Strasburg, Blog 13
I LOVE Strasburg and the
entire Alsace Region. I’m an addict when
it comes to the TV show House Hunters International. It’s a quality reality show about people
looking for homes all over the world and gives insight into the culture and
scenery of the area. When I watched a
couple buy a home in Strasburg, I said to Dan, “We have to go there!” And we did!
And it lives up to all expectations!
When we arrived it was
evening but very hot. Our hotel is
wonderful with 2 sinks, a separate toilet, a sitting room and great AC. We wandered down to the L’Ill River and
lucked out. Outside a tree covered
restaurant terrace there was a 22 piece oompah band that played for about 2
hours. I enjoyed a Salade et bier
followed by a gelato at a nearby stand.
Life does not get better than this!
The next morning, we walked
to the cathedral—again no superlative does it justice….one of the beautiful I
have ever seen. In a rose sandstone from
the nearby Vosges Mountains, its cloud piercing spire delicately touches the
sky. Begun in1176, it survived the French Revolution, Franco Prussian War, WWI,
and WWII. The most unusual part is a
high-tech 15th century astronomical clock. Once a day at 12:30 PM, a rooster crows, the 12 apostles pass Jesus
for a blessing, angels move about. How
it was designed and constructed without modern tools is unbelievable!
We have about overdosed on
museums but there was one last one to see:
The Alsatian Museum. Alsatian
folk art is presented in one of Strasbourg’s oldest and most characteristic
homes. Besides the wonderful exhibits of
daily life, we were surprised to find 2 rooms devoted to Juif (Jews) and a
reconstructed synagogue. A number of the
different artifacts had writing in Hebrew alongside designs of the French flag.
Outside the museum was a real
flea market as opposed to an antique dealers’ fair. Prices were reasonable and it was possible to
bargain. I actually bought a small
lithograph of Alsacian women in native costume.
Just what I need—another picture to hang on the wall.
By then it was late afternoon
and about 95 degrees (no exaggeration) so we went back to the hotel for the
AC. After resting, we went on an 8 PM boat
trip on the canals of the River I’ll, which surrounded the city. Most of the boats are enclosed but we were
fortunate to get on one completely open with an excellent English
commentary. In addition to the medieval
sights, we floated by the European Parliament Buildings and the European Court
of Human Rights, ultra modern buildings.
When we were all done, I was ready to go round again. Of note, the commentary stated, “Strasbourg
is a city of Catholics, Protestants, and Jews.”
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