Strasbourg is a small Rhine river city in Eastern France that is just on the German border. It houses the largest French Christmas Market and is home to Alsace cuisine. Le pain l’épice and tarte flambe are two local favorites. The city also has numerous Michelin star restaurants as well as one of the largest wine collections.
We were only here for one afternoon/night. We stayed at an Airbnb in Le Petit France, the old town located on an island in the middle of Strasbourg. The island was much bigger than we expected but just as cute. German gingerbread houses stand next to French style buildings with intricate Juliet balconies. The streets are mostly for pedestrians and are crowded with stops and cafes. Bikes are the predominant mode of transportation for locals here, and many of the streets are cobblestone.
Our Airbnb was simply for a bedroom in an apartment with breakfast included but we ended up being wowed by our host. Her home was eclectic with art and decor from all over the world. Graffiti artwork, Asian pottery, wooden beams, velvet chairs, painted doors, etc. Our room was a sight to be seen. Our host, Annette, was a lovely woman who only spoke French and German but we had no problem communicating with her. From the looks of her apartment and random photographs it looks like she’s a fun person.
After checking in we set out to venture around the town. Beers at Barbu’to, a cute Italian bistro. We bought Christmas ornaments because we had to in this Christmas town. We sipped espressos at La Cigogne cafe in the town square across from the church before heading inside. Cathedral Notre Dame de Strasbourg is absolutely incredible and brought Nick to tears when the 4:45pm bells rang. The church is one of the more intricate ones that I’ve ever seen. The façade is completely detailed and the bell system is designed so that the church itself is helping the acoustics.
We spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and snacking. We had the mashed vegetable rings at The Dubliners and for dinner we sat outside of Lohkas and had the Fois Gras, which was incredibly smooth.
We woke up to a lovely spread of yogurts, muesli, fruits, breads, jams and juices. Annette did not eat with up but she was attentive to bring us anything we needed. We grabbed our luggage and headed towards the bus station, hitting a street market on our way. When we got to the Train/Bus station we were told Flexibus is actually located in a different park of town. We bolted to the taxi stand and told our driver we had 10 minutes to make it to our bus, and he got us there in 9. I don’t think he hit the breaks once. He ran through red lights and mostly drove in the bus lane. Our type of driver.
MICHAEL FAMILY 