Strasbourg was our port of call (can you use that term on a river cruise?) today and it was our last stop in France. Fe had been here before on her earlier cruise and she had liked it, so I was sure that I would too. Maybe for different reasons though....
For this stop, the ship actually docked on the German side of the river and then we crossed into France. Much to the dismay of many passengers, the walk from the dock to the buses was a long one.
On the way to our bus, we saw a statue that reminded me of Fe when I try to explain the geopolitical history of this region passing back and forth between France and Germany since at least the 18th Century:
Die Heuwenderen statue
Still on the German side, this sign is telling drivers crossing from France that the speed limit in a town is 50 kph (~30 mph), outside of towns, 100 kph (~60 mph), and on the freeways 130 kph (~80 mph).
Most walking tours begin in the city center or thereabout. It took a while for the bus to get to the drop-off point, but we saw a few interesting things on the way. FYI, I hate taking pictures from a bus, so excuse the quality.
The Council of Europe building. This organization includes 46 European countries, 27 of which belong to the European Union (EU). Because this body promotes human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, Russia and Belarus were recently kicked out.
The European Court of Human Rights. This judicial body enforces the European Convention on Human Rights and us the best known body in the Council of Europe.
We also passed the European Parliament Building, but I was unable to get a picture of it (see above comment on taking pictures from a bus). Aside from that, my fascination with European bureaucracy was making Fe start to look like that statue again--and I was getting weird looks from the other passengers. So on to other things.
Stork in a nest. There were a lot of these nests and since we were here in the spring, we were lucky enough to see them roosting. There was even a baby in one of the nests (no picture). The guide said that some nests can weigh up to 1000 pounds and they become a hazard.
We finally made it to the drop-off point and we started at Ponts Couverts. This set of four towers and three bridges was constructed in the 13th Century on the River Ill. "Ponts Couvers" translates to covered bridges, and this was accurate until 1784 when the rooves were removed but the name stuck.
Ponts Couvers
Another view
Yet another view
And another
Next was la Place Kléber, the main square in Strasbourg. It features a statue of General Jean-Baptiste Kléber.
Place Kléber
Panoramic view of the square
McDonald's. Many of the European ones seem to be placed in beautiful buildings.
We reached the end point of the tour at the Strasbourg Cathedral (I'm noticing a theme on this trip). Officially the Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe.
This place is huge!
Looking towards the altar
Stained glass windows
The organ pipes
At this point, we had the choice of going back with the bus at 11:35, or stay in town and wait for the shuttle at 4:40. Naturally, we took the later one. I am glad we did because we saw a lot more history, found a couple of nice places to eat lunch and have coffee, and we even saw a protest. Fascinating!
Sweets
Many buildings have paintings like this.
Protesters. They were marching against President Macron's raising the retirement age to 64. This was why the garbage workers were on strike in Paris.
More protestors. I wish I knew more French.
Brass plaque noting that the street was an ancient Roman road.
That's about it for today's tour. We did have a hike to the bus pickup again and then we had another one back to the ship. I didn't mind--I have to burn off this rich food somehow--but I could see that some people were struggling.
Viking Joke #11: What kind of dogs are a Viking's favorite? Great Danes.
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