By Al Benson
Fourteen residents from the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg toured Aurora Monday.
They were on the Luxembourg Fest bus tour of the Midwest by Building Bridges, a touring group. Rene Daubenfeld of Luxembourg, who runs the group, said it was his 10th annual visit to the U.S.
Aurora tour stops Monday included Reuland Restaurant for lunch, followed by a visit to Annunciation Church and cemetery in Aurora. After a Monday evening dinner at Luxemburger Hall in Aurora, the tour went to the group’s final destination Tuesday morning, Blackberry Farm in Aurora.
The tour started and ended in Chicago and made its way to stops in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois.
A tour highlight was the Luxembourg Festival of America held August 12 in Belgium, Wis.
Suburban residents with Luxembourg connections who joined the group at Reuland’s included Sue Beck of Batavia and Jim Michels of Sugar Grove. Beck’s great-grandparents immigrated from Luxembourg as did Michel’s grandparents.
—Al Benson