I hate shoes.  Oh, it's freezing out?  Don't care.

There was a lumber appreciation festival going on while we were there.  Showcasing all the amazing things you could do with wood.  I kept pointing out potential jumps to Aoife.  We stopped off at a little beer tent and got a local drink with a sweet syrup.  The bartender was incredibly friendly and spoke perfect English and (not to embarrass her) seemed very interested in Aoife.