Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda “Year-end and New Year’s Travel to Germany & Luxembourg (3) – No Fireworks! Edition

Finally, I went to Luxembourg!

A New Year’s Eve trip with my mother. They had planned to take a train from Frankfurt, Germany to neighboring Luxembourg on New Year’s Eve, but the train schedule was so disrupted that they were forced to take a bus on the way.

When I told my mother that we had to get off the train at an unknown station called Saarbrücken and change to a bus within 10 minutes, she looked at the train window in silence. She was a late riser and had waited two hours for the train in freezing temperatures. She must have felt like it was time to do something about it. I simulated the transfer over and over in my head.

Now, I arrived at Saarbrücken. I asked at the information desk where the bus stop was and made a mad dash for it, dragging two large suitcases with me.

The bus had already arrived, and passengers were loading their luggage on the back of the bus. There were only a few minutes left before the bus departed. As the last passenger, I made it safely. Relieved, I tried to put my luggage in the back of the bus, but the luggage bed was at the height of my shoulders. I tried to lift my heavy suitcase, but could not reach it at all. （I was about to cry, “If I don’t do this, I will miss the flight!) I was about to cry, when I heard my mother calling me, “Ai-chan! I heard my mother’s voice calling me. When I turned around, I saw that she had brought an old man with her, whom I did not know. I quickly said “Help me!” to him, and with a smile, he lifted my suitcase and put it in.

The 1 hour and 15 minute bus ride took us along the French border. The scenery, which is not often seen, made me realize that traveling in Europe by bus is also wonderful.

Then we arrived in Luxembourg. The moment I got off the bus, I exclaimed, “Wow! I exclaimed in admiration. In the crisp, clear, cool air, the trees along the side of the road were illuminated and sparkling, and the white cobblestones on the ground reflected the lights. The buildings were also made of white stone and were at the same height, and a white tram of the latest design was running between them, illuminated. Dream world” was the perfect word to describe it.

We had already researched Frankfurt, but had no knowledge of Luxembourg. What a country! We were so excited to find out that the city of Luxembourg itself is registered as a World Heritage site, and until recently, Luxembourg’s GDP per capita was the highest in the world. We also discovered that we could ride public transportation for free.

I took the train for free and went to the center of the city, where I found a Uniqlo store. I was impressed. I was impressed. I found a long down coat in a cute color not sold in Japan, and fulfilled one of my goals for this trip: to buy a thick long down coat.

I was looking forward to it. ……

Back at the hotel, I asked the front desk, “Where is the venue for the countdown event?” I asked at the front desk. I thought I heard back in English, “There is no countdown. （I thought to myself, “What?) I used Google Translate again and asked, “I read on the Internet that the fireworks for the countdown will be visible from a bridge in town. Where is that bridge?” I asked. To my surprise, he replied, “There is no countdown. No fireworks. No kidding? I had checked the Internet many times when I was in Japan and decided to spend New Year’s Eve in Luxembourg because I had read that fireworks over the New Year’s Eve could be seen from the bridge!

I was angry and self-loathing at my declining advance coverage skills. In frustration, I decided to wander around the city at night as long as I had the strength. I rode the uncovered Ferris wheel at a Christmas market in the snow. I hadn’t done that with my mother since I was a child. It was windy and shook a lot, and it was so cold that it chilled me to the bone. Then, in our hotel room, we quietly welcomed the year 2026.

It was a six-night, eight-day trip with my mother. We had a number of troubles, and I boarded the train to Frankfurt Airport without knowing whether my mother enjoyed the trip.

I was already beginning to wonder, “What should I do for this year’s New Year’s holiday? (What should I do this New Year’s holiday?) I was already beginning to worry. At that time, my mother said to me, “That was fun. I want to come back to Luxembourg in the summer! She said. I turned my eyes to the train window where my mother was happily looking out, and there I saw the famous Rhine River and a number of castles. I was so happy to see my mother’s feelings, and the scenery looked so beautiful. I replied, “Yes,” and told her in my heart that I would come to see her again soon, this time in the summer.

Born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Gakushuin University with a degree in mathematics, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003, and left in 2012 to become a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows, and currently appears regularly as the main MC of the daytime TV program “Poka Poka” (Fuji Television Network).

Her first book, ” Where are you going on the road called Royal Road? is now on sale by popular demand!

From the March 6, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY