I took some pictures from a small area near the parking garage:
Two defensive towers (archers would have been at every narrow window):
After parking the van, we entered a long, old structure to cross over to the main section of "stuff" in Strasbourg. The building was extremely cold, serving as a wind tunnel with both ends open, and was mostly used for the storage of old statues, it seemed - sort of a museum's closet. The stone walls were crumbly but solid, and we passed alternately over solid stone floor and old, old wood sections that apparently were once raised and lowered much like drawbridges. Some of the original pulley-type equipment still jutted from the walls, and it was eerie to pass between fenced-off sections of tumbledown statues from centuries ago.
We knew where we wanted to go, but not exactly how to get there, so we spent a lot of time wandering the streets of Strasbourg in the general direction of our ultimate goal. Even the maps weren't a great help, but after a while we could see the building we wanted, and after a few more criss-crosses, we arrived. The Weihnachtsmarkt was in full swing in the streets in front of and surrounding the building, but I almost didn't notice.
Would you have seen anything other than this, the Cathedrale Notre-Dame of Strasbourg? (Pardon the lamppost - people were everywhere, so that's as good as I could get in the crowd, with my neck craned wayyyy back):
This is the best shot I have of the front entrance - utterly awe-inspiring!
A few facts about the church: It was built from 1176-1439, and the spire is 142m tall. Goethe liked to watch the sunset from the uppermost platform.
We didn't go up, but we did go in:
For something like fifty euro cents, you could buy a votive and light it in memory/honor/whatever. These lined both sides of the church.
This memorial inscription was touching, though I did wince at "their life" on it - oh well, it was probably translated by someone whose first language isn't English:
And then there was this, the astronomical clock (I strongly urge anyone interested to read the section on it found here - it's fascinating stuff! There are also better pictures there.):
We had the good fortune of being present when the clock "chimed" - an almost eerie incident, given the various figures moving under the shadow of Death. Nobody spoke once the clock started moving.
After we finally pried ourselves away from the cathedral, we ate lunch at a close-quartered cafe across the street. The waiter kept trying to make linebacker baby laugh - my son wasn't very happy with most of our outings, poor little guy. The waiter was also, incidentally, the one Alsatian I liked at all.
On our way back to the van, we got hopelessly lost. We ended up walking seven miles before we figured out how to get back, and by the end of it, I was thoroughly convinced that I don't like the French -- at least not the Alsatian French.
You see, people walk almost shoulder to shoulder in a lot of places in Europe. The difference is that while Germans crowd their streets sometimes, they do use and read body language. If you and a German are heading toward the exact same point from opposite directions, it's easy enough to not collide. An Alsatian Frenchman (or woman/geriatric/kid) will mow your ass down. Time and time again we were flustered by what seemed like sheer rudeness. I understand that it's a cultural difference -- but I don't have to like it. Gah, would it be so hard to step aside since you're the single dude and I'm pushing a stroller? :-p
They also like their "vin chaud" (hot wine) a bit too much - it reeked from every other Christmas market booth, it seemed, and was on the breath of nearly everyone who got in my face that day. Have a festive drink, sure...but heavens, there should be limits in a public crowd! Germans like their spiced holiday wine too, but you don't ever smell it to that degree.
Excepting the cathedral and the incredible Alsatian artisans we saw at work - their lace is something else! - I did not care for Strasbourg. I wouldn't mind going back for a guided (in English) tour of the church, but I'll skip the rest, including the "lost for hours in the cold" part, thanks. ;-)
