The Dins are happy to welcome you to Luxembourg, a beautiful little country nestled in the heart of northern Europe! We spent about four days in Luxembourg City just after the summer solstice, and were captivated by the city's picturesque walking streets and medieval fortifications and bridges.
We came into the city by train in the early afternoon of June 22nd, at which point we split off into our accommodation groups and relaxed for a bit. Kevin, our Music Director, stayed with his family, who had come to the city to meet with him, while the rest of us were in two Airbnbs fairly distant from each other. That first night was our busiest of the stop, with two gigs right in a row. It made sense. This night was one of the most important holidays in Luxembourg: the eve of the country's National Day.
A group of Dins outside the Grand Ducal Palace on National Day.
Photo by Ethan Craigo #237
A brief aside: National Day is the day on which the birthday of the Grand Duke or Duchess of Luxembourg is ceremonially celebrated, regardless of which particular date it might fall on. The night before is one of the craziest of the whole year, in which thousands upon thousands of people pour into the streets of Luxembourg City to drink and be merry. To be honest, this night is more or less the reason that the Dins travel to Luxembourg!
Our first of the previously mentioned two gigs was at a bar and restaurant called Brasserie Kennedy. It was a small but appreciative crowd in a gorgeous, modern space. We barely had time to catch our breath after it, though, before we had to rush to our next performance at the Cercle Munster. There, we sang multiple short sets of songs in between courses of our own delicious dinner. This gig was notable for an improvised version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" that we performed at the request of one very enthusiastic audience member. It was not the finest the Dins have ever sounded, but it sure was some great, silly fun.
Dining Dins at the Cercle Munster.
After all this, we left and hurriedly changed out of our tails and into evening attire. I ran to find a good vantage point to see the spectacular National Day fireworks show, which I remembered as one of my favorite parts of the last Din tour. Some other guys joined me a bit later, and we all met at a bar in the center of town to talk to a member of the Harvard Club of Luxembourg, who bought us a round of drinks from a man he called "the finest bartender in the country". He wasn't kidding - I'm still trying to figure out how to recreate my delicious gin-cilantro cocktail. From there we went out to dance in the dozens of parties in streets and clubs for hours afterward. It was a night to remember.
The next two days were mercifully free of scheduled events. Many of us, including myself, used them as an opportunity to decompress. Others took the rare opportunity to travel to other destinations in Europe for a day trip. Peter went straight back to Paris, and Eli and Austin traveled to Brussels!
Our last responsibility of the stop occurred on our final evening in Luxembourg City. We performed at a private gig for members of the Harvard Club and their friends and family, hosted at the former president's house. His family's beautiful backyard made for another nice and intimate concert. From there we said our goodbyes to each other, as this was the last time we'd see each other before Japan, and split off into homestays for our last night together in Europe. Tune in next time to find out how we spent our few days apart!
Dinnily,
Ethan Craigo #237