Strasbourg: return to civilization

Family, Travel by Kristin

strasbourg.001

having lived there for 2 years several years ago, Spy laughed at my assertion that Strasbourg would feel like the epitome of refined urban living after what i’d endured at Marne-la-Vallée. i’m happy to say i was right. this adorable city treated me to a proper hotel with a life-changing shower situation (no joke) and internet from this century, along with a host of other lovely moments for my eyes and mouth as we toured and tasted our way down memory lane. with a suddenly slower, more relaxed pace to our days, i think this may have been my favorite stop of the entire trip.

motoring in style

this would be our home for the next 5 hours or so, along the A4.
we made a quick stop in Reims to visit the gorgeous cathedral. these windows, designed by artist Marc Chagall, are a uniquely modern addition to the medieval church.
we didn’t want to take the time to venture off our route for authentic champagne, so we picked up this half bottle at a gas station in the region. then we also picked up a nicer bottle when we stopped at Reims.

i love a road trip! it was a beautiful day for this little journey that took us through the French countryside with a stop at Reims for Chagall and champagne.

sweet suite

you know it’s gonna be good inside when this is on the outside of your door.
obnoxiously huge, right? the bed actually had a built-in table for in-bed dining.
oh. em. gee. extra steam in my 16-head shower? yes, please! i’m not really that much of a bath or shower person, but enjoyed the hell out of both of these.
still taking it easy on the bread, i learned that what had become my breakfast of choice was not yogurt, but a fermented cheese.
and, perched in one of those leather chairs is where i cracked open the gas station champagne and finally finished my Paris post.

i know. but i couldn’t help myself. i told Spy that we’re coming back for our 10th anniversary without Miss Girl and having already seen all the sites of Strasbourg can just spend a long weekend holed up in this room at the Hilton Strasbourg.

speaking of seeing the sites . . .

upon arrival, we met up with a friend from Atlanta who is working in Strasbourg now. i enjoyed my first Alsatian wine in Alsace aboard one of the many cafe boats that line the canal.
spring had definitely sprung. along with warmer weather than in Paris, we also enjoyed some beautiful blooms.
obvs, the best way to see the city is from up high.
not as grand as the Cathedral, i loved this smaller Protestant church on the canal. i would.
this little piece of nostalgia was known to Spy as Cafe Third World in his student days.
where Spy spent time when he wasn’t hanging out at Cafe Third World.
the world’s tallest building for over 200 years, it’s nearly impossible to get a good shot of it with so many shops and restaurants lining the square where it sits!
inside, a giant astronomical clock was accurate enough to calculate the timing of Easter long before computers.
this food truck made everything from crepes to croque monsieur. you can guess which Miss Girl chose.
i mean, what’s not to like about ham and butter on a crusty baguette?
had the carousel been open for the season, i can assure you there would have been multiple spins.
so many pretty scenes along the canal
skinny half-timber houses were everywhere.
one of the many quaint squares.
who doesn’t want a slab of cheese bigger than their head?
and also nougat. totally wish i’d bought some of this.
couldn’t leave without tasting the home-brewed beer.
the trip wouldn’t have been complete without a daddy/daughter stroll down the street where Daddy used to live.t!

two days was a totally comfortable amount of time to feel like we’d explored, tasted and shopped all we needed to. the only thing i didn’t get to do that i’d wanted to was the boat ride. for some reason, boats weren’t really running the main day we were sightseeing. perhaps that’s the one reason i’ll leave the hotel room when we come back.

and because we could . . .

the bridge was nothing like i imagined. it is amazing to see something so modern amid all the historic architecture we’d been surrounded by all day.
yeah, we’re dorks.
those Hoepfners sure went down easy . . .
and so did the chocolate ice cream!
we stopped to have our picture taken beside the cruise ship that had docked. that will be our vacation in about 20 years.
the bridge was even prettier by night.
y’all know i had to throw in 1 artsy shot!

yep. we walked to Germany for happy hour. there is a beautiful pedestrian bridge that (depending on your point of view) starts in Strasbourg and ends on the other side of the Rhine in Kehl, Germany. we took the lovely stroll, then found Villa Schmidt — with the perfect riverside patio for sundowners (German this time, of course).

next stop, Route des Vins. stay tuned!

12 Comments

  4. Cbrvince
    Reply

    Read your article because your were shared by Strasbourg the europtimist on fb.
    Makes me proud, and am very glad that you actually enjoyed your stay there.
    I arrived in Strasbourg 20 years ago, left several times but always came back because you can just never leave this Canaan land of wine and beer.
    Next time, you have to visit Elsass in september when the vineyards begin to turn red, wandering through puppet-house looking villages covered with flowers and bathed in the sun. My favorite time in Elsass.
    Greetings from Strasbourg !

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kristin
      Reply

      yay! thank you so much for visiting! Strasbourg was my favorite part of our whole trip. such beauty and history, as well as very friendly people — you should be proud! I would love to come back for an entire week. September sounds perfect! 😊

      Like

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