Goodbye Paris!

My final Paris post. The last two days and a bit of a recap. I said goodbye to the sweet wonderful little hotel I stayed at in Strasbourg - The Hotel Suisse. If you’re ever planning to be there you won’t find a better bargain or a better location. Right in the center of the old town but still provides privacy and a warm welcome. The rooms aren’t fancy but very clean and comfortable. I loved the front terrace where you could sit and have a glass of wine, beer, coffee or the most delicious dessert you would want. In just the couple of days I was there it felt like home.

My train back to Paris was right on time. Just a bit of advice if you’re ever taking the trains in Europe. They are wonderful as I’ve mentioned on this blog repeatedly, but it’s best if you’re traveling with luggage to arrive at the train station 30 minutes in advance. Each car probably seats 40 to 50 people, but there’s only a luggage area to accommodate about 8 suitcases. First come first serve and the rest of the people are just stuck having no where to put there bags. Often the correct train platform for each train isn’t listed until 15 minutes before departure time, but if you’re there ahead of time the goal is to be one of the first on to your car. The train to Paris was full and it was painful to see people getting on with huge suitcases and no where to put them. Two women had a duffel that possibly had the body of a large man inside, and to see the two of them struggling to get it not only on the train but up the stairs to the second level was like a Laurel and Hardy routine - only not really funny.

After getting to Paris and taking the metro from the train station to my hotel my goal was to visit the Carnavalet Museum. It’s one of the few museums in Paris I hadn’t been to - Paris history inside a 16th century mansion. And actually free. It was quite a bit larger than I expected, with lots of high tech interactive displays. It starts in the basement going as far back as prehistoric, ancient Roman through Louis XIV period rooms, Napoleon, the French Revolution and the 19th century. A lot to take in, and especially when the temperature inside and out felt like 1000 degrees. I usually deal with heat pretty well but yesterday I actually felt like I might faint. Here’s a picture of the entrance.

I really loved the architecture of the huge mansion. The fireplaces in almost every room were so massive you could actually get inside of them. Then seeing the elaborate period rooms and furniture were fun too.

Sometime when it’s cooler I would love to go back and spend more time. What I enjoyed the most was the wonderful courtyard where you could sit in the shade and drink tall cool beverages. Lovely! I did that and thought about what it would have been like to actually live there.

This has been a fabulous trip, and I’m so fortunate to have had the chance to do it. I’ve been gone 27 days, visited 4 countries, walked 150+ miles (I know because I tracked it😂), stayed in 10 hotels, and met lovely warm friendly helpful people in every one of those places. This was my first big trip post Covid and I was a bit nervous at first. Every day I got more confident and it felt so good to be back out there doing something that makes me happy. One thing that has changed and maybe it is due to Covid, but you literally never need cash for anything. In fact the first three countries I was in - Denmark, Sweden and Norway, don’t use the Euro and each have their own form of currency - what a pain! Well I never got one single coin in any of those countries and just used my credit card for everything - even if it was for an apple! Not kidding! Here in France they use the Euro and I went to an ATM once when I got here and got 120 Euros and still have some left. I could totally have used my credit card for everything.

A credit card and a smart phone and you can go anywhere in the world I believe. I felt safe by myself in every country as violent crime is quite low - the biggest concern is pickpockets. And one thing they love to grab and run with are smart phones. I purchased on Amazon a phone lanyard and it was fantastic. Your phone has to be in a case in order to attach it to - but then I secured it to my ultra safe travel purse and didn’t feel nervous pulling my phone out to take pictures or use my GPS to direct me to where I was headed. If they tried to grab my phone they were taking me with them. And since they are looking for the easy prey I never felt in the least nervous.

I’m also so happy I traveled light - just a carryon and a personal item. That definitely was helpful maneuvering between planes, trains, subways, buses, boats and automobiles. I did laundry 3 times and it’s time for me to go home. I have basically nothing left that’s clean but I feel good that I had what I needed when I needed it - and that includes going from 40 degrees to almost 100! I was never the best dressed person anywhere - but then again I never am😊

Today thankfully has been cooler, so I just took some time to wander and see once more some of the places that are my favorite - probably number one being the Jardin du Luxembourg. Just sat in one of their famous green chairs and enjoyed reflecting on my time in France. I couldn’t think of a better place to do it.

Au revoir Paris! It’s been awesome💕

Strasbourg, France

It’s my last full day in Strasbourg and I have to say I have enjoyed it so much. It’s been a great relaxing break from the hectic crowds of Paris - although I do still love Paris. And the weather has been fantastic. Bright blue sky everyday and not too bad with the heat. The two things mainly on my list today were to visit the huge cathedral and do one museum. There are 6 museums here that all sounded good but here’s a shock - I’m only up to see one! What’s wrong with me? I’m learning to relax I guess🤷🏼‍♀️

This is my best attempt at getting a picture of the Strasbourg Cathedral - Cathédrale de Notre-Dame. It’s enormous! And what you can’t see from the front is that it extends for about a block. It was begun in 1176 and completed in 1439. The tower is 466 feet - the tallest spire in the world until the mid-1800’s. It has a unique lacy see-through design and the dark red stone is from the northern Vosges Mountains.

It has beautiful stained glass windows, a rose window with wheat symbolizing their fertile land, an exquisite gold-leafed organ and an enormous wide center aisle.

It also has something very unique. An astronomical clock! Enormous and dates from the 1500’s and still is totally accurate. Every quarter hour the bells ring and a stage of life parades past the grim reaper. Kind of scary that I get closer to the grim reaper everyday😱

Maybe it’s time to think about going home. This was my lunch today. It’s a slippery slope! Why the pretzels? They bring them automatically. Maybe to balance out the sugar? Covering all the food groups😂

On the way to the museum I chose I saw a few fun things. Looks to me like Barbie has her own boat here!

The Customs House where all the river trading occurred. A great picture of one of the pretty bridges with gorgeous flowers that are so numerous. Also bikes. So many bikes here but unlike in Paris where the bikers adhere to the stoplights they do not here so watch out!

Second stop was the Alsatian Museum. Got the senior discount so quite a bargain! It’s in one of Strasbourg’s oldest and most traditional houses and presents an extensive collection of Alsatian folk art, furniture, toys, clothing, culture and history. I really loved all the painted furniture. And all apparently easy to deconstruct and reconstruct- so IKEA before IKEA I guess.

No surprise but I especially loved the detailed description of how half-timbered homes are constructed. Feeding my obsession of them as I try to photograph every single one I see. Just like the furniture the house could be dismantled and built again in a new location. After putting in the wood beams the spaces between were filled with straw, mud and water. Cheap to build.

One more pretty pic of the colored homes along the canal.

It’s my last night so decided to treat myself to a nice dinner. I did some research and this place got great reviews. I was a bit nervous as everything I read said a reservation was essential but figured it was worth a try. I put on a dress and got there about 15 minutes before they opened and the owner told me he had one table remaining and it was mine. Lucky! So I came back when they opened and he wasn’t kidding. I saw them turn away people every few minutes. I had a lovely dinner of salmon in a delicious sauce and a nice glass of Pinot Gris sitting outside in a sweet courtyard. Now that I know it’s the wine they make the most of in this area it’s my new favorite.

Well Strasbourg you have made it into my heart. I have loved my time here in the Alsace Province and highly recommend it. Tomorrow I’m heading back to Paris for a few more days. Now I need to make my list of what I must do when I’m there. There are always so many choices. Au revoir Strasbourg💕

Colmar, France

Another day another train! I’m off for a day trip to Colmar. Just about a 30 minute train ride from Strasbourg and trains heading there and back 2 per hour. No need to book in advance.

I’m absolutely certain Disney modeled the town in Beauty and the Beast on Colmar. It’s old city center is basically traffic-free and with its quant squares surrounded by pastel half-timbered house and historic buildings it’s truly magical. It’s easy to walk from the train station into the old town, but there are also buses and a cute little train or taxi that is waiting outside of the station to get you closer. I don’t think there are any straight streets in Colmar but it’s super easy to navigate based on church steeples and the pretty river running through town. I ripped Rick Steves walking tour out of my France guide book and was on my merry way - just Belle looking for that cad Garçon 😂

Colmar is a really old town and fortunately was spared bombing during WWII. I started my tour at the Customs House (Koïfhus) where due to its status as a trading powerhouse had this beautiful building where much of that took place. The bright green tiles on the roof were gorgeous, and that plaque above the door with the double eagle of the Holy Roman Emperor is a sign that it was an Imperial city. That’s a statue of General Lazarus done by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi who also did our beautiful Statue of Liberty and was from Colmar. The General is clutching a bundle of local Pinot gris grapes. He’s the man who brought that grape from Hungary to Alsace. Today Pinot gris accounts for more than 15 percent of wine production here. So for that you get to be in the square!

This area is called Tanner’s Quarter and dates back to the 17th century when they used the area just underneath the roofs to dry their freshly tanned hides. Very smelly so it was at the end of the town close to the river where they dumped their waste products. Restored in the 1970’s and now the history is protected.

The bottom half of this building is the remains of the original city walls. Later it became part of the building.

The Old Market Hall which dates back to 1865 had lots of great options from wine, meat, cheeses, bakery items, flowers, fish etc. Tempting to throw a picnic together and sit by the river.

Next a walk through Petite Venise - a collection of Colmar’s most colorful homes along the canal. And so many beautiful flowers!

Lunch for me at one of Rick Steves recommendations- Le Petit Schlossberg. A little away from the most touristy areas and a nice table outside to eat my mushroom and cheese Alsatian tarte flambée. Looks like a pizza but they don’t call it that and the crust is very thin - almost like a cracker. They use a lot of Muenster cheese in France but I’ve been a bit afraid of it because on the food tour I did in Paris Stephanie mentioned she never selects it because it has such a strong smell and taste. I find that so unusual because my experience in the US has been that’s it’s almost tasteless! I guess I really should try it here but I steered clear of it on my tarte. I was under a red umbrella so that’s why it looks tinted in red.

The Maison Pfister is the home of the richest man in 1537. He was a merchant and wanted to display his wealth for all to enjoy.

The second wealthiest merchant in Colmar built this house in 1609. It’s called Maison des Têtes or House of Heads. This man had quite a sense of humor as this house is decorated with 100 faces and masks.

Of course they had a number of churches - this one dating back to 1235. The Church of St. Martin.

I could post about 50 more pictures of half-timbered colorful homes but instead how about another statue from Bartholdi (Statue of Liberty) from outside his home - now a museum in Colmar. It’s called The Great Pillars of the World representing patriotism, hard work, and justice.

Ok just one more pretty pic of the flat bottomed boats you can ride in on the river. Almost like a gondola. A great day in Colmar and well worth the trip. I still have the music from Beauty and the Beast playing in my head!

Strasbourg, France

First I would like to say that I love taking the train. Well at least I love it in Europe where the train stations are beautiful and the trains are wonderful and clean. Such a pleasant experience to get on and not have someone telling you that since you have a suitcase and a personal item you can’t have a purse too. Nope! They don’t care. You get on and read a book and then they get you where you want to go - almost always on time - and then you get off. And did I mention how beautiful the train stations are? Worth saying it twice.

My train to Strasbourg was from Gare de l’Est so I took two metro lines and it got me right there. Had no problem finding the right train and settled into my reserved seat. The sooner you book your train ticket the less you pay. Tickets available either 3 or 4 months in advance - I can’t remember exactly but I booked right when they were available and got a very low fare. Slightly less than a two hour ride through pretty farmland and we were there.

Strasbourg is in the Alsace province in France, but is so close to Germany if you didn’t know it you might think that’s where you were. In fact the area has gone back and forth between the two countries, but since the end of WWI has been part of France. Asterisk that during WWII the Nazi’s did take it over but it was not officially back to being part of Germany. Strasbourg is more than just an adorable city. It plays a fairly large role in the EU and shares administrative responsibilities with Brussels and Luxembourg. The old core of the city is very quant though, and I found myself wandering the streets and taking pictures of just about everything. My room wasn’t ready yet so I did go get a bite to eat amid my wandering. I’m very into Caesar salads with chicken because with the heat eating something hot just doesn’t appeal to me.

I will confess when I got back to the hotel and in my room I took a little nap. Just maybe 30 minutes but truth be told I’ve been traveling for the good part of a month and this packing up, catching trains, walking miles has been fantastic but also a little tiring. Plus I have a couple of days in this area so I’ll have plenty of time to see the major sites. After my catnap I grabbed Rick Steves walking tour and headed over to an area called Petite France. It’s sits right along the river so dates back to the 16th century when trade came by river and also powered local industry. Lots of cute restaurants and shops in the area and I must have taken 50 pictures of various buildings. Many are what are called Half-Timbered and were a more inexpensive way to build than stone.

A few more pics from my wandering. These Alpine dolls are so cute and they are everywhere. They definitely seem more German.

The center of the town is dominated by this massive Cathedral dating back to 1176. More to come on that. I didn’t tour it today but will definitely get inside and learn more about it. Impossible to get the entire church in a picture!

I’m obsessed with the half-timbered houses! More to come tomorrow 🤗

Chartres and Dior

Day 6 was a day trip to Chartres, and all went smoothly getting to the right train station and on the correct train. Success! It’s actually not that difficult. There are 6 major train stations in Paris and one minor one. They all have trains going in a specific direction so depending where you’re headed you need to get to the correct station. The train to Chartres leaves from Gare Montparnasse so that’s where I went on the metro. Then you need to find the right train. This picture is just a tiny piece of the station. There are usually 2 or 3 floors so HUGE!

Chartres is about 50 miles southwest of Paris so just a little over an hour ride from Paris usually. The trains are clean and very pleasant. Chartres is a fairly small town but quite famous because of their cathedral dating back to about the 1100’s. Like so many really old buildings it has had its share of trauma. Fires, wars you name it. Considered to be the best example in Europe of a Gothic cathedral. It was a gorgeous day and with how crowded much of Paris has been all week a nice break to get away for a day. You don’t need a map to get from the train station to the cathedral. You see it the minute you leave the station as it towers over the town. I headed right there hoping to get on the noon tour done in English.

The first church in this spot back in 876 received a very important relic - the actual veil (what we would now call a scarf) worn by the Blessed Mother Mary when she gave birth to Jesus. Scientifically tested and dated back to the first century. And yes I did get to see it!

I won’t even begin to tell you all I learned about this cathedral. The tour guide was excellent and turned out she actually grew up in Oak Park where I live! Small world! Her mom still lives there and she studied at the University of Chicago and now lives and teaches in the area. She does a noon tour in English Tuesday through Sat for 18 euros. Takes about an hour and 15 minutes and to say that barely allows her to scratch the surface of this amazing incredible building is an understatement. The stained glass windows predate Saint-Chapelle in Paris and some say actually inspired Saint-Chapelle. I’ll let the experts argue about that. I think both are fantastic. The windows actually tell the entire story of the Bible from start to finish. Every statue and they are everywhere are all planned with a reason and the most incredible detail. People have studied this building for decades and are still figuring it all out.

The top two pictures are the veil of Mary - encased in glass and behind the metal bars.

All that information made me work up an appetite- and luckily there are some great restaurants right around the cathedral. I picked one called Cafe Serpente and had a delicious omelette and salad gazing at the beautiful building and marveling at all the detail. The restaurant is so cute inside but on such a beautiful day why stay inside.

I took a stroll around the cute town and they have a very sweet main street with cute shops. Also walked through some of the very old neighborhoods and saw a couple of half-timbered houses which often times dates them to medieval times. I’m just guessing but they certainly looked old. The top right picture almost looks like a Monet painting to me.

On my way home I passed about 49 patisseries with beautiful desserts and when I got to number 50 I decided I deserved a treat. Also I love the sweet way they wrap the desserts - like they are a gift! So true! Lemon Meringue Tart for me s’il-vous-plaît!

Day 6 - another day - another boulangerie and croissant!

My big event for today was the Dior Museum. I had purchased a ticket and reserved a time before I left on my trip and was very glad I did. I got in as soon as they opened at 11 AM and didn’t have to wait in a long line of people purchasing tickets and running the risk of not getting in. I would love to tell you this is me heading in to make a dress purchase but that is definitely not the case. Although after seeing all of these gorgeous dresses I might put it on my list.

I don’t know anyone that has been to it as it just opened in spring of 2022, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I’m not super into designer clothing but I do know a bit about a few of the old guard and think it really is a form of art. I expected to see really beautiful dresses and I wasn’t disappointed in the least.

They have different rooms set up by theme, and lots of history about his life, family and career. It is all exquisitely presented. Top right is Christian Dior’s actual office. They take you through the 70 years of designs and even now who has taken over for him since his death in 1957.

Pretty gardens outside of the Louvre! Always something gorgeous to see. Well I’m off to Strasbourg for a few days tomorrow. Check back to see how Germany looks when it’s in France! I’m excited to see it🤗