Luxembourg

I am spending the night in a large hostel in Luxembourg City. It really fascinating, historical, and artsy. It is a small capital of a tiny country. This city is built on a high plateau, with a system of really deep gorges and rivers cutting through it. Founded in 963, the large castle/fortress rests at the top of the gorge, and the walls tower really high, as if a scene from a fairy tale. At night, spotlights illuminate everything, and it is all open to wander around in. It's really strange that the streets are almost completely empty after dark. It is really fascinating to wander around alone anongst mideval city buildings and walls, which are now inhabited by restaurants and fashion shops. Everything here is rustic, but amazingly beautiful.

I had dinner at a cheap Italian pizzaria. It was really interesting listening to people talking in the local language of Luxembourgish. It is Germanic, but sounds like a mix of German, Dutch, and French, or perhaps a French person speaking German with French pronunciation. Kind of strange, but very interesting. Tomorrow, I think I will visit the castles, underground casements, and an art gallery, before heading on to Belgium.