All aboard the trip recap boat! Now that we're up and running with internet at our house, I have all kinds of catching up to do on our adventures of late. I figured I'd start with the most recent and work my way backwards over the next couple of weeks. We've been having an awesome time exploring the area with daytrips and long weekends away.
Last weekend, we took a little jaunt a couple hours south to Strasbourg, the principal city of the Alsace region in France and seat of the European Parliament. We spent our time in the historic center of town and it was lovely--perfect for a few hours of wandering. Many of the border towns of France are historically Germanic culturally and linguistically, and we noticed that Strasbourg felt much more German than French in its architecture and cuisine.
It was after noon when we arrived in town, so we started our time in Strasbourg with lunch in the quaint La Petite France--a collection of homes, businesses and cobblestone roads built largely in the medieval years. It straddles a canal that flows through town, and we enjoyed our salads and duck pate as boats floated by and musicians played in the alleys. It was so charming, it was almost painful.
After lunch, we strolled around La Petite France a bit more, and came across some of the old town defensive fortifications. We then wandered up and down some of the back streets and through a flea market in one of the plazas before making our way to the cathedral. We stopped in at a bakery for some cookies and at an outdoor vendor for a traditional kugelhopf to take home, then at Amorino Gelato--which we first tried in Paris last year--to help keep us going in the mid 80 temperatures. I know that's nothing compared to the triple digits seen in the States lately, but what can I say, we've acclimated!
The cathedral was very pretty, but I can definitely say I'm starting to get a little immune to the majesty of cathedrals. It did have a beautiful, open-work steeple that I found quite impressive, as well as a massive gilded organ, so I wouldn't say I'm entirely jaded yet, it's just, all cathedrals can only really be SO different, you know?
The cathedral was our last stop before we hit the road to visit yet another Ikea for the MIA linen closet shelves. We patted ourselves on the back for being so efficient with our travel day so we wouldn't have to waste an entire day driving out to Ikea, then headed home for some furniture building. Where we discovered that the cabinet we bought and the cabinet we thought we were buying were two different sizes. And all of the shelves, wire baskets, and the door were sized for the wrong cabinet. And just like that, Ikea won round two.
So, who's up for Swedish meatballs this weekend? Sigh.
