Heide's Mom arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday. It was a last minute, surprise trip... but what a nice surprise! Mom kept busy while Heide and Mark were at work on Thursday and Friday but the real fun started over the weekend when we decided to venture down to Luxembourg.

The drive down to Boursheid, a small, tiny itty-bitty village in the center of the country, was beautiful. While there isn't much to "see" in Luxembourg (in terms of major sites like the Coliseum in Rome or the Eiffel Tower in Paris) the countryside is an attraction in it's own right. It's obvious why one of Luxembourg's regions is called "Little Switzerland." With all the rolling hills and valleys, the comparison can't be missed.

Up the hill from our bed and breakfast was the castle of Boursheid. We sat up on the hillside and enjoyed a picnic of several cheeses, French bread, wine, fresh tomatoes and cucumbers! The view of the tiny own below was spectacular. The pictures won't do it justice... it's one of those views you have to take a sharp mental photograph of and hold onto the memory. If only it was a little bit warmer... it would've been a perfect afternoon! After our picnic, it was off to the pool and spa! What a great way to relax!

Sunday we drove South to Luxembourg City to see what was there. Pretty much nothing is the answer. It's a very typical European city,.. great for sitting at a sidewalk café soaking up the early Spring sun (which is what we did!) but that is about it. We did take a wander and see the original city walls and bridges that link the city. On the trip home, we drove through the Rhone Valley wine region. This area is particularly well known for their "sweet" whites. The countryside was beautiful and the wine wasn't so bad either.