Luxembourg - A Piece of Cake E-Book

Cristina Berna

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 113

Beschreibung

This little book is for all travelers and cake lovers. It was not planned - it just happened through our first year in Luxembourg, filled with so much other joy and ecitement - all the enticing cake shop windows a little sampling - and because the cakes were so delicious and eye catching we started to take some pictures. We tasted all the cakes at our own expense, and quite a lot were downed with no documentation at all slightly to our regret when finally putting the story together. We are very happy to share this with you and hope you will enjoy Luxembourg and its pâtisseries! Pkease forgive the primitive pack phptp! However, the picturs are authentic we have savored all the cakes.

Leseprobe

About the authors

Cristina Berna loves writing and photography. She also creates designs and provides advice on fashion and styling.

Eric Thomsen has published in science, business and law, created exhibitions and arranged concerts.

Also by the authors:

World of Cakes

Luxembourg – a piece of cake

Florida Cakes

Catalan Pastis – Catalonian Cakes

Andalucian Delight

World of Art

Hokusai – 36 Views of Mt Fuji

and more titles

Outpets

Deer in Dyrehaven – Outpets in Denmark

Florida Outpets

Birds of Play

Vehicles

American Fire Engines

American Police Cars

American Motorcycles

American National Guard

Copenhagen vehicles – and a trip to Sweden

Construction vehicles picture book

Trains

and more titles

Missy’s Clan

Missy’s Clan – The Beginning

Missy’s Clan – Christmas

Missy’s Clan – Education

Missy’s Clan – Kittens

Missy’s Clan – Deer Friends

Missy’s Clan – Outpets

Missy’s Clan – Outpet Birds

and more titles

Christmas

Christmas Nativities Spain

Christmas Nativities Barcelona

Christmas Nativities Malaga

Christmas Nativities Sevilla

Christmas Nativities Madrid

Christmas Nativities Luxembourg Trier

Christmas Nativity United States

Christmas Nativity Innsbruck

Christmas Market Innsbruck

Christmas Market Vienna

and more titles

Contact the authors

[email protected]

Published by www.missysclan.net

Cover picture: A piece of apple tart from Paul.

© Berna 2016.

Inside 1 Tarts with plum, apricot and strawberry and cheese, Hoffmann © Berna 2018

Inside 2 Delicious small tarts with real macaroons and cream from Paul. © Berna 2014

Contents

Introduction

Luxembourg – a piece of cake

Banking and investment fund industry

Schumacher

Fischer

Place d´Armes

Kaempff-Kohler

Paul

Ladurée

Fortifications

On the way to Limpertsberg

Cactus Supermarket

Kirchberg Plateau

Court of Justice of the European Union

Auchan Shopping Centre

Oberweis

The countryside

Delhaize Supermarket

Beaufort Castle

Müllerthal

Christmas

Luxembourg Cathedral Notre Dame

Namur

Websites

Introduction

This little book is for all travelers and cake lovers.

It was not planned - it just happened through our first year in Luxembourg, filled with so much other joy and ecitement - all the enticing cake shop windows – a little sampling - and because the cakes were so delicious and eye catching we started to take some pictures.

We tasted all the cakes at our own expense, and quite a lot were downed with no documentation at all - slightly to our regret when finally putting the story together.

We are very happy to share this with you and hope you will enjoy Luxembourg and its pâtisseries!

Please forgive the primitive pack photo! However, the picturs are authentic – we have savored all the cakes.

Cristina and Eric

Luxembourg – A Piece of Cake

Let us stake you on a delightful little journey into the world of cakes – and to one of the smallest countries of the world – the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.

Luxembourg was founded in 963 when Count Sigfried I acquired an ancient Roman fortress - Lucilinburhuc - "the little castle" - from the Imperial Abbey of St. Maximin in Trier.

The family successfully increased the lands and by 1308 count Henry VII was important enough to be elected king of the Germans and the Holy Roman Empire. Their lands ended up as a part of the Habsburg Netherlands.

The city fotifications had gradually been expanded to great strategic importance, sitting on the edge of the northern Habsburg territories and the Kingdom of France.

Luxembourg City and the cathedral seen from the old fort at Parc de Trois Glands, south of Avenue John F Kennedy, Kirchberg Plateau, just across Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge – a huge red steel bridge. ©Berna 2014.

Luxembourg sits right in the centre of Western Europe – between France, Belgium and Germany. The size is 2.586 km2.

In comparison, Rhode Island, USA is 3140 km2 and Denmark is 42.931 km2. Great Britain is 209,331 km2.

The map of Luxembourg below is a mosaic wall in Wasserbillig, where the two rivers – the Mosel and the Alsette or Eich in the local language – meet each other.

Wasserbillig is an interesting spot – it is also right on the border with Germany – and at the confluence there are a large number of swans in the winter.

This sight is so appealing that there is a constant traffic of cars with people who just want to take a passing look. Quite a few also bring bread to stop and feed the swans, as well as the ducks, geese, pigeons and crows gathered there.

Many people also come here to fish, although there is a big sign that fishing is prohibited. Unfortunately the anglers lose a lot of tackle and it can attach to the legs of the birds, especially the swans and create severe damage. A small German NGO runs a bird hospital for these birds, with an emergency service.

Map of Luxembourg. Mosaic wall at Wasserbillig, Luxembourg. ©Berna 2016.

The birds are outpets – animals with whom people interact, enjoying the interaction including for its therapeutic (see our Outpets and Missy´s Clan book series).

Feeding the swans at Wasserbillig. ©Berna 2017.

Swans are natural outpets – they are big and beautiful – they come and talk to you. They show appreciation when you are kind to them – all things that many humans don´t show to each other.

Swans are also not really suited as home pets for the normal size apartment.

The birds mostly gather on the Luxembourg side of the Mosel and in the mouth of the Alsette river – here the customs are not so energetic as on the German side…

Swan cakes with whipped cream © Berna 2014.

Luxembourg emerged as independent territory again at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, when the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg became an independent part of The Netherlands in 1815, with William I becoming both King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg – a personal union.

Luxembourg Coat of Arms at the entrance to the philantropic Fundacion Pescatore across from the parks by Glacis-Limpertsberg.© Berna 2014.

While Luxembourg was under France, Jean-Pierre Pescatore was born here (March 11, 1798 - December 9, 1855). He was a businessman, art collector and banker - and philanthropist. He moved to Paris. He later sent a million francs to his old home in Luxembourg and left his art collection to Luxembourg. It is now housed in Villa Vauban (see below).

Two thirds of Luxembourg, the mostly French speaking Western part, was lost to Belgium in the 1830 Belgian Revolution.

The lost part is now the Province of Luxembourg in Belgium – and even with a peaceful separatist movement that hopes to rejoin independent Luxembourg one day.

The division of the Netherlands in 1839 followed mainly religious lines, with Belgium and Luxembourg being Catholic and the present-day Netherlands being Protestant.

The present ruler is Henri, who became grand duke in 2000. Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy with a legislative assembly, a representative democracy. It has three official languages – German, French and Letzeburgesch – a German spoken in most of the Mosel area.

A fourth unofficial language is Portuguese, absolutely necessary if you want a job in a shop.

Grand Ducal residence in Luxembourg city. The guards are a sign that the family is in town. Normally they reside in a grand castle out at Colmarberg. © Berna 2014.

Of the population of abt 530,000 almost 240,000 are foreigners, mainly EU nationals who have come to work. There are more than 80,000 Portuguese in Luxembourg (more on this below).

Luxembourg is clearly caught between English and French, not least after Britain's decision to leave the European Union (EU). But without good English you can't get far in the international banking and investment fund world today.

When Britain left the EU, it became a Third Country and London's financial sector had to divide its business so that business with and inside the EU had to go through local EU entities that are supervised by the European Central Bank and the rest of the international business is regulated in Britain.

Banking and Investment fund industry

Many people first think about money and low taxes, secretive banks and successful investment funds whenever Luxembourg is mentioned.

The position as a financial centre is no accident. It is the result of foresight and hard and dedicated work. Caisse d´Epargne de l´Etat (“Spuerkess”) with the grand clock tower that can be seen from most places in the city and Banque Internationale a Luxembourg (BIL) were both established in 1856. The first foreign branch – SOGENAL – came here in 1893.

Perhaps people like Jean-Pierre Pescatore (see above) have inspired - from 1844 he ran the Paris bank "J. P. Pescatore et Cie" together with the Austrian Frédéric Adolphe Grieninger.

The stock exchange Bourse de Luxembourg was opened in 1927.

Luxembourg was occupied by Germany in World War II.

During the German occupation everything was taken over by the Germans.

The bank inspection Commissariat aux Banques was established in 1945.

Luxembourg pioneered the Euro-Market in 1963 with a 15 million USD bond issue paying 5.5%, by Italian Autostrada Group, arranged by S.G. Warburg in London.

The SOPARFI law came in 1965, Bank of China arrived in 1979 – and all boiled over a bit when the Luxembourg authorities closed the BCCI – Bank of Credit and Commerce – in 1989.

BCCI was established by Pakistani businessman Agha Hasan Abedi as a bank focused on the Third World. It was set up in 1972 with financial backing from Abu Dhabi, where the ruling family, headed by the late Sheik Zayed Al-Nahyan, was said to have a very close relationship with BCCI.

Caisse d'Epargne de l'Etat ("Spürkess") with the clock tower, seen across La Petrusse valley from the cathedral. © Berna 2014

BCCI was set up in such a way as to avoid central regulation by any one bank agency and it took advantage of the extensive Luxembourg bank secrecy laws.

The emirate was the bank´s largest depositor, largest borrower, and for most of its existence its largest shareholder. A final settlement with Abu Dhabi also provided almost half of the funds recovered for creditors.

ICBC and Bank of China buildings in Luxembourg, 32 Boulevard Royal. Note the old votive figure of Our Lady that still adorns the facade. © Berna 2014.

In 1985, Luxembourg banking authorities asked Price Waterhouse to investigate the trading activities of BCCI. The auditors found that BCCI was losing heavily on options and futures trading, and that these losses were not being properly recorded.

In 1997 Abbas Gokal, one of BCCI´s largest customers and a close friend of Abedi, was convicted by the Serious Fraud Office in the United Kingdom and sentenced to 14 years in jail. One of his alleged allies in fraudulent activities was said to be Saudi Arabian businessman Ghaith Pharaon. He was son of a Saudi ambassador to Europe and remained wanted by the FBI and US tax authorities.

The BCCI was found to have engaged on enormous fraud and had links to terror, notably Abu Nidal.

The BCCI story was the greatest of the early international bank fraud and terror financing scandals.

Another scandal with a link to Luxembourg was the Cases C-402/05 and C-415/05 P Kadi and Al Barakaat Int´l Fund v. Council & Commission [2008] before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The link to Luxembourg is that the court has its seat here.

Yassin Kadi, who went to work for the majority owner of Saudi Arabia´s largest bank National Commercial Bank, was allegedly involved in comprehensive terror financing in Europe, through a bank in Bosnia. He also met with bin Laden and allegedly lent money to Hamas.

The European Commission and the Council argued they were financing terror. Kadi brought suit against them before the European Court of Justice – and won – essentially because the authorities refused to provide any evidence of the crimes charged against Kadi and the fund.

Kadi was put on a terror list maintained by the United Nations Security Council under Resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1333 (2000). OFAC – Office of Foreign Assets Control froze his assets in the United States. Kadi brought suit in USA and the authorities there filed more than 22,000 documents against him in restricted hearings. Kadi remained listed as a financier of terror until 2012, when the United Nations delisted him. Kadi has close ties to Saudi Arabia's leaders.

More than 28,000 people are employed in the financial sector in Luxembourg. Although dwarfed by the est. 1 million employed in the City of London, it is relatively big.

Especially the Euro Markets ensured rapid development when German banks established subsidiaries here.

On the way to the supermarket Alima we came across a wonderful piece of art – the bronze doors of the old stock exchange building. The doors were an artistic celebration of capitalism like the famous bull outside Merrill Lunch on Wall Street in New York.

The beautiful doors have now been removed after the stock exchange moved to 35 Boulevard Joseph II.

The bronze doors of the old stock exchange building were an artistic celebration of capitalism like the famous bull outside Merrill Lynch on Wall Street in New York. © Berna 2014.

They might remind you of the doors to a disco….and the atmosphere of a disco is in some ways not unlike that of a stock exchange.