Traveling from Germany to Luxembourg

Thomas is an American student studying in Germany as part of the CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) scholarship exchange program.

Traveling within Europe is almost too easy! In the U.S., I can drive for hours without making it out of the state. But from Germany, other countries are a mere jump away!

(Just don't tell that to the Europeans! The closeness of cities here skews their perspective of distance. Here, over an hour is considered a sizeable trip! Just wait till they hear how long it takes people to get to my school in the U.S. ...)

Fall break, and I'm traveling out of Germany for the first time since August. At a local cafe, my host family stops to pick up pastries. The croissant I brought is perfectly flaky and fluffy, the epitome of French cooking. My host family finds a spot to sit and eat our respective breads of choice. I'm happily content with my French pastry and clear view of Strasbourg's red Gothic cathedral.

Traveling while on exchange has certain rules. Since the CBYX program is based on cultural immersion, missing school is a no-go. (So is traveling along overnight during the first semester, and certain rules apply for the second.) Host family trips outside of school time are allowed, and they're a great way to get to know each other! And, with careful planning and good use of Saturday afternoons, it's still possible to visit some really cool places!

My next out-of-country trip is a little different: a solo day trip. Following the trains for four hours, I finally arrive in Luxembourg. The city feels unreal; fairytale architecture blends together with modern tech everywhere you look. I wander the streets, popping between the Christmas markets and following tour groups that seem to know all the best photo spots. From street art to castles, the city has it all!

One of the best parts of traveling is trying regional cuisine. One of my favorites is vlaai, a unique dish only found in the Limburg region of the Netherlands. Because it is so special to the cultural heritage of the region, the EU only allows Limburgse vlaai to be made within this region. Similar to a pie, vlaai has a dough-based crust and fruit-based filling. But nothing else comes quite close to the flavor!

After circling the plaza for a fifth time, the shop continues to elude my host brother and me. "Maybe down this street?" he says. We turn down the cobblestone street and pass another bike rack. Like the others, it's filled past the brim and overflowing into the street. (The Dutch sure love bikes! In a single-day trip, we saw at least 400.) Finally, halfway down the street, we find it: the Bisschopsmolen. Renowned for having the best vlaai in Maastricht, this shop was a natural choice for our visit. It doesn't disappoint!