Strasbourg, France

On this rainy morning we arrived in Kehl, Germany for our day in Strasbourg France.  Our tour bus took us over the Rhine River into France.  Strasbourg is a large city and is the capital of the Alsace region in eastern France and a center of European politics.  It is the home of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and the European Council of Human Rights.  The European Union (E.U.) has its headquarters here.  The buildings of these organizations were very modern in architecture.  The city of Strasbourg has many beautiful parks to stroll through.  Unfortunately it was a little wet today to enjoy a walk through many of the parks.  Driving onto our next destination our guide pointed out the many stork nests in the trees along the street.  If you looked close enough you could see them with their young.

​Our next stop was the area called Petite France; it is one of Strasbourg’s most picturesque areas with half-timbered houses along the canals and cobbled stone streets.  It was a Sunday so many of the shops were not opened.    One shop we noticed along our walk look to be an elegant jewelry shop as you strolled by, but I was surprised for a Sunday morning that it was so busy.  As many of us thought it was not a jewelry shop at all but a wonderful pastry and sweets shop.
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In Cathedral Square we visited Strasbourg Cathedral, one of Europe’s great Gothic cathedrals.  Since it was Sunday morning, mass was being held.  The Cathedral was full with parishioners.   We listened to the service but it was in French so it was a little hard to understand.  Inside the Cathedral there is an Astronomical clock and many stained glass windows.   You can also climb up to the cathedral’s platform to view all of Strasbourg.  On this rainy day we decided not to climb the 332 steps to see the view.

On our way back to the ship our guide pointed out the Pedestrian Bridge that links Strasbourg, France to Kehl, Germany across the Rhine River.  Many French and German’s use the bridge daily, linking two cities that were once at fierce odds with one another.
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This afternoon we are off to the Alsatian Wine Road…..