TRIP REPORT - STRASBOURG-----------------for the gallery click here

Springtime abounds not only with flowers, but also with holidays - at least in Europe. We took the opportunity of the three-day weekend around May Day (the German version of Labor Day on May 1) to head west to Strasbourg, a beautiful city in the Alsace region in northeastern France, just across the border from Germany.

Strasbourg is the seat of several European institutions such as the Council of Europe and European Parliament; but it is most known for its historic city centre full of frame houses (pic 01), classified a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. The heart of the city, the "Petit France" Quarter, is picturesquely situated along the river Ill and sports many historical houses. Strasbourg is full of medieval churches, lovely palaces and parks, plus a gothic cathedral famous for its astronomical clock and breathtaking rose window (pic 02).

We wandered around the town centre, strolled along the Ill, walked through several parks (pic 03), and enjoyed coffee and cake at one of the many cafes facing the river. The city was full of tourists but it had a very relaxed atmosphere and everybody enjoyed the beauty of this place under the warm spring sun.

We noticed an unusually dense number of storks who seemed to inhabit every tower and park in Strasbourg and were busy building nests on top of chimneys and such protrubances (pic 04).

On Sunday morning, we had coffee with a friend who had met Magdalena during a 6-month internship at her Munich employer and got some interesting insight into the city's history and lifestyle. We are very lucky to know people all over the world who give us a rare glimpse of life otherwise often not visible to mere "tourists"!

pic 01

pic 02

pic 03

pic 04


for more pics click here