The drive to Strasbourg from Zurich was uneventful - the directions I had screen shot were clear and easy to follow. Our hotel was just on the other side of the canal around the old town. It was in a convenient location; so convenient that some protestors chose the end of the block to stage a protest. Police were blocking access to the road, but everything appeared peaceful and the hotelier could had no information what it was about. By the time we unloaded our bags and moved the car to the parking garage a few blocks away and returned, the protestors and police were cleared out.
After the spacious apartment in Switzerland, our hotel room in Strasbourg seemed teeny tiny - the photos on Booking.com made it seem larger deceivingly. The bathroom was barely big enough to stand in. And the heater was positioned right above the door, so the room never warmed up. I had asked the girls whether they wanted a room with a bunk bed or with a sofa bed, and they requested the bunks, but ironically they ended up sleeping together in one bed because the room was so cold. Perhaps we should have tried the place across the street with the sofa bed! This travelogue is by no means a review of places to eat and stay, but future reference, Hotel Victoria wasn't our favorite. Our hotel in Heidelberg was the nicest of the places we stayed - but I usually book for cost and convenience rather than luxury.
More pastries and yummy things to eat
More lovely flower shops
Book and print stalls - wish I had more space and money to spend - only bought a 50c Mademoiselle Joyeuse book
Strasbourg is famous for its large Gothic cathedral at the center of the city, which is an island of sorts surrounded by a tributary of the Rhine, the River Ille, directed into a canal or moat, if you prefer. We took our time walking to the cathedral, stopping to shop at a flea market with book stalls and to peek into other churches, shoe shops, candy stores, and jewelry shops. We bought vin chaud and crepes just before we turned the corner to AHA! entered the platz where the cathedral soared to the sky.
Our fingers were sticky from nutella and strawberry jam, and we had to chug the vin chaud before entering the cathedral, which seemed a bit irreverent, but the cathedral itself was breathtaking. I wish I had read a bit more about it before arriving, or while touring, so that I would have had a better appreciation for what we were walking into. The day was winding down, so the interior was dim, so I have few photos, nor did we have time to walk up the tower, but we did have time to admire the unusual medieval clock featured in one of the apses and to admire the soaring gothic tower at sunset.
The enormous clock
A contemporary stained glass image of the face of Christ, newly added
After touring, we bought some gifts at the gift shop, and then looked for somewhere to eat dinner. Again, we wandered a bit before finding a place that specialized in the cuisine of the region. Alsatian food is similar to German, with meats and potatoes, but more cheese options. This time the girls sacrificed an array of vegetarian options and ordered salad, while my husband feasted on a big piece of roast beast and I inhaled a flammekucken - a thin crust pizza without red sauce, basically. Mine was topped with munster cheese from this region, onions, olive oil, and speck, which is crispy pieces of ham - not as fatty as bacon. By the end of the meal, we barely had enough room to split an apfeltart with whipped cream.
Sunset in Strasbourg. We made the mistake of not walking to the "Petite France" to see the old "Pont Couvert" which is no longer covered, but has preserved much of the 16th-17th half timbered construction. But we saw plenty of it around the city, and I wore out my companions' willingness to walk more.
A view of the side altar at the church where we went to Mass.
Once we were refueled by our meal, no one felt ready to go sit in our tiny cold room, so the girls decided to walk around more and we sat at a corner restaurant, where I had tea, and my husband had a big German - or Alsatian? - beer. The beer and bite of apple tart on top my flammekuchen left me completely stuffed. We finished our drinks and were wearying of our conversation and the long day before the girls returned. Just as I began to worry about them being out late, they returned, and we reset for the next morning.
Since it was Sunday, we found a Catholic Mass at Old St Peter's Church - apparently there are two, one Protestant and one Catholic - which was just across the river from our hotel. The priest was quite friendly and wecoming. Before Mass he was greeting parishioners in the pews, and he stopped and asked where we were from, and then he introduced us and other "pilgrims" before beginning the service. I was surprised at how much of the service and readings I could understand after having taken 5 years of French 30 years ago.
After Mass we downed coffee on the way to finding another restaurant for more coffee and pastries. The girls found a place that had a number of vegan options, including soup, which I ordered, and vegan quiche, which my husband tried. As he said, they were able to find the only Californian restaurant in all of Strasbourg.
Sunday was architecture day - we toured the Palais Rohan and then walked across the river on the other side of Old Town to stroll around the opera house, central library, and state house. There was a park that was recommended by Rick Steves, but it was over two miles away, and rather than figure out public transportation or walk that far, we contented ourselves with a stroll through the university botanic garden, where the first buds of spring - snow drops, crocuses, and hellebores - were just making an appearance.
The Palais Rohan was built in the first half of the 18th century by the Alsatian bishop. At different times it hosted Marie Antoinette and Louis XV and Napoleon and Josephine. Its ownership shifted over the years, and it now belongs to the city and is a Museum of Decorative Arts. We had planned to also visit the Museum of Fine Arts, but it was closed, as was the Zoological Museum, but some of the taxidermy specimens had been relocated to the Palais, so we got a peek of a lion in the bedchamber of the emperor and birds and rats in the library.
Porcelain table ware at the palace museum
Looking out at the castle courtyard and its view of the cathedral. Since it housed bishops and other clergy, it was located just steps from the cathedral.
Walking along the river to the university gardens. I think the yellow flowers are winter aconite?
The Lutheran church of St Paul
A view of the national library, the Palais du Rhin, the Place du Republique, and the theater was on that circle, also.
After a disappointing overpriced and watery cup of coffee and purchase of almond tuiles at a cafe off the beaten path because my husband had to use the restroom (nor did this cafe have "lait vegetale" for our vegan companion - "seulement la vache!" We may have butchered that conversation), we again loaded up in the little blue Peugeot for the two hour drive back to Heidelberg. We dropped the girls off at their German home in the late afternoon, and then went to find our accomodations for the night, Hotel Krokodil, which was an affordable and friendly hotel just outside the "aldstadt."
As you can see - not a fancy hotel, but it had a pub at the ground level, and the beds were comfy.
We parked the car for a small fee, especially compared to the Zurich price of 40 euros anight, and then walked back to the aldstadt to meet our daughter for one last meal at a very German establishment, after stopping in a church dedicated to St. Anne where we said a little prayer for our own Annie. Dinner was a German feast: we had schnitzel and sauerbrauten and spaetzle and sauerkraut and beer. The waiter was kind enough to bring me a little sip of the botanical spirits - I can't remember the name right now - because I was debating ordering a glass instead of the beer. I think he could tell a taste was all I wanted.
The next morning was Valentine's Day. We had time to pick up some flowers for our daughter at one of the pretty corner flower shops before meeting her for coffee before her class. The florist was doing brisk business that morning. We had coffee and a pretzel with an egg fried on top for breakfast and then hugged our Annie goodbye. She had class that day and was leaving the next morning for a class trip to Spain, so our time together was at an end. After a tight hug, we watched her walk off and then headed back to load into the Peugeot for another drive, this time to Nuremberg to visit with my husband's brother and his family. Before departing Heidelberg, we made a quick stop into the department store to buy some Haribo candies to take to the cousins and were overwhelmed by the choices, but settled on a quirky variety of gummy candy, no bears or worms.
Off to class! Yes, that is a Five Guys right there. Apparently, it's very popular.
And Nuremberg will be the last installment to come!
