It took us under three hours by train, and the ride cut through the gorgeous German country side and for a while through the Black Forest.
Strasbourg is in the Alsace région (state) of France, where my mom's mom's family comes from. It's actually a fascinating area (not to mention beautiful), because Alsace has been traded back and forth between the French and the Germans for centuries. So you can see the influence of both cultures all over the city (cf. the half-timbered houses in the above photo).
Many streets also have both French and German names. ("Little Rooster Alley")
We went to the cathedral. (rose window)
And climbed up the tower. Here you can see the market.
the cathedral
Strasbourg is very pretty.
For lunch we had delicious French food from a pâtisserie. Then we went to the Musée zoologique, which was very cool - and cheap (€1,50)! Plus the woman at the counter thought we were German when she heard me struggling with French, so she spoke to us auf Deutsch!
The museum consisted of tons of taxidermied animals. Most of them weren't dressed up like something from Narnia, but I couldn't resist this photo op. It was actually extremely interesting and well done over all. They even had two mounted coelocanths.
We also went to the European Parliament, where the EU's legislature meets.
Then I bought an oddly shaped French baguette to take back to Constance with me. (It has horns on the ends!)
And today I walked back to Insel Mainau with two friends. We could see the Alps as we crossed the bridge! I love studying abroad!
6 comments:
First!
Did you say "studying abroad?"
I get the "abroad" part, but what about the studying?
Do you go to classes?
Have you told your profs you will be gone again soon?
Oh I am so jealous of Strasbourg; it looks beautiful and I am so jealous of the food, too.
I am surprised it took 3 hours by train, though. It doesn't look that far on the map. Beautiful countryside though.
We are off to Annaliese's final concert of the season soon (well, she has one with the Phoenix Boys' Choir in late June, too, but this one is technically the last of the regular "season")
Wow, I think you are having a great time
By the way Colin we saw lots of people at prom last night who said to say hello to you (the Tofts, Billy Durrow, Chelsi, etc.)
love you!
Second!
I loved Strasbourg, too. Great story about the cathedral having only one tower- they had run out of money (after many generations) to build the 2nd tower, and the main accountant would have lost his head over it- so he and an engineer claimed if the 2nd tower was built, the whole cathedral would fall! (Or something like that.) That is why it is one of the only cathedrals that is not symmetrical. I ate at the restaurant directly across from the cathedral, and the building went back to the 1400's I believe. It is a very post card like city.
What a great trip you are having, Colin! Happy to follow along on your travels via the blog, but wish I could be experiencing it myself...envy envy. Really incredible you are getting in so much while over there. Classes? What classes? Ha!
Thanks for posting your experiences and photos!
Third!
Wow - that looks amazing! Not a bad life where you can just pop over to France! (Kind of like when we stayed at Boardwalk at Disney! --- yeah - OK - it is a LOT better than that...)
Can't wait to get there and see it all myself!
FOURTH!
OK Colin we all ALL wondering about the studying part....
Nevertheless, a great opportunity!
Hate to be FIFTH but that is what I am! Gorgeous photos. Flying buttresses come to mind? My grandma Theresa Ripp, her own family was from Alsace-Lorraine. I never heard it said except the two words together. Where did Lorraine go? (She just moved in next door to me!)
The Padres are driving us all nuts, in last place now and started out so well.
This past wk end the Red Bull Flying Group was performing over the water here in SD; I was not there in person, thousands were, but their aeronautics were unbelievable, turning their planes sideways zooming thru pilons. My neck gets achey thinking about watching it.
I just thought, HEY, maybe I'm FIRST, this is Monday morning! OK,
I'll take FIRST.
Love to my hard-studying abroad grandson, Gr Pat (I would train over to France myself)
Hey Colin, I am in class all this week. Keep up the posts - I need the distraction!
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