Andy and I took off from parenting last Saturday to go to Strasbourg for a day a belated anniversary outing. How long do you have to live in Europe before it feels normal to say, "Andy and I went to France for lunch."?
Beautiful but frigid cold.
My goal was to eat. I love French pastries (FYI: the Germans are great at bread, but the culture seems to go against the decadence of abundant fruit, cream and/or chocolate that the French lavish on their baked goods).
Andy's goal was to walk around the old city. Marriage is about compromise, so we walked from bakery to bakery. 
Strasbourg fulfills all the guidebook promises. Stunning old city with a river running through the middle (the first city center to be classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO). The most stunning for me was the Strasbourg Cathedral, a smaller version of Notre Dame in Paris. It has all the Gothic beauty, but the smaller size makes it easier to take it in. Excellent examples of French and German architecture as the region changed hands from nation to nation.
Observation: It is hard to practice my German in Germany because people are eager to practice English. They cut me off and change languages. France is a great place to practice French. No one spoke a word of English or German all day, regardless of what language I would start or finish my sentences in. For more photos...
4 comments:
Happy Anniversarie!
How wonderful and beautiful!
I want to come and have decadent French desserts with you!
Miss ya!
When I went to Europe after college I complained to my friend that whenever I tried to talk to people in German they would respond in English. Her response: "Well, if you wouldn't start out every exchange with 'Hi!' they might give you a chance." Oh.
Count on the French not to want to practice their English, right? :)
Sounds like a lovely time!
Hey. Hate to whine but since I am living vicariously though you... I can't get to the additional pictures link that is listed on the bottom of this update. I need to see more images of the wonderful time I'm having.
Just caught up on all of your adventures! Looks like you are enjoying life in Europe! So glad!
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