We drove 3 hours to Luxembourg to camp at this campground specifically because they allow you to have a campfire. Last time we camped, in the Black Forest, we missed our Smores that much! The campground was pretty empty so we picked a spot right next to the stream and close to the bathrooms and set up our massive tent.
Once we were all set up we headed out on the Escapardennes Eislak trail. This was to be our warm up for the "big hike" on Saturday. There are miles and miles of trails in Luxembourg, but we just went 2-3 miles.
Part of it was very flat, along this dirt road near a river.
Then we went uphill for a while on a more trail-like trail to see if we could find a nice lookout point.
The trail markers here were super nice, and had lots of information, if you can read French, German, or Luxembourgish. Yes, that is what the language is called.
After our mini afternoon hike we checked out the tiny town center and this cute hilltop church.
And of course spent about 20 minutes at the playground.
Then it was time to get the fire going so we could enjoy some bratwurst and Smores... and Cheetos. 3 out of 4 of our kids just looooove Cheetos. Apparently the campfire rule had a caveat. You have to build your fire in a "fire basket." Thankfully they had a bunch so we borrowed one. We're pretty sure it is an old washing machine barrel. It worked okay, but it was challenging to keep the fire going nice and strong. And it was quickly getting cold out.
The campground was reasonably nice- the bathrooms were clean and there was a (fairly dangerous) playground and a few games like this Connect 4 to help entertain the kids. Though their favorite activities were throwing rocks in the stream and collecting sticks for the fire. However, the street lights were a major bummer. It was light inside our tent all night, and we didn't even need a flashlight to walk kids to the bathroom.
We had some drama during dinner when Rob looked at me and said, "I left the stove on." We had left the house 10 hours earlier with a pot of water on the stove from breakfast. In a panic we called our landlord and he went over to the house and said he would call us back. An hour later we still hadn't heard from him and we were playing out some horrible scenarios in our heads. I finally got a hold of him and he said the stove was on, the pan was ruined, but that nothing else was damaged. We were extremely thankful that all was well, and that we have a landlord who is TOO NICE.
Also, it got very, very cold. We had been watching the weather and planned on lows in the 40s, but the lows actually got down to the 20s and we were not prepared for that. Rob and I got no sleep at all. I had Amelie in a sleeping bag with me to keep her warm, and then we opened her bag up to use as an extra blanket over the other kids who were huddled together- some sleeping in their winter coats. It was absolutely miserable, and the tent was covered in ice in the morning. Rob got up at the first sign of light and turned on the van, and we had all the kids pile inside to warm up while we aborted on our camping weekend and took down the tent with frozen hands.
I still wanted to try and salvage our long hike planned for Saturday, but it just wasn't possible with us all running on fumes. We drove to Mullerthal anyway to at least do part of the trail, and I'm glad we did. This region is called the Little Switzerland of Luxembourg. (Does everywhere have a Little Switzerland or what?)
It is a beautiful area just covered in hiking and walking trails. We picked a short (2 miles-ish), moderate trail that took us along a stream and then up and over a lookout point and looped back to the starting point. The trails were all blazed and well maintained.
It was chilly in the morning but warmed up as the sun came out more. The boys liked this part of the trail that was narrow and high above the stream next to the rock face. I liked that there was a sturdy fence.
The rock formations are beautiful... and I just caught Charlotte as she walked past this one.
Bears, and their dads, love mountains.
At the top we found this nice gazebo where we took a rest and had a snack while enjoying the view.
No trip is complete without at least attempting a family selfie.
Even if we are exhausted from lack of sleep, wearing the clothes we slept in, and unwashed as we split the campground in such a hurry.
Amelie was so in love with the moss throughout both of our hikes. She kept petting it and saying, "ooooh, I love it! It is so soft and pretty!" I'm just glad she was embracing nature for a change and not whining to be carried!
Back at the parking area we popped into the visitor's center to look around and use the restrooms before driving home. The building is actually an old mill, so we liked seeing the water wheel in the lower level and seeing how the grain was milled. That was an unexpected little lesson for the kiddos!
I think we will be back to Mullerthal another time. Now that we know where it is and just how many trails there are to explore, we're going to have to spend some more time here. But maybe as a day trip next time. Or in the Summer.
We got home Saturday afternoon instead of Sunday afternoon, and had to set up the tent in the yard so it could dry out in the sun, do laundry, and just generally clean up. Then we went to bed! So very happy to have a house to come back to and warm, comfy beds to sleep in!
The next day was Rob's birthday so (after sleeping in, and spending most of the day recovering) I made his requested dinner of Butter Chicken and a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. He said if I insisted on taking a picture, than he insisted on wearing his dorkiest shirt. Just one of the things I love about this guy. Rob is generous, kind, thoughtful, honest, and not afraid of hard work. I love that he is interested in so many different things, like politics, cultures, languages, nature, music, good books, and more. I am thankful to have such a partner in life. Happy birthday Robert!
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