We attempted yet another overnight train from Nice to Strasbourg and this one was TEN TIMES better than the last one. Not only was the train much quieter and cleaner, there were much fewer people aboard and the few that were around us were very nice and kind people. We spent the first few hours playing Big 2 and watching poor Natty lose which meant one less sugared worm for her. Let’s just say you had to be there to fully be able to appreciate the torture she was being put through….hehe!!
We arrived the next morning in Strasbourg at 7:30am. We arrived to grey skies and a bit of rain (the norm it seems in the northern parts of France) and decided to have some breakfast first. We had the usual savoury croissants and pastries that France is so well known for and then made our way to the tourist office where we found out quickly that we did not need two days in Strasbourg as we had originally planned. We therefore decided to leave our luggage at a nearby hotel for a small fee and figured we’d spend the day wandering through this small town.
As we started our walk down the narrow lanes of Strasbourg, you could breathe in the crisp morning air and the three of us were excited to see what this city had to offer. Our first stop was at the romantic Terrasse Panoramique which is atop the Barrage Vauban, a dam which was built in the old days to prevent river-borne attacks on the city and now offers fabulous views of the city and the Ill River.
We continued to walk for the next few hours through the narrow streets of this very old city, crisscrossed by narrow lanes, canals and locks and it all seemed to have a fairy tale feel to it. I felt like I was walking through the pages of a fairy tale book and seeing things I would normally see on paper when reading to my niece and nephews. It was a wonderful place to visit and very different from the other cities in France we had visited thus far.
After walking around for a few hours, we decided to take a break and take in Strasbourg by boat. We boarded an open-air boat and sat back and relaxed as we strolled along the soft waters of the Ill River. It strolled along so softly that at one point both Natty and myself fell asleep for a few minutes. We strolled the river for around an hour and saw more historic buildings, the Tanners’ District and the European Parliament, which is known for its modern architecture. Twice during the boat ride, we stopped into canal locks where a gate would shut behind us and allow the water to rush in raising the boat and water level to the level of water height we were about to embark onto through the gate in front of us. It was the first time most, if not everyone on the boat, had experienced this. It was quite interesting to feel and see the water level and boat rise and then to drop to a lower level on our return back.
Saint Paul Church – an amazing sight as we strolled upstream towards it
After a serene and beautiful ride on the river, we continued to explore the small streets of this town until dusk hit and our feet were so sore we had to sit down somewhere. We stopped in the Petite France section of town where we sat on a patio as the sun set and had a great dinner. Well 2 out of the 3 of us had a good dinner. Natty was feeling a wee bit sick in the stomach and had to stick to soup and pasta to keep her stomach from doing the flip flops and to keep her from using the restaurant bathroom several times!!
After a pleasant dinner, we walked (yet again) along the river where they seemed to be having several festivities and activities set up at each bridge. Most of the festivities seemed to center around gargoyles where there were various light shows, theatre shows and music to be seen and heard. We made our way back to the Notre Dame where they were having a light and music show cast upon the cathedral before heading back to the train station.
We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Strasbourg as it was relaxed, laid back and like I have mentioned before, it had a much different feel to it than any of the other French cities we have been to. Here’s a big thanks to Mrs. Vermaas for suggesting the stop as we definitely would have missed this gem of a city if it wasn’t for her suggestion.
We’re now on our way on yet another overnight train to Bayeux, a town in the Normandy region to delve back in history and visit the monumental places of D-Day.
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