Strasbourg is located just a stone's throw from the border with Germany, on the west banks of the Rhine river and its ancillary waterways. Twice in its history Strasbourg had actually been situated in Germany, but before Germany as such ever came into existence the Alsace region had changed ownership and allegiance numerous times. Nowadays, the official language is French, but the Germanic influence is ever-present in street names, the local cuisine, and the Alsatian dialect that is still spoken by many old-timers, especially in the smaller villages. Since the mid-1950s, Strasbourg has been playing an important role in European politics, first in the form of the Maison de l'Europe and then as the seat of the European parliament proper. So, there is a palpable cosmopolitanism, especially in the modern Quartier Européen in the northern part of town.
But unless you have some political business you will most likely not visit Strasbourg to ramble through the European Quarter. The city's most important tourist destination is its cathedral, a church that was the tallest building in the world for 227 years from 1647 to 1874 and still ranks as the sixth-tallest church in the world (142 meters or 466 feet). We spent quite some time admiring it, both at night as well as during the day. The architecture of this Gothic building is breathtaking, from the outside as well as viewed from inside. One afternoon we simply sat in a small café on the church square and admired the intricate detail of the masonry in the late-afternoon sunlight.
We visited other churches while using the VélHop bike share system and exploring the town, but none come even close to the majesty of the cathedral. Slowly riding through the historic center of Strasbourg allows one to take in the many, many imposing palaces, university buildings, and mansions from centuries long past. Not surprisingly, the UNESCO has designated the city a World Heritage Site. Of course, we visited during the slow season of the year; I would venture that in the summer Strasbourg is completely overrun with tourists.
The city's location on the small river Ill, a direct tributary to the Rhine (which flows less than three miles away), helped create perfect conditions for the tanneries as well as milling and fishing industries that gave the city importance in medieval times. From a bird's eye view one can see how the historic center (called Petite France) is surrounded by the Ill, and walking (or cycling) along its banks gives one the best views of those beautifully preserved buildings. We also took an hourlong boat tour, but since it was an overcast afternoon it was not as spectacular as we had hoped.
As mentioned a few paragraphs earlier, the regional Alsatian cuisine is quite different from what one would expect to find in France (or Germany). While Flammkuchen (a pizza-like, extremely thin flatbread that in its most traditional form is topped with crème fraîche, bacon lardons, and onions) can also be found east across the border, dishes such as saumon sur lit de choucroute (salmon on a bed of sauerkraut) or rognons de veau (veal kidneys) are, well, a little bit out there! But my pig knuckle on sauerkraut was the best that I've ever had, and Sabine enjoyed her bouchée à la reine, a puffy pastry filled with a white wine-based sauce with some veal and whatnot. And then, there are always those escargot! Let me put it this way: We did not go hungry!
I was able to add two new artesanal beer places to my list, and as is so often the case in Europe, the experience for me, as a hop head, was just fair-to-middling at best. Yes, the brews here are fresh, but if you're drinking a local West Coast IPA and have to ask yourself, "What happened to the hops?", well, that's not entirely satisfying. But fear not, we enjoyed the beers as well as the various wines we imbibed, and ambiance has a lot to do with that as well.
Surprising both of us was our visit to the Parc de l'Orangerie, a large green space just outside the Petite France area. While riding through the expansive green space we saw a stork casually poking around in a grassy area, and then we suddenly noticed three stork nests on top of trimmed trees. After stopping the bikes we heard the clattering of beaks and that's when we realized that there were dozens of nests and maybe a hundred storks all around us! A Google search later yielded information about the close bond that les Strasbourgeois and Alsatians in general have with the birds that are a symbol of both fertility as well as prosperity. That explained the stone storks that are part of the cathedral as well as the many signs in town referring to those beautiful birds.
On Tuesday morning, our time in Strasbourg came to an end. But instead of heading straight back to Munich we decided on a short detour to some of the small villages on the route du vin, which starts just west of the city and winds its way south on small roads all the way to the Swiss border. Unfortunately, it was a grey and blustery day, and we could only imagine how spectacular this wine region (pretty much limited to crisp whites) would look with sun and blue skies. But we could imagine: The vineyards had already been pruned, and the many apple, pear, and cherry orchards had started their bloom. Undoubtedly, this would be a fabulous cycling destination as the hills are gentle and the roads are scenic, but I would assume that in the summertime the place is teeming with tourist cars.
In the small town of Rosheim—about as sleepy as they come—we stepped into a cozy restaurant where the entire retired population seemed to have convened for a late lunch. We tried to listen in on their conversations in the local dialect, and I enjoyed a few glasses of the local white, at €2.50 a glass quite the bargain after those €6.50 to €8.50 verres in the city. And €2.00 for an espresso? I think we may have found a part of France that is still affordable.
By mid-afternoon we were back on the Autobahn and headed east. Sabine had to do all the driving since we had forgotten to add me to her car insurance, and when we finally got back to her place a little before nightfall we were both glad to have made it without any complications. That evening I repacked my stuff, we had a picnic dinner with leftovers from Strasbourg, and then it was off to bed as I needed to leave the house at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning for my 9:10 a.m. flight to Charlotte.
Sure, a one-week visit to Europe is short, but it is still quite a bit longer than a no-week trip. The flights all were smooth, once again there were no ICE issues, and lounge life was good. What more can one ask for? The next month will bring the final three high school mountain bike races of the season, and then a week in Playa del Carmen beckons before USAC and (later) ITA assignments appear on the horizon. It's time for me to make plans for some real travel as it seems as if I hardly get to go anywhere.... 😂
