We had been super lucky with the weather up until now – mid 60s and sunny since the day we arrived. I had not even remotely thought to pack sunscreen, and it was decidedly needed. But now our luck had now run out. The skies were gloomy and threatened rain in the afternoon.
Strasbourg is a bit of a logistical challenge. The big coaches are too big to bring us all the way into the old city with the cathedral. The Leisure group followed our tour guide through a shorter and easier path to the Cathedral, as she explained the ancient history of the town and its buildings, as it changed hands from Germany to France many times over the centuries. Along the way to the cathedral, we were able to sample some macaroons at a bakery. Yum!
The Notre Dame du Strasbourg is – like most everything else in Germany – very old, with a checkered history as it was built and remodeled over the centuries.
Inside, the stained glass windows were stunning. My favorite is always the rose window.
The true highlight of the church is the amazing floor to ceiling clock that tracked the time plus phases of the moon, and the zodiac.
We stayed to watch the 3/4 hour chime and the movement of the figures. Apparently tickets are sold for the noon festivities.
The tour was over when we were finished with the church. We had some free time before the group was supposed to return to the ship. We decided to stay for lunch. The tour guide had recommended a restaurant right next to the cathedral, but the Alsatian food looked a bit heavy. Plus we were in France! Time for French food.
We picked a brasserie also right on the square – marvelous entres followed by chocolate crepe or lava cake. OMG. Yum.
Tom had suggested a boat ride on the canal, so we bought tickets for the 2:30 time slot. It was a fantastic way to see different aspects of the city from the river, including going through several locks. It was a good thing the boat was covered – it started raining during the tour.
The next adventure was finding an Uber to come get us. Our first attempt failed (too small a vehicle), but the second guy came with a big van. Plus he had a little step stool to help me climb in. The driver’s English was as bad as our French, but somehow we managed to have a semblance of a conversation (“Joe Biden! Putin!”). We were able to figure out he came from Algeria. Unlike my crazy experience in Cologne, he was able to drop us off right where the front desk had recommended – a short walk back to the ship.
A successful day in Strasbourg! Even with the rain!
The evening’s special dinner was German specialties. Unfortunately, we were not into it.
Tomorrow – the Black Forest. Will we find a cuckoo clock to our liking?
Maryland Meshugas 