4 Countries in 3 Days

If you count Switzerland, which was only a drive thru, we’ve been in 4 countries in 3 days…Italy, Switzerland, France and now Germany. Today started cloudy and very foggy but ended up beautiful, sunny, and warm.

We spent several hours in Strasbourg, France, a town that Peter has been wanting to see. I was here for an afternoon almost 30 years ago but didn’t remember anything. It’s very much like Colmar, a fairy tale town, with half-timbered buildings and a river running down the middle. But, this one had a Cathedral. Since it’s been 3 whole days since we’ve visited a Cathedral, of course, we had to stop in.

The Cathedral of our Lady of Strasbourg, the #1 tourist attraction in the city, broke ground in 1015 and was completed in 1439. Unlike most Cathedrals in Europe, it has only one tower instead of two.

Like all the others, the inside was remarkable. My favorite part was the rose window in the nave; the colors were gorgeous.

This was just a few of the many beautiful windows, 73 of which were removed during WWII and stored in a nearby salt mine.

Of course there was a grand organ.

The Astronomical Clock is one of the Cathedral’s most famous features.

The carved pillar was also unique.

After leaving the Cathedral, we enjoyed some music in the square. These musicians were wonderful, I could have listened to them for hours.

Then we walked to Petite France, the city’s lively tourist hub, known for cobblestone streets, canals, and well-preserved half-timbered homes. On our way, we stopped for a mid-morning snack of eclairs.

And a few minutes later…

In addition to sweet eclairs, they had savory including salmon. A salmon eclair!?! That’s just wrong on so many levels.

We finally made it to Petite France and it was very reminiscent of Little Venice in Colmar.

It didn’t matter, though, as it was so pretty. We really enjoyed the view.

Then we saw the covered bridges from a distance. It was a bit too far to walk.

Since we had seen everything we wanted to see, we headed back to the car, stopping first for a baguette to bring home and a sandwich to share. We ate on a bench on the Ill River. By this time the sun was out and the temp had warmed up considerably.

We were only about 25 minutes from our new Airbnb flat in Rheinau, Germany, just about 10 minutes over the border with France. We’re staying in a lovely ground floor flat in an old farmhouse. Our hosts, Stephan and Ruth, live upstairs. When we arrive, Ruth greeted me like a long lost relative with a big hug.

There’s a gorgeous garden and, once we were settled, we enjoyed a glass or two of wine while sitting in the sun.

Tomorrow we’re going to drive through the Black Forest on a circuitous route Stephan suggested. There’s even a great spot for some Black Forest Cherry cake. I can’t wait!