Crossing the border from Germany into France, we weren’t sure if there would be anything we would have to do, show vaccine cards, passports, etc., but we zipped right across the Rhine and into France no problem.
We couldn’t get into our rental apartment till 4pm (which is understandable), but we buzzed by it on our way into Strasbourg to get the lay of the land. Parking was going to be a challenge, but that was a later problem, not a now problem.
The apartment is on the outskirts of Strasbourg. It was the most expensive place we rented by far (not going to tell you how much – it was literally the only apartment in greater Strasbourg still on the market a month out, and the closest available hotel rooms were 14 miles away!)
So we drove into the more downtown area towards a pharmacy where we could buy COVID passes. We founded a parking garage. After getting the passes, we went to a great French place for lunch, the Faubourg, right on the street of the same name. It was definitely one of the best meals we had on the trip. We were also amused by the older French couple who scowled every time someone opened the door to come into the restaurant. Every time. After lunch there, it was a short walk across the bridge to the UNESCO World Heritage site that is the Grand Ile de Strasbourg.
The Grand Ile (pronounced “ill”), which is created by the splitting of the Ill River into two, with the Grand Ile de Strasbourg in the middle. The Ile which makes up the heart of Strasbourg, is fun to stroll through.
After being in mostly empty German towns, the hustle and bustle emanating from the whole island is incredibly refreshing. We went into our first market at the Cathedral platz, and Julia found out what the hubbub was all about. It was packed, and festive, and merry, and joyous. After four nights of no markets, Carol and I were happy and relieved that Julia finally got the full-on European Christmas market experience.
Many of the streets have impressive lights strung across, and many of the shops and houses have ornate decorations above their first floor (floor zero in Europe).
Carol and Julia bought some ornaments and gifts at this market, before we moved onto others. But, before that, we went into the Strasbourg Cathedral and walked around, enjoying the stained glass, the high ceilings, the astronomical clock, and the fact that the place had a lot of people taking it in. Since it was a very cloudy day, we did not go up the tower. . .didn’t want to wait and then pay for underwhelming views.
There is a rather large plaque in the Cathedral giving thanks for the American officers, non-coms, and troops who played an important of freeing the region from the Nazis. Very moving. Now I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of the plaque.
Ranking the markets, the best was Place Broglio, followed by Place du Cathedrale/Place du Chateau, and then Place Kleber was third. Place du Cathedrale/Place du Chateau are listed as two separate markets, but they are essentially connected around the corner.
The reason Place Broglio was our favorite market is just the sheer number of stalls, with many focused on Christmas decorations. But it also had a cool light show, with the story of Strasbourg’s Christmas markets illuminated onto the Town Hall. (At least that’s what I think it was about, the version we saw was in German, and the next showing was in French.)
We also came across some smaller markets. The smaller markets seemed aimed at locals, as most of those stalls were either food/drink or gifts. Place du Temple Neuf was the most beautiful setting of the smaller markets.
We strolled up streets, cut down alleys, and generally reveled in the Christmas spirit of it all. Strasbourg really is a special city.
We were ready to sit down and take a rest, so it’s a good thing we had dinner reservations. We ate at restaurant Au Gurtlerhoft right on the Cathedral square. You can tell from the name that the food is Alsatian. It was a fine meal in a crowded restaurant. Afterwards, we streamed back through the city amidst the merriment to where we had parked.
I dropped Carol and Julia off, with the luggage, at the apartment and went to search for parking. The streets around the apartment are only for people with local parking permits. I drove all around, coming up empty, before I finally found a small space a block away. I figured they wouldn’t be ticketing late on a Friday night/early Saturday morning. And, fortunately, I was right. I’m still proud of shoehorning the car into such a small space, and I didn’t have to bang bumpers to do it!
It took hours for the apartment to warm up – we all went to bed with extra clothing on!
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