Pr emier SAPERE AUDE
Vol. 1
JULY, 2021 LUXEM BOURG ISSUE
ABOUT THE COVER If the law were a color what would it be? Stunning and bright as a crown, on our cover is the Court of Justice of the European Union, Cour de Justice, Luxembourga, a public structure located at the lower level of this major body, the ?Grande Galerie?. It was reorganized and extended, serving as a spinal cord, to provide circulation between the different extensions made over the years. It also provides office space for more than 600 translators and legal officers working in 23 languages. With a height of 100 meters each, the towers are now the tallest in Luxembourg. Parisian architect, Dominique Perrault's challenge was to increase space and give harmony to a building that had already been extended quite a few times. First inaugurated in 1973, when the European Community included only six member countries, the Court of Justice was extended and as Perrault saw it, the scheme?s challenge was threefold: functional, urban, and institutional. When asked about its color, Perrault replied "Why gold? Because this is not a criminal court. It's not a place of prisons and punishments. It has to do with relations between European countries, with constitutional concerns. And anyway, I thought the sky over Luxembourg is often so sad that It would be nice to somehow catch the sun and bring it here." Cover Photo: Georges Fessy Source: Dominique Perrault Architecture
IN THIS ISSUE Luxembourg. The European Capital of Culture. Who would not want to know a country so rich in heritage and yet thrives in the world of future technology? Alchemy of the old world in a new dimension. The small country holds one of the most UNESCO titles and a still-growing list of artists. Theo Kerg, Michel Majerus, Joseph Kutter., names that made an impact in various art disciplines. It is the home of the Court of Justice of the European Union and most fitting as Jean-Claude Junke holds the position of the President of the European Commission. For nature lovers, you'd be glad to know that forests cover more than a third of the country and within those greens are castles and fortresses that were maintained over centuries and were part of stories told by highly revered literary greats. There are so many stories to be told about the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and we will be sharing some of the highlights in one issue. Source: www.visitluxembourg.com
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg's Prime Minister, HE Xavier Bettel
His Kingdom Come Luxembourg?s motto is mir wëllebleiwewatmirsinn, which means ?we want to remain what we are. True to its context, the country has achieved this about its history of ownership by foreign powers and they wish to remain independent now and in the future. Passed back and forth between various European powers ? the French, Spanish, Austrians, and back again to the French, it eventually became an independent state in 1815, and the rest led them to where it is now. Luxembourg, archaic as it may seem, is brimming with everything new in the world. But what made the country stand out are the men at the helm and PM Xavier Bettel who has held his position since 2013. Following his re-election during the 2018 Luxembourg general election, he became the first openly gay Prime Minister in the world to be re-elected for a second term when he married Gauthier Destenay in May 2015. The Luxembourg government approved same-sex marriage in June 2014 after a 2013 poll found that 83% of Luxembourgers supported it. Born on 3 March 1973 in Luxembourg City, his father, Claude Bettel, was a wine merchant, and his mother, Aniela, is of French-Russian descent and a grandniece of the composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. He obtained a master 's degree in Public and European Law and a DEA in Political Science and Public Law from Nancy 2 University in Nancy, France. He also studied maritime law as well as canon law at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece, through the Erasmus Programme. For four years in the early 2000s, he hosted Sonndes em 8, a weekly talk show, on the now-defunct private T.TV television network. In 2017, he also received an Honorary doctorate from Sacred Heart University, Luxembourg. The status being held by the Grand Duchy as the world's richest country in 2021 is supported by their GDP per capita of over $131,782, a huge feat for a "small" country. This benefits their workers a minimum wage of ?1,923 per month, the highest in Europe. However, the cost of living in Luxembourg is also one of the highest in the world. In terms of safety, they only have two jails and 1,300 policemen as they also rank one of the lowest in terms of crime rate. If the words "living the dream" has a place that embodies it, Luxembourg it is. The seat of opulence belongs to HRH, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the monarchial Head of State. Although it is the only Grand Duchy in the world (meaning a state or territory ruled by a grand duke or duchess), Luxembourg is a secular country but about 87% of the population are, in fact, Roman Catholic. The remainder is Protestant (mainly Lutherans), Jews, and Muslims. Photo: government.lu
Th e cat h edr al " Not r e-Dam e" of Lu xem bou r g w as bu ilt bet w een 1613 an d 1621 by t h e Jesu it s t o ser ve as a ch u r ch t o t h eir college (n ow t h e Nat ion al Libr ar y). Th e n or t h gat e is ch ar act er ist ic of t h e sem i-Ren aissan ce, sem i-Bar oqu e st yle of t h e per iod. Sin ce 1794, it h as h ou sed t h e st at u e of t h e Con soler of t h e Af f lict ed. A cat h edr al ch u r ch in 1870, w as en lar ged f r om 1935 t o 1938. Th e ch oir scr een in r ich ly scu lpt ed alabast er , colu m n s decor at ed w it h ar abesqu es, st ain ed glass f r om t h e 19t h an d 20t h cen t u r ies, n eo-Got h ic con f ession als, m oder n scu lpt u r es in bas r elief , br on ze gat es by Au gu st e Tr ém on t , ar e all w or t h y of t h is splen did san ct u ar y. Th e cr ypt is t h e r est in g place of Joh n t h e Blin d, Kin g of Boh em ia an d Cou n t of Lu xem bou r g, as w ell as deceased m em ber s of t h e Gr an d Du cal f am ily; t h e t w o lion s f lan k in g t h e en t r an ce ar e also t h e w or k of Au gu st e Tr ém on t .
?Love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin. The inexplicable fact is that the blinder it is, the more tenacious it is. It is never stronger than when it is completely unreasonable.? ? Victor Hugo,The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
The town of Vianden is one of the most scenics in all of Luxembourg and nestles close to the banks of the River Our. It is blessed with a pretty feudal manor that was built in the ninth century and the town is surrounded by a medieval outer wall that is studded with guard towers. The town is also famous for being the spot where Victor Hugo lived when he was in exile and his former home is now open to the public and has a range of memorabilia for this period.
When one is in search of literary greatness, Victor Hugo is not only a name but a source of light to the world. "Your town is not well-known enough; it is not known as it should be, I shall do all I possibly can to make it better known and to contribute to its prosperity", said Victor Hugo in 1863, who actually did contribute to the rise of the Vianden tourism. To the rest of the world, he is most popular due to his novels, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) and Les Misérables (1862). Victor-Marie Hugo, poet, playwright, novelist, dramatist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France.
VICTOR HUGO HOUSE Victor Hugo the famous French poet, came four times to Vianden. In August 1862 on a journey through the Ardennes, Hugo was delighted by the imposing scenery of Vianden. He returned to Vianden in 1863 and was warmly welcomed by the local philharmonic society. After a short stay in 1865, Hugo, having been expelled from Belgium on 30th May 1871, found refuge at Vianden. While his family and attendants put up at the Hotel Koch - an inn rather than a hotel- V. Hugo took up his residence on the first floor of the neighboring house, next to the bridge. Here the poet wrote part of the "Annee Terrible". From his window, he saw the majestic outline of the castle and he watched the busy activity of Vianden's inhabitants. "Vianden, he wrote, embedded in a splendid landscape, will be visited one day by tourists from the whole of Europe, attracted both by its sinister but magnificent ruin and by its cheerful and happy people." On 14th July 1871, V. Hugo took charge of the operations to extinguish a fire, which had set the thatched roofs of some ten downtown houses ablaze. The mayor being absent, the poet organized a line of fire buckets down to the river and actively joined the firemen for more than an hour and a half during the night. At Vianden, V. Hugo fell in love with a young eighteen-year-old woman, Marie Mercier, who had been the companion of the locksmith Maurice Garreau, the head of the Mazas jail during the Commune. V. Hugo's house at the bridge was arranged into the Victor Hugo Museum in 1935 "restore 2002". Manuscript letters of the poet's, his furniture and personal documents as well as reproductions of his drawings sketched during his stay are shown. Rodin's famous bust of v. Hugo, a present of the French Senate, stands on the breastwork of the bridge. Photo: Brittanica www.visit-vianden.lu
Did you know that Luxembourg derived its name from a Saxon fortress? Luxembourg was founded in 963AD as the County of Luxembourg by Sigfried, Count of the Ardennes, who built a fort on the site; in fact, the ancient Saxon name Lucilinburhuc (?little fortress?) symbolized its strategic position. Over the years, the little fort became a major fortress. With this interesting detail, we segued to the epic book series which captivated people from different parts of the world to history and adventure added value to the current entertainment genre. The very first book, The Last Kingdom, was published in 2004 and twelve more followed. The Saxon Stories tell the tale of Alfred the Great and his descendants through the eyes of Uhtred, an English boy born into the aristocracy of ninth-century Northumbria, captured by the Danes, and taught the Viking ways.
The First Book of The Saxon Stories ?I had been given a perfect childhood, perfect, at least, to the ideas of a boy. I was raised among men, I was free, I ran wild, was encumbered by no laws, was troubled by no priests and was encouraged to violence.?Uhtred is an English boy, born into the aristocracy of 9th Century Northumbria, but orphaned at ten, adopted by a Dane and taught the Viking ways. Yet Uhtred?s fate is indissolubly bound up with Alfred, King of Wessex, who rules over the last English kingdom when the Danes have overrun Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. That war, with its massacres, defeats and betrayals, is the background to Uhtred?s childhood, a childhood which leaves him uncertain of his loyalties, but a slaughter in a winter dawn propels him to the English side and he will become a man just as the Danes launch their fiercest attack yet on Alfred?s kingdom. Marriage ties him further to the West Saxon cause, but when his wife and child vanish in the chaos of a Danish invasion, Uhtred is driven to face the greatest of the Viking chieftains in a battle beside the sea, and there, in the horror of a shield-wall, he discovers his true allegiance.
Bernard Cornwell was born in London in 1944 ? a ?war baby ? whose father was a Canadian airman and mother in Britain?s Women?s Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted by a family in Essex who belonged to a religious sect called the Peculiar People (and they were), but escaped to London University and, after a stint as a teacher, he joined BBC Television where he worked for the next 10 years. He began as a researcher on the Nationwide program and ended as Head of Current Affairs Television for the BBC in Northern Ireland. It was while working in Belfast that he met Judy, a visiting American, and fell in love. Judy was unable to move to Britain for family reasons so Bernard went to the States where he was refused a Green Card. He decided to earn a living by writing, a job that did not need a permit from the US government ? and for some years he had been wanting to write the adventures of a British soldier in the Napoleonic wars ? and so the Sharpe series was born. Bernard and Judy married in 1980, are still married, still, live in the States and he is still writing Sharpe. http://www.bernardcornwell.net/
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The thirteenth book of The Last Kingdom series was published in the UK 15 October 2020 and in the US on 20 November 2020.
War Lord extract I looked up into his small dark and suspicious eyes. ?I shall demand the Archbishop?s life in exchange for the oath,?I said, ?and the lives of the other hostages.? ?You can demand nothing,?he snarled, ?nothing!?He prodded the sword hard, grating its tip on my mail until it lodged in one of the links, forcing me back a half pace. ?You will be my sworn man,?he said, ?and you will get only what I choose to give. Now down on your knees!?He prodded again, harder. There was a gasp from my son as I knelt and lowered my head. Guthfrith chuckled and held his sword?s tip close to my face. ?Kiss the blade,?he said, ?and say the words.? ?Lord King,?I said humbly, and paused. My left hand found a stone about the size of a fist. ?Louder!?Guthfrith snarled. ?Lord King,?I said again, ?I swear by Odin . . .?and with that I brought the stone up and smashed it into the stallion?s mouth. I hit the snaffle, crushing the silver decoration, but the blow must have hurt because the horse reared and whinnied. Guthfrith?s sword vanished from my sight. ?Now!?I bellowed, though neither my son nor Berg needed the encouragement. Guthfrith was struggling to stay in the saddle of his rearing horse. I stood, cursing the pain in my knees and seized his sword arm. My son was to my left, keeping that man distracted by thrusting a sword at his belly. I hauled on Guthfrith, pulled again, was jerked to my right by the stallion, but Guthfrith fell at last, crashing down onto the road. I wrenched his sword free, dropped on his belly with my knees and held Boar Tusk?s blade at his straggling beard. ?You?ll only get one oath from me, you miserable slime-toad,?I snarled, ?and that?s a promise to kill you.? He lurched up and I forced the sword down hard which stilled him. And behind me Finan was charging. My men?s spears were lowered, the blades glittering in the harsh sun. Guthfrith?s men had been much slower to react, but now they were coming too. And once again I was not certain I was fighting for the right side.
http://www.bernardcornwell.net/
Destiny Is All
The Last Kingdom is a British historical fiction television series based on Bernard Cornwell's 'The Saxon Stories series of novels. It premiered in 2015 on BBC America, BBC Two, and later in 2018 on Netflix. The main events of the reign of Alfred the Great and his heirs are well recorded, and several men called Uhtred ruled from Bamburgh Castle, most notably Uhtred the Bold more than a century later. The people identified as "Danes" came from many places in and around Denmark, including Southern Sweden and Norway. Historians believe that the Danish invaders of Northumbria came from Jutland in Denmark, as mentioned in Cornwell's books, as well as some of the Danish islands and East Denmark (southern Sweden). The first series of eight episodes premiered on 10 October 2015 in the United States on BBC America and was broadcast shortly after in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 22 October 2015. The second and third series were released on Netflix in the US, Canada, Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Japan, Australia, and Portugal. Netflix was the sole distributor of the third series of ten episodes, produced by Carnival Films. On 26 December 2018, Netflix renewed the show for a fourth series, released on 26 April 2020 and once again produced by Carnival Films. It was renewed for a fifth and final series on 7 July 2020. Shooting for the series ended last 21 June 2021. We can only thank the producer, Carnival Films and Television, the same team who brought us the hit series, Downton Abbey. The entire cast, headed by Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred was well received by fans and critics across the globe, making the show one of the most binge-worthy series on various media platforms. The last and final series deserves full attention as it bids goodbye to millions of fans. Viewers have been said to experience an attachment to the characters of Bernard Cornwell's historical fiction which he had remarkably done in his literary works. We are just hoping that another masterpiece of his turn into well-loved series as the subject of numerous successful stories always focuses on Legacy. We have yet to see the final season and we all hope that release schedules will be announced soon as of this writing. For other countries on delayed-release, enjoy the show on Netflix as we await the final destiny of Uhtred and his people. www.thelastkingdom.tv
h t t ps:/ / w w w.f acebook .com / Th eLast Kin gdom Of f icial
TLK Cast Year 1
www.thelastkingdom.tv
CAST Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg David Dawson as King Alfred (series 1?3) Tobias Santelmann as Ragnar the Younger (series 1?3) Emily Cox as Brida Adrian Bower as Leofric (series 1, 3) Thomas W. Gabrielsson as Guthrum (series 1) Simon Kunz as Odda the Elder (series 1?2) Harry McEntire as Aethelwold (series 1?3) Rune Temte as Ubba (series 1) Joseph Millson as Aelfric (series 1?2, 4) Brian Vernel as Odda the Younger (series 1) Amy Wren as Mildrith (series 1)www.thelastkingdom.tv
CAST Charlie Murphy as Queen Iseult (series 1) Ian Hart as Beocca (series 1?4) Eliza Butterworth as Aelswith, Alfred's wife and Queen of England (series 2?present; recurring series 1) Thure Lindhardt as Guthred (series 2) Eva Birthistle as Hild, a nun and one of Uhtred's most trusted allies (series 2?present; recurring series 1) Gerard Kearns as Halig (series 2; recurring series 1) David Schofield as Abbot Eadred (series 2) Peri Baumeister as Gisela, Uthred's second wife and sister of Guthred (series 2?3) Peter McDonald as Brother Trew (series 2) Mark Rowley as Finan, a fierce Irish warrior sworn to Uhtred (series 2?present) Alexandre Willaume as Kjartan (series 2; recurring series 1) Julia Bache-Wiig as Thyra (series 2?3; recurring series 1)
www.thelastkingdom.tv
h t t ps:/ / w w w.f acebook .com / Th eLast Kin gdom Of f icial
CAST Ole Christoffer Ertvaagas Sven (series 2; recurring series 1) Björn Bengtssonas Sigefrid (series 2) Cavan Clerkinas Father Pyrlig, a Welsh priest and former warrior (series 2?present) Arnas Fedaravi?iusas Sihtric, Kjartan's son who becomes one of Uthred's allies (series 2?present) Christian Hillborgas Erik (series 2) Jeppe Beck LaursenasHaesten(series 2?present) Toby RegboasAethelred, Lord of the Mercians(series 2?4) Millie Bradyas PrincessAethelflaed(series 2?present) James Northcoteas Aldhelm (series 2?present) Adrian Bouchetas Steapa, Alfred's and later Edward's chief of guards (series 2?4) Ewan Mitchellas Osferth, Alfred's illegitimate son and one of Uthred's allies (series 2?present) Simon Stenspilas Dagfinn, a chief of the Danes (series 2?3) Timothy Innes as Edward, King of England (series 3?present) Thea Sofie Loch Næss as Skade (series 3) Ola Rapace as Earl Sigurd "Bloodhair " (series 3) Magnus Bruun as Cnut, a powerful Danish Warlord and cousin of Ragnar (series 3?4) Adrian Schiller as Aethelhelm the Elder, a rich and powerful Ealdorman in Wessex (series 3?present) Kevin Eldon as Bishop Erkenwald, a bishop in service to Alfred (series 3) Jamie Blackley as Eardwulf, the commander of Lord Æthelred's household troops (series 4) Stefanie Martini as Eadith, the mistress of Ealdorman Æthelred and the younger sister of Eardwulf (series 4?present) Finn Elliott as Young Uhtred, Uhtred's son (series 4?present) Ruby Hartley as Stiorra, Uhtred's daughter (series 4?present) Richard Dillane as Ludeca, an Ealdorman of Mercia (series 4?present) Dorian Lough as Burgred, an Ealdorman of Mercia (series 4?present) Steffan Rhodri as King Hywel Dda (series 4?present) Nigel Lindsay as Rhodri (series 4) Eysteinn Sigurðarson as Sigtryggr, a Viking warlord (series 4?present) Amelia Clarkson as Ælflæd, wife of King Edward and Aethelhelm's daughter (series 4?present; recurring series 3)
Will you followhis destiny ?
www.thelastkingdom.tv
www.thelastkingdom.tv
?Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle.? ? Paulo Coelho, Brida
Lu xem bou r g w in e is pr im ar ily pr odu ced in t h e sou t h east er n par t of t h e Gr an d Du ch y of Lu xem bou r g, w it h vin eyar ds over look in g t h e M oselle River . Alon g t h is r iver , w h ich f or 42 k m m ak es u p par t of t h e bor der bet w een Lu xem bou r g an d Ger m an y, w in e is m ade in t h r ee cou n t r ies. Th er e is a con t in u ou s h ist or y of w in em ak in g alon g M oselle an d in Lu xem bou r g goin g back t o An cien t Rom an t im es. Win e pr odu ct ion in 2006/ 07 w as 123,652 h ect olit er f r om 1,237 h ect ar es (3,060 acr es) of vin eyar ds. Ou t of t ot al w in e expor t s of 87,776 h ect olit er s in 2005/ 06, 71,726 h ect olit er s or 82% w er e expor t ed t o n ear by Belgiu m . Expor t s t o Ger m an y w er e t h e secon d-lar gest at 8,168 h ect olit er s, or 9%, an d is t o a lar ge ext en t m ade u p of base w in e in bu lk f or t h e pr odu ct ion of blen ded Sek t r at h er t h an bein g sold bot t led w it h " Lu xem bou r g" an yw h er e on t h e label. Th er ef or e, ver y lit t le Lu xem bou r g w in e is seen ou t side Lu xem bou r g an d Belgiu m . Luxembourg mainly produces dry white wines and sparkling wine under the designation Crémant. There are also some rosé and red wines made, as well as some sweet wines. In contrast to the downstream German wine region Mosel, Luxembourg has very little tradition of producing semi-sweet or sweet wines, despite a significant similarity in terms of grape varieties. Rather, the wines of Luxembourg have been produced as a kind of cold climate version of traditional, dry Alsace wines. Source: Wikipedia
DINNER IN THE DARK
Have you ever experienced dining in the dark? The concept was inspired by an idea from German professor Andreas Heinecke who invented an experiment in 1988 in which blind guides accompany visitors throughout an exhibition that takes place in total darkness. The Frenchman Michel Reilhac renews the experience by proposing a project entirely intended for dinners in the dark with Julien Prunet, a young blind radio host. A temporary restaurant "Le Taste du Noir " was opened in 1999 in the Montorgueil district in Paris. In Switzerland, an associative dining room undoubtedly inspired by ?The taste of black? was opened at the end of 1999 in Zurich. It is called "Blinde Kuh" ("blind cow" in German). In Luxembourg, a place called Chiggeri offers Dinner In The Dark which makes the place ideal for a unique experience. "The dishes tasted have a whole different flavor and the shared moment is filled with spontaneity where listening is the key to this dinner in the dark.", their website states. The slightest noise, the slightest smell, texture, and flavor take on great importance and are real indicators. To make the experience rich, their servers are equipped with night vision glasses and their chef takes up the challenge of cuisine as refined as it is fun and educational through their famous ?surprise menus?. An approach accompanied by carefully selected wines. DO YOU DARE TO EAT IN THE DARK? WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT YOU EAT?
Joao Ramos and Sandra Totaro took over the Chiggeri restaurant in April 2017, but most of the team is still in place. In particular, chef Dimitrios Plainakis has managed to preserve the spirit of the house which has gone beyond 20 years of existence. You can choose between three areas: downstairs, the brasserie (burger, carpaccios, fondues ...) and the winter garden, upstairs, the restaurant with its refined Franco-Mediterranean menu. with specialties such as the seven-hour lamb shank with rosemary, the roasted sea bass fillet with pomegranate and Jerusalem artichoke emulsion, or a foie gras crème brûlée with a variety of apples ... In a feature with Explorator, for the wine list, Dino Totaro, Sandra's father, who is also secretary-treasurer of the Luxembourg Association of Sommeliers, knows how to maintain the level which has made the reputation of the establishment.
João & Sandra Ramos Tot aro of The Chiggeri Chiggeri.ht t ps:/ / chiggeri.lu/ ?lang=en
Take your pick from more than 2,200 different wines at the Restaurant Chiggeri in the city of Luxembourg, the restaurant with the world?s largest wine list.
After a delight ful meal, let us t ake you to an interest ing journey and see more of t he cit y, but w ait , w ho's driving?
2019 w as a year of grow t h for t he auto indust ry in Luxembourg. A record savvy of regist rat ions improved by 4.2% w it h 54.922 unit s sold. Volksw agen w as st ill t he leader, w hile Mercedes gained 2nd place, overt aking BMW. - Focus2Move
VW. Still the One.
The Philippines?Luxembourg Society (PLS) Valkenburg Christmas Market Bus Trip - Going down memory lane before the pandemic. On 2nd December 2017. 74 PLS members went on its annual Christmas market bus trip to Valkenburg in the Netherlands. After a fun bus ride, accompanied by Christmas carols and Filipino food, our members enjoyed a full day of exploring the famous Christmas market caves of Valkenburg and lovely food and ?Glühwein? . A big thank you to all those who attended and we are looking forward to our next Christmas bus trip.
Banque Raiffeisen Donation 2018 On 28th May, PLS was awarded 5000? by the Raiffeisen Bank Luxembourg. The Banque Raiffeisen regularly gives donations to local organizations and NGOs as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. On 28th May 2018, the bank generously donated 5000? to PLS. This money went towards the Gerona North Central Elementary School SPED (special education) Center, a school that provides special education, protects and promotes the welfare of all learners who are unprivileged due to a disability. The donation covered the costs of the school?s new Model House. A part of the learning center was converted into a model house with a living room, bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and bathroom. This project aims to equip these children with the skills and familiarise them with the ambiance of their home, resulting in their empowerment and independence. A huge thank you to the Banque Raiffeisen! For more updates and a list of beneficiaries, please visit their website at www.pls.lu.
St ayin g con n ect ed w it h com m u n it ies in Lu xem bou r g Each time we have a foreign country theme feature, it is necessary for Premier to find Filipino communities and organizations we can work alongside with. At times it may seem difficult because of distance and unfamiliarity, but as they say, we will always find our kind. We came across the Philippines?Luxembourg Society (PLS) which was founded on 15th May 1986 through the initiative of Mrs. Mita Terry, a Filipina living in Luxembourg at the time. With the help of the Filipino and Luxembourgish communities, the PLS was launched with the initial goal of promoting friendship and cultural ties between the people of the Philippines and Luxembourg. Other initial activities of the PLS focused on managing charity projects in favor of the less privileged in the Philippines. The charity component has grown in importance over the past years and now represents the main activity of the association so that the main focus is educational projects in the Philippines. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Philippines-Luxembourg Society Executive committee and members for the kind assistance especially to their president Ms. Cecille Hurst and Ms. Fabiola Cavallini.
Ph ilippin es-Lu xem bou r g Societ y Execu t ive Com m it t ee Cecille Hu r st -Capacet e ? Pr esiden t Filipe Dias Ram ada ? Vice Pr esiden t M egan Hu r st ? Secr et ar y An dr eia M ar t in s ? Tr easu r er M EM BERS Fabiola Cavallin i Jean -Clau de Ch ar pen t ier Pat r ick Figu eir edo Ladeir a M ar icel Pam esa Alice San t os-Zapan za Ph ilippe Tr ein en h t t ps:/ / w w w.pls.lu /
Villm ools M er ci !
Sust ainable Mobilit y Luxembourg: The First Country to Implement Free Public Transportation Wh y is t h er e a n eed t o con ver t t o FPT? To com bat clim at e ch an ge an d t o in cr ease t h e w ellbein g of cit ies?r esiden t s. Kor ea an d t h e EU h ave pledged car bon n eu t r alit y by 2050. Th e Kor ean an d EU plan s bot h aim t o lever age gr een an d digit al t r an sit ion s t o in cr ease t h e u pt ak e of zer o-em ission veh icles, an d solu t ion s t h at w ill im pr ove con n ect ivit y, access, an d qu alit y of lif e in cit ies. Elim in at in g f ar es in pu blic t r an spor t is a st ep t ow ar d t h at vision . Bef or e in t r odu cin g f u ll FFPT, Lu xem bou r g alr eady of f er ed f r ee t r avel t o you n g people below t h e age of 20, st u den t s u n der 30, an d r esiden t s w h o w er e socio-econ om ically disadvan t aged an d qu alif ied f or a ?social in clu sion in com e?. How ever , t h e in t r odu ct ion of a u n iver sal FFPT w as a m an if est o com m it m en t an d w as descr ibed by Fr an çois Bau sch , t h e M in ist er f or M obilit y an d Pu blic Wor k s, as ?an im por t an t social m easu r e?. He con t in u ed, ?t h e object ive is t o st op t h e deepen in g gap bet w een r ich an d poor . For people on low w ages, t r an spor t expen ses m at t er . Th er ef or e, it is easier t o m ak e it f r ee f or ever yon e.? By elim in at in g all st an dar d-class f ar es, FFPT is n ow expect ed t o ben ef it ar ou n d 40% of h ou seh olds in Lu xem bou r g, savin g each on e an est im at ed EUR 100 per year .
Minister of State Xavier Bettel; His Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot; EuroHPC Joint Undertaking Executive Director Anders Jensen (Photo: Business W ire) June 11, 2021 03:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Th e Digit al For t r ess of Lu xem bou r g has come into fruition with MeluXina
LUXEMBOURG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Luxembourg?s high-performance computer MeluXina was officially launched on June 7 putting the country on the global map of computer superpowers. MeluXina is capable of executing more than 10 Petaflops, the equivalent of 10 million billion calculations per second, which will rank it among the world?s top 50 supercomputers. The petascale computer is powered by green energy and is part-funded under the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. In a series of 8 high-performance computers in the EU, MeluXina joins Vega, another petascale supercomputer located in Slovenia, as the first EuroHPC machine to go live. Its innovative modular architecture allows MeluXina to serve a large variety of complex, data-driven computational workloads. It is capable of addressing compute-intensive modeling and simulation applications as well as complex high-performance data analytics and AI workloads. While most HPC?s have been designed as pure research infrastructures, MeluXina stands out on the global level for its business orientation and is available for use by start-ups and SMEs as well as large international groups. Both on Luxembourg and European level, MeluXina can serve level all types of user groups across the full range of the research and innovation spectrum. ?Our goal is to make supercomputing accessible to all. We have set up a national HPC competence center that provides operational support and training for users. The Ministry of the Economy also has R&D and innovation funding instruments to support HPC projects. We will help businesses have the right tools to seize the opportunities of the data economy?, underlined Luxembourg?s Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot at the inauguration of a ceremony that took place in the presence of HRH Grand Duke Henri. The Minister also pointed out that MeluXina has been designed as a highly secure infrastructure that guarantees the full confidentiality of all data processed.
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Mouse movements reveal your behavior Shared from the University of Luxembourg website
In two recently published research papers, computer scientists from the University of Luxembourg and international partners show how mouse movements can be used to gain additional knowledge about user behavior. W hile this has many interesting applications, mouse movements can also reveal sensitive information about the users such as their age or gender. Scientists want to raise awareness about these potential privacy issues and have proposed measures to mitigate them. Prof. Luis Leiva from the University of Luxembourg and the corresponding author of the two papers explain in more detail the key findings.
My mouse, my rules. ?We have demonstrated how straightforward it is to capture behavioral data about the users at scale, by unobtrusively tracking their mouse cursor movements, and predict user's demographics information with reasonable accuracy using five lines of code. For years, recording mouse movements on websites has been easy, however, to analyze them one would need advanced expertise in computer science and machine learning. Today, many libraries and frameworks allow anyone with a minimum of programming knowledge to create rather sophisticated classifiers. This raises new privacy issues and users do not have an easy opt-out mechanism.? Based on their results, the team developed a method to prevent mouse tracking by distorting the mouse coordinates in real-time. ?It is inspired by recent research in adversarial machine learning, and has been implemented as a web browser extension so that anyone can benefit from this work in practice,?explains Leiva. The web browser extension called MouseFaker is available on Github. This work has been presented at the 6th ACM SIGIR Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval. For more details about the article, visit wwwen.uni.lu
Committed to Their Cars
and It's Not Complicated
T
a
Luxembourgers own the most cars Luxembourg has the highest rate of car ownership in the world, with an average of 647 car owners for every 1,000 inhabitants. This is far from surprising when considering that nearly half of the country?s workforce are cross-border workers from Belgium, France, and Germany. But that is not what this article is all about. The question is can you blame a person if he or she loves his/her 4-wheeled companion rather than be in an actual relationship? "We must recognize the fact that hundreds of thousands of men in this country count their relationships with their automobiles as the most meaningful one in their lives,? said deputy Max Vroom, 49, himself in a committed relationship with a 2016 Range Rover with custom leather seats. Bertrange resident Irwin Gubbers, 67, says that after years of having to pretend that his 2011 yellow Corvette was just a cool way to go to the supermarket, he can finally be honest about his deep feelings for the car, as well as his willingness to commit to a lifelong union. ?This is about me and Corvy, and no one should be able to get between us,? said the retired notary, who added that he might have already been married twice but that he can?t remember, and that in any case he never met a human who could offer a 436-horsepower engine, a sleek design, and the Chevrolet name ? and only ask for simple love and care in return. wurst.lu
To Have and To Hold
all Parts Included
"It 's w hat non-car people don't get . They see all cars as just ton-and-a-half, t wo-tons of w ires, glass, met al and rubber. That 's all t hey see. People like you or I know, we have an unshakable belief t hat cars are living ent it ies ... you can develop a relat ionship w it h a car. And t hat 's just w hat non-car people don't get . . " - Jeremy Clarkson
Photo CTTO
"As of 2016, t he number of American car companies t hat haven't gone bankrupt is a grand tot al of t wo: Ford and Tesla." - Elon Musk (Jul, 2016 | Source)
"Here comes 40. I'm feeling my age and I've ordered t he Ferrari. I'm going to get t he w hole mid-life crisis package." - Keanu Reeves
"Fast cars are my only vice. " -Michael Bay Photo CTTO
BEA
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INNOVA
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ASTON MARTIN DBX: THE PHILIPPINE LAUNCH https:// bit.ly/ 2Thef9o / http:// manila.astonmartindealers.com/
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The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Presidential Car Museum
Discover more about Filipino history and their love for cars on https://www.facebook.com/PresidentialCarMuseum Visit the NHCP - PCM located at the Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
The International Motor Show of Luxembourg rounds off the motorsport season on a high note. The show brings together sports cars and motorbikes, exceptional models, as also competition and collectors cars allowing the hordes of visitors to appreciate, admire and enjoy their attractive and flattering lines... www.visitluxembourg.com
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Jade Leboef is one of the most followed Instagrammers in Luxembourg. The daughter of French footballer Frank Leboef moved to Luxembourg a little over a year ago, together with her husband Stéphane Rodrigues, who wanted to get back to his Luxembourgish roots. @jade_leboef
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Former Princess of Luxembourg in 2006, when it was announced that she would be marrying into the Grand Ducal Family. Her and Prince Louis had met while they were both serving in the Luxembourgish army, and they had two sons together, before announcing their divorce in 2017. She has remained a prominent figure in Luxembourg, the focus shifting from princess to businesswoman and humanitarian. She has received an Honorary Doctorate for her work in global education, and she is the founder and co-founder of several charities and companies. @tessy_from_luxembourg
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
A digital culinary experience. Anne Faber is thefoodie-profile in Luxembourg, with several cookbooks and a prime-time TV show to her name. Although her recipes are inspired by her 12 years living in London as well as her culinary travels, her blog and Instagram features plenty of traditional Luxembourgish recipes, oftentimes with an original twist. www.anneskitchen.lu/
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Born and raised in Luxembourg, Paulina On The Road started her blog after some time traveling abroad, when she realized she had visited too many places to remember them all at the top of her head. Her bilingual blog in English and Spanish became a digital scrapbook, documenting her travel experiences with a focus on lesser-known destinations and a boat hitchhike across the Atlantic Ocean. www.paulinaontheroad.com/
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Luxembourg's T opI nfluencers
Anna Katina launched her blog in 2014 to follow her passion of digital story telling through words and photography. With her personal brand growing, her work expanded to social media management and, photography services, as well as visual communication for businesses. www.annakatina.com
SAVE THE DATE: 05 & 06 FEBRUARY 2022 WINE CHEESE ENJOY Winter makes you want delightful recipes that warm your heart and body. Fondue, raclette as well as cheese platters await you! This gourmet event showcases cheese specialities and regional wine products. Many winegrowers and restaurateurs will open their doors between Schengen and Grevenmacher. In a cosy atmosphere, they will present their best Luxembourg wines and Crémants in harmony with delectable cheese variations.
?Resourceful Luxembourg? will be the central theme of the Luxembourg Pavilion, situated in the opportunity district. As a smart nation, Luxembourg has always felt the need to look outward and combine its human, natural, technical, industrial, and financial resources to create its future. Throughout its history, the country has always been able to reinvent itself in order to move from an agricultural country to industrial power and a global financial center with its redirection towards research, digital technologies, and space industries. He always knew how to be open, dynamic and reliable. The design chosen for the Luxembourg Pavilion is the result of a transparent and open call offered by the project?s leaders. The teams were invited to offer a global vision of Luxembourg under the theme ?Resourceful Luxembourg?. The call for projects procedure was launched on January 17th, 2017, and was closed on April 7th, 2017 following the announcement that a consortium of architects and scenographers had been selected. The ultimate winner who was selected to implement the project was the METAFORM architecture studio. The Luxembourg pavilion will have a shape based on the idea of ??the Möbius ribbon, an infinite form, like the circular economy, but also a symbol of openness and dynamism. Upon entry, visitors will be guided from the entrance to the floors from where the exhibition will begin, including an ambulatory scenography, presenting the country in five aspects: diverse, connecting, sustainable, enterprising, beautiful.
Among the 192 pavilions that the EXPO will include, the grand-ducal pavilion will be the only one to have a slide, a nod to the tradition of the Schueberfouer.
Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year was launched in 2011 Open to professional and non-professional, old and young, the Awards celebrate the very best in food photography and film from around the world. The categories cover the full cultural range of the depiction of food in society ? there is something for everyone. From styled food for magazines to images of families eating together in celebration of religious festivals, from depictions of the realities of food production to food growing in its natural setting. Since 2011, over 70,000 images and films have been submitted from over 77 countries. Pink Lady®Food Photographer of the Year was founded by Caroline Kenyon and her team at The Food Awards Company. The idea for the Awards arose from two decades of experience commissioning photography and the wish to see this wonderful and vibrant sector of photography given the recognition it deserves. "We are extremely proud that Pink Lady®, the premium global apple brand, has been headline sponsor since the awards were launched." ?The most prestigious Awards in the industry?The Independent ?One of the world?s most well-respected and creative niche photo contests?Advanced Photographer
Pink Lady Food Photographere of the Year 2021 1st PlaceErrazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year - Produce© Patrick Desgraupes,France Clos Saint Patrice Sample Jerome is filing in a sample of Clos Saint Patrice at Chateauneuf du Pape-France to send to the lab.
Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2021 1st Place Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year - People© David Weimann,Germany Meike and Dörte Näkel Portrait of the german Pinot Noir winemakers, Meike and Dörte Näkel, from the famous wine estate Meyer Näkel.
Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2021 1st Place Tom Hyland 1st Place Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year Places© Thomas Hyland,United States A Langhe Winter View of snow-covered vineyards at Castiglione Falletto in the Langhe district of Piedmont, Italy.
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Vol. 1
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JULY, 2021 LUXEM BOURG ISSUE