France: Strasbourg

Many years ago John had a coworker who declared Strasbourg to be the most beautiful city in all of Europe. Having been to hundreds of cities in Europe, we were not exactly holding our breath. The unexpected highlight was the stained glass rose window in the cathedral; not blue and red!

The history of the area is interesting, having gone back and forth between France and Germany multiple times. Considering the Alasatian language is Germanic, I can only imagine the official history is the story of the victor whichever one happens to be at the given time.

We arrived in Strasbourg in the evening and it was raining, but we made a brief excursion to the grocery store and the city center; that is, to the cathedral with its famous pipe organ, stained glass windows, pillar of angels, mechanical clock, and so much more.












When the weather cleared we went out for a walk. How 'bout this Art Nouveau McDonald's?


And the fabulous Art Deco Vox Cinema.


We wandered through the Petite France Quartier with its canals, sluices, and half-timbered buildings.










The outdoor market was busy. Some stands. like this one, had long queues.


River cruises had business too.


And the outdoor cafes in the small squares near the cathedral were full.


Back into the cathedral for a daylight look.






The mechanical clock springs into action every quarter hour. The two times we watched, it was pretty ho-hum.


The cathedral seems jammed into its space, surrounded on all sides by other buildings.


SL found this Art Nouveau School online. Very cool.




The University Botanic Garden had a huge bee hotel.


There was a protest in swing when we walked by the City Hall, but not at the opera house.




Unexpectedly, the Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune Protestant Church with its front-and-center pipe organ, chandeliers, colorful baptismal font, Art Nouveau pews, and 11th-century cloister was beautuful and interesting.














And a few parting shots.