europe – Darden Travels

Cologne 2025 – post 2

December 28, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

That church we saw when we stepped off the train………it was time for a visit.

A bit of information about the Cathedral:

~Construction began in1248, then halted in 1560. Work was ultimately completed in 1860 after funding in the 1940s, literally off and on for 632 years. The completion of Germany’s largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event in 1880.

~The Cathedral is Germany’s most visited attraction for tourists and pilgrims and one of the oldest and most important pilgrimage sites in Northern Europe.

~It is the tallest twin-spired church in the world, and the third tallest church in Europe. Being built from different types of rock which weather to varying degrees, rarely is the cathedral seen without scaffolding.

When American troops entered the city on March 6, 1945, one of the only buildings standing was the Cologne Cathedral. The twin spires were an easy navigational touchstone for the Allied bombers. It endured 14 bomb hits and was heavily damaged, but key parts remained standing.

Immediately after the war, building materials were procured for repairs needed to bolster the Cathedral. Repairs were competed in 1956.

Walking up, the entranceway was imposing.

A number of prophets also line the entrance; here was Moses with the 10 commandments. Hmmm, my photo looks a bit weird and makes Moses have a shortened statue. Yep, the angle wasn’t the best. Next time…………..

One visit there was a service going on and we had a chance to hear one of their two organs.

As noted above WWII saw a lot of destruction……………………some of the windows were saved and are traditional.

A more recent addition is this modern stained-glass window – interesting. Not really sure how I feel about that.

I did like the colors as they hit one of the cathedral’s walls.

This church was built to hold relics from the ‘Three Wise Men’. Sharing ‘relics’ was big business in medieval times. Parts and pieces of important religious figures were shared amongst a number of parties. Back in the day…………………it was a big business to have ‘relics’ for the masses to make pilgrimages to honor said relics. Pieces and parts of individuals were divided up for multiple religious sites for the people.

Whenever we’re in churches, I try to look for things that most miss, like these burial sites that most visitors walk right over. Loved the intricacy of the designs.

Exiting the cathedral this greeted us. Okay, I’m sorry, this might seem sacrilegious…………….but I took this photo right in front of the cathedral. Oh my goodness – not a good likeness. ☹

Actually, I was going to start this post with our evening brewery tour then I remembered the church. I have to talk about the church. I’ve always loved walking into the European churches since most are older than the U.S. has been a country.

Originally, we had a food tour scheduled for Cologne, but Eric got an email that it was canceled. He found this brewery tour at the last minute.

It was a large group and ultimately had 2 tour guides, so we were split up. Our guide was interesting, that’s all I’ll say. Not the best guide, but we needed to lower our expectations. It was advertised that we would be stopping at five breweries, but only beers at the first three were covered. The last two stops we needed to pay. Eric forgot to read that tidbit of info and we were pretty low on cash with barely enough to cover.

The first three stops were Brauerei Zur Malzmuhle, Sunner & Whale and Peters Brauhaus.

Sorry, this photo was the only one from the second brewery. Yes, that is a depection of a while, hence the name.

No photo for the next stop as it was at a mini convenience store – everyone covered their own expense. I didn’t deem it photo-worthy. The last spot was Fruh Brewery, also a restaurant and after most of the group left, we stayed to order food. Let’s talk about the beer.

This is how your kolsch beer arrives. The tray is called a ‘kranz’. The slender .2L glasses are called ‘stange’.

Kolsch was defined as an ‘easy-drinking pale ale’. Most breweries have one single beer on tap and you know that place focused on their beer and care about their product.

One important piece of the Kolsch-drinking culture was the coaster called a ‘deckel’. The coaster was marked with tallies to keep track of how many glasses of Kolsch you drink. Glasses will continue to arrive until you put the deckel over the top of your glass. Take the deckel to the cashier and payment was based upon the number of tally marks. You always have a fresh and cold beer in front of you. Okay – I like that.

I’m closing with a (unplanned) fabulous photo of the church. I sent this to some friends back home and they wanted to know what I did to enhance the shot. Nothing. I just got lucky with the angle of the sun.

One more full day in Cologne and a chance to find the remaining Christmas markets in the city.

Ginny

Cologne 2025 – post 1

December 22, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

A new city! Someone at work recommended Cologne for Christmas markets and that rose to the top of our list. We’re on another train and this one handed us German gummi bears – how cool is that. A little snack for the train ride. 🙂

Walk out of the station, and you are literally hit in the face with this. Okay, I’ll agree it’s not the best photo I’ve taken, but I’m staying true to the story and this was my first photo. Wow, just wow.

We could easily walk to our hotel from the church – it’s on the other side of the building. Standard city hotel – but what a view. This is a little side Christmas market. Not even sure it has a name. On the other side of a building, is the Cathedral Christmas market. Maybe they outgrew their original space and gradually moved down to this open spot?

We needed food – we both were famished. This was one block away and fairly typical German food. Nothing fancy, just nourishing and something to fill us up.

First Christmas market we ran into was the Winter Marchen – lots of gnomes around. Yep, there’s gnomes up in the ‘windows’ in all of the arches.

It covered several long blocks with one block primarily devoted to food kiosks and the other a mix of food and products for purchase. We stopped inside a beer hall that looked fun. No, we did not bring that mug home – too big and too heavy, but great for drinking beer.

And part of that building contained this. Not sure exactly what the ice sport was called, but playing and drinking seemed to be part of the rules.

We joked about this activity during most of our stay – ice skating. Nope, not going to happen. One thing I don’t need to take back would be broken bones.

Since we ate late afternoon, no need for another big meal, but always time for a bag of fried dough and powdered sugar. The chef gave me one of the balls dipped in chocolate. It was delicious, but the chocolate was hot, hot, hot and burned my mouth. Much better sticking with the powdered sugar.

That ‘small’ market seen outside our window when we first arrived………..we stopped in to check it out later that evening and it was all about food and drink . Yep, we added another drinking vessel to our collection. Our first Christmas market mug.

I got to say, I was beat. Eric walked me back to the room and then he headed out to talk with some locals. I never heard him return. Traveling is hard on the body, ha! Stay tuned, more to come from Cologne.

Ginny

Strasbourg Xmas 2025

December 14, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Although we visited Strasbourg this past May, we heard great things about their Christmas Markets and quickly put it on the list for the trip. Getting to Strasbourg from Amsterdam required changing trains in Paris. Love the train system, when it works (and runs on time).

We arrived at dusk and the taxi driver could only take us so far, then walking with the luggage was the reality. Hotel Suisse was the eventual destination. Not a bad walk, even dragging our suitcases and backpacks.

Why could the taxi driver not drop us off at the door? We are steps away from the cathedral where only pedestrian traffic was allowed. This was our view from our 3rd floor window. The cathedral is literally right around the corner.

Our hotel? It was a small boutique accommodation that had some quirkiness as they modified the building throughout the years. Yes, it had an elevator which was a godsend being on the third floor.

Before any exploring was happening, food was on the agenda, and we went with local specialties at a nearby brewery.

Fairly quickly we got in the holiday spirit with all of their colorful decorations hanging between buildings or above storefronts.

You just can’t imagine how many there are. Everywhere you looked there was another display.

Also found several of the actual Christmas markets while we explored. Notice the cup Eric is holding in the bottom right photo? More on that in the next post.

One walkway was decorated with chandeliers with screened boxes for protection. Didn’t expect to see that, ha! An entire alleyway was lined with different chandeliers.

Several locations kept with a theme from the shop below.

One thing we noticed was a police presence at all of the markets. Eric reminded me Europe had some issues a number of years back. They walked in pairs but this individual was stationed near one of their largest trees.

We stayed in Strasbourg 2 nights and 1 day so only doing one more Strasbourg post. Even during daytime the decorations were pretty. That’s in my next post.

Ginny

Amsterdam 2025 – post 2

December 13, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

There were two museums on our list when we visited Amsterdam: The Anne Frank House and the Dutch Resistance Museum. There are many other museums dedicated to the Dutch masters, and while not exactly an ‘exciting’ way to start a post, these stops were important and a part of our trip. Here you go.

A good amount of people around the world are knowledgeable about the story of Anne Frank through the publication of her dairy. When that house was set to be demolished a group got together, saved the site and ultimately set up the Anne Frank House Museum.

Briefly, here is the story:

~During WWII when the Jewish people were being persecuted, Anne Frank’s father moved his family to Amsterdam, opening a business selling spices and pectin in a rented space.

~The building was partially a warehouse with offices above in the rear extension of the building. Concealed from view by houses on all four sides of a quadrangle, an ideal hiding spot had been created, accessible by steps behind a bookcase, which remains intact to this day.

~The family went into hiding when Anne’s older sister was called up for ‘labor camp’ in Germany. This space (approx 450 sq ft) ultimately hid 8 people for 2 years and 1 month. The official owners of the building did not know there were people living in this space.

~When the space was discovered by the police, all eight were arrested and subsequently moved to various camps. Only Anne’s father, Otto, survived.

There were no photos allowed in the museum, and it was a self-guided tour with hand-held audio devices. Tickets needed to be purchased on-line prior to arrival as they are frequently sold out.

WWW.annefrank.org

Their website is excellent, having tons of information about all those involved, their backgrounds and lives before this awful situation came to pass. I went back to that site multiple times for reading material during our trip. In 2017 it was third most visited museum in the Netherlands. While we were waiting in line for our allotted entry time, I heard multiple languages from other visitors. A short block away was this lighted bronze statue of Anne Frank.

I hope any visitor to Amsterdam, makes it a point to visit this museum during their stay.

Another sobering museum visit was………………………

We came across a Resistance Museum in France years ago and discovered many fascinating and heroic tales of many European citizens during that awful time. Before leaving home I discovered another one existed in the Netherlands and it was added to my list for our visit.

Once again, there were audio guides for the self-led tour – very helpful and much appreciated.

The below information was on their website.

No photos were allowed but this quote was at the very end.

With an opportunity to add your statement or thoughts to this board – which I did.

Obviously, these were two very sobering stops while in Amsterdam. We scheduled a food tour which was excellent. It was an evening tour and rain was expected. We were prepared. And yep we definitely had rain. Luckily the hotel had some umbrellas available.

First stop was a organic cheese farmer. Above the cheese shop was a short video before we tasted any cheese. The farmer’s goal was to have happy cows so they produced stress-free milk.

The cows decided when and where to eat, when or if to come into the barns at night and when they wanted to be milked. They had some fantastic varieties of cheese.

The cheese was mighty tasty. Hopefully we will have room at the end of the trip to add cheese to our purchases. 🙂

More cheese was next……………..but this was melted! Grilled cheese sandwich. Y.U.M!!!! We may have to make a repeat visit on our own when we return to Amsterdam at the end of this trip.

Two cheeses were melted together with hearty local bread and a fabulous dipping sauce of dijonnaise. Who knew that melted cheese needed a dipping sauce? I love sauces! This is going to be replicated at home – right, hon?

Our guide made a slight detour and showed us the last remaining wooden house in Amsterdam. It is in an enclave for single women, quiet and protected. The sounds of the busy city were kept out. So peaceful in the heart of the city.

No lie, this next food stop was going to be ‘iffy’ for me. Of course, I felt right at home eating on top of a trash can – much better than the ones at work. Yep, everyone had their umbrellas open due to the weather.

We had two different types of seafood: marinated herring and kibbling (fried fish). I tried both. Thank god for pickles and onions with the herring. I got both down but Eric had extra to eat – just saying. Our entertaining guide is on the left.

Did I mention there were 6 food stops? This next one was a specialty in the region – stroopwafels. Our bakery was one of the most highly rated bakeries in the city. it was good, sweet but not overwhelmingly cloying.

The next was one of my favorites – frites. The tour guide (which is also the owner) has stopped at numerous frite locations but this was one of his favorites. The fries were excellent – especially with mayo.

One last stop for the group – dessert. The guide took us past a shop that had a looooooong line, full of tourists. It was highly advertised. We walked one more block where the locals go to Cafe Hegeraad for our Dutch apply pie. It was excellent – not too sweet, but still had a great apple flavor.

The tour was over and we had a great tour guide – one of our best. Especially after being on a tour later this week in Cologne, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Now time for the (long) walk back to our hotel. We were in the Jordaan region which was turning into one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Amsterdam and unfortunately quite a bit away from our hotel.

The beginning of the post was sobering therefore I wanted to end with some fun notes. One night I wanted something sweet and we came across Mama Pancake. We had seen this on a you-tube video before leaving home and it was perfect for that evening.

Their mantra is ‘every pancake tells a story and every bite is a symphony of taste’. Yep, they were puffy, sweet and sugary, tasty bits of goodness. I got the little ones, Eric finished the big pancake.

One our way back we saw a few ‘only in Amsterdam’ sites. Several spots had installations for night-time viewing, this was one of the few we saw late one night.

Oh, the bicycles – they are everywhere. You had to keep an eye out for the bikes, more so than vehicles. Our guide said it was a full-time job for the city to ‘fish’ bikes out of the canals – either fallen in by accident or other means – who knows’.

Our next city was Strasbourg to see the first of the Christmas markets. I had a list and we’re going to try and hit as many as we can. Let’s see what we do.

Ginny

Amsterdam 2025 – post 1

December 12, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Why Amsterdam? First – because it was a direct flight. Second, we only had a layover there (many) years ago and never visited the city. Third, my research said this could be a good starting point for this trip to visit Christmas markets. And, lastly, while we are not in the prime flower season, there was a floating flower market in the city.

Let’s start with the flower market.

These fresh flowers greeted you at the entrance.

Now, since this is the Netherlands, a plethora of bulbs can also be found. There’s a lot of tulip bulbs but other flower types are also available.

Above I mentioned ‘floating’ docks. Really, they are barges anchored in place with the market being in existence since 1862. The photo below shows the greenhouse structures sitting on the connected barges.

Amsterdam has been developing for a millennium. A thousand years ago it was an insignificant fishing village. This history of the city begins in the 12th century when the extensive marshy peat area was reclaimed. Found these maps giving me an idea of location within Europe

Expansions continued when earthen wall dams were built alongside canals. These expansions were not enough. After 1585 a flood of migrants arrived due to its relative political and religious freedom in Amsterdam. Officials realized a cohesive plan was needed. The city council drew up a master plan in a semi-circular fan shape maximizing the canal belt around the medieval center. Sections were developed as needed and funds allowed. So much I didn’t know.

We found a Canal Museum – Grachtenmuseum – that was very informative and gave insight into their planning and the development of Amsterdam. Definitely something we would recommend to others. Plan 45 minutes -1 hour for the visit.

Also saw this sign right outside the Canal Museum. Nice.

We had reservations for a late lunch so most of a morning was free – therefore we wandered.

Came across the Rembrandt plaza and a kiosk was open for Eric’s first gluhwein.

I tried it – Y.U.C.K. No thank you. A tiny sip was all I needed and it was hard to swallow that.

Later on, the ice rink was open and some brave souls were on it. They had these plastic contraptions for balance (or a seat for little ones). That’s another thing we’re not doing. Don’t need broken bones.

That late lunch? Bistro de la Mer

We sat at the bar (where almost all of the sitting was), right in front of these oysters. Eric was in heaven.

This small amuse bouche arrived first – hot salted lemon. It was okay, I tried it, Eric finished most of mine.

We let the server select the oyster types.

Our first courses came next – mine was divine – tiny Dutch shrimp (peeled) w/ celeriac remoulade, horseradish, pepper and OX sauce for myself, langostines pan-fried w/ beetroot, smoked bacon and sauce for Eric.

Eric had additional courses with this arriving next: Mackerel with wasabi ice cream.

We both had the steamed pike-perch w/ autumn truffle and a sauce of chicory and ham, with endive – delicious.

Eric’s meal came with a dessert: pear poached with white chocolate ice cream and red port sabayon. He shared with me. 🙂

Here are some screenshots of the menu.

It was a filling meal and wonderful experience. We would go back again on a future visit to Amsterdam.

Ginny

Christmas Markets 2025

December 10, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Something else on the bucket list was visiting the European Christmas Markets. The main request from me was find a flight that heads directly to Europe, no layover in the states. We can build a trip after landing for desired destinations. We’ve not had the best run of luck lately with catching our second flight. 😦 Where were we headed? Amsterdam.

But first a few methods of transport: Uber, plane then taxi.

While Eric was snoozing (unfortunately not me) I saw the sun rise over the horizon.

Just a few hours (ha!) and miles on the plane.

Our hotel was the Tivoli. Eric booked the hotel through our credit card and that had a few benefits. One of which was a free upgrade, if available. It was and we got a canal view room.

Ooops, no photo from the window. You’ll have to trust me.

Christmas abounds. We were greeted by the huge bear immediately inside the hotel. If the bear could stand upright, probably my height!

After settling into the hotel, they found us a restaurant for the evening that was walkable. It is a bit chilly, but we were dressed for it.

Five Flies Restaurant

Why 5 flies? The founder, Mr. Nicolaas Kroese, appeared on Broadway holding in his hand an antique cage with 5 copper flies. His appearance, charisma and strange talent for media soon got attention. Since the late 40’s numerous famous persons from all over the world found their way to the Five Flies, Walt Disney included.

Eric talked with the chef as the route in and out was past the kitchen. The chef likes to work with seasonal Dutch ingredients, preferably organic.

The restaurant is often referred to as a culinary museum dining under old Dutch art. Walls are decorated with beautiful gold-plated leather from the 17th and 19th century. Me, I was shocked at all of the ‘real’ candles in each of the rooms – very romantic. This was right beside our table.

It was a nice meal introducing us to Amsterdam.

Time to navigate back to the hotel and catch up on some much needed sleep.

One last photo.

France 2025 – post 5

June 10, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Final photos and experiences in Strasbourg before heading to Paris.

One morning Rich and I got up before the others to walk the streets early morning. There was something going on……………..

We discovered there were multiple races occuring simultaneously, various lenghts and ages. We made the way to the finish line and this gentleman picked up his daughter about 20 feet before the finish line – very cute.

Walking the historic center, I curated a number of photos. A number of bridges exist for walking or driving. It seemed like all those we crossed had ironwork, nice.

I really don’t like the locks, but I see them everywhere – even in Iceland. Really? Really!

A few city or neighborhood parks were sprinkled throughout the downtown area.

Another use for a tub. This one had a few vegetable plants along with herbs sprinkled amongst the flowers.

One afternoon several of us walked to the University’s botanical garden.

Some of the flowers were similar to those seen at home.

And one I didn’t know……………

I r.e.a.l.l.y liked this insect house we came across in the garden. Hon? Can I have one of these? Can you build me one?

All too soon, our time was up in this city.

We grabbed a ride to the train station before looking to eat somewhere. This place was 1 block away – serving really good food, Restaurant D Steakhouse. I’m sure there are bad restaurants serving bad food somewhere (chains maybe?) but no complaints for the meals thus far.

A meat & cheese plate and duck foie gras were the starters we shared.

A nice goat cheese salad was all that I needed.

Veal cordon bleu (left) along with veal scallops (right).

What is a meal without desserts?

We enjoyed our time in this lovely city. Eric and I visited with friends in 2005 and I remember very little of that time. This visit was an excellent experience. Who knows, maybe we will be back. One last group photo in front of the cathedral.

Let’s get on the train and head to Paris!

Ginny

France 2025 – post 4

June 9, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Food glorious food! We had several more meals that were memorable. Let’s start with another food tour this time in Strasbourg!

Our meeting spot was a bronze display of the historic city center in a nearby park.

Our guide shared details using the bronze map giving us an idea of our walking path and the stops we were going to make. The cathedral can easily be seen below.

Before our first ‘official’ eating spot, we had to make a slight detour and pick-up. This tasty treat – kougelhopf – was being shared at the very end of the tour. But to be sure the bakery still had some available, an order was placed earlier for us to pick up. They have a unique shape (and baking instrument), somewhat similar to a bundt pan. You can see part of one behind the sign below.

Our first stop was the Meteor Brewery – an independent, family-run brewery since 1640.

The beer was easy drinking and served with local sausages, meats and cheese.

Next up – a bit of cheese.

Yes, one of those were a local Munster cheese.

Time for a sit-down break at the next stop at Le Gruber. Most of their patrons were sitting outside, yes, the weather was that nice. We went inside since our group was larger.

Choices were meat or vegetarian. We got one of each to share. 🙂

The last stop on our food tour was a ‘dessert’ tarte flambe.

Remember that first stop we made to pick up the ‘kougelhopf’? Yeah, we were too full and we each were given a mini kougelhopf to eat at our leisure. Thank goodness.

We had walked past this restaurant a number of times as we traversed the area. One day we stopped for lunch – delicious! Another fine choice for eating.

Two rooms and an outside terrace (of course, that’s where we sat) gave this restaurant a capacity of almost 50. It was a privileged gastronomic experience. The salmon with creme-fresh (left photo) and the duck foie gras (right photo) was a heavenly way to start the experience.

All of the main courses were well chosen:

Beef Carpaccio with pesto and Parmigano Regioano.

I chose the creamy risotto with spring vegetables (white asparagus). It was the creamiest!

Pork shank braised in beer & honey.

Steak with tiger sauce and mixed vegetables.

Delicious desserts.

Excellent eating!

While the restaurant noted above was a great lunch spot, we made reservations for one of the oldest establishments in Strausborg for our last evening of dining…….Maison Kammerzell.

Written by numerous journalists around the world as one of the 1000 places to see in your life. Located at the foot of the Strasbourg Cathedral, it symbolizes the Renaissance art of the city. The wood sculptures, murals and the 75 windows with stained glass in a cul-de-boteille fashion, exalt the virtues combining medieval nobility and ancient culture.

A quick shot before the feasting began.

The duck terrine with hazelnuts and snails in Alsatian style started our dining. Seems like every meal has foie gras or a terrine – what living.

My chicken supreme marinated with lemon and ginger (and don’t forget the frites) was some of the best chicken I’ve eaten.

Pan-fried sea bass fillet with saffron rice and veggies.

Veal kidneys and mushrooms, pasta and more mixed veggies.

The last meal selection was Pike perch fillet, ‘Matelote’ style, a Riesling sauce, tagliatelle and crispy bacon – of course it needed the bacon. 🙂

Desserts were no less fabulous: chocolate & banana tart (left) ice cream & sorbet (right).

Pistachio biscuit, w/ yogurt mouse and yogurt sorbet.

We would definitely eat at this restaurant if we ever make it back to the city – yes, it is that good. Then right around the corner……………..

One last post for Strasbourg and then headed to Paris.

Ginny

France 2025 – post 3

May 20, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Strasbourg Cathedral commands attention. Let’s start with a bit of history…….

A Roman settlement existed on this site since about 12 BC. It became a major trading center for wine, grain, and later for textiles and luxury products. The first cathedral was built on the present site about 550–575. The current structure was built between 1180 and 1439.

The original design had two spires, but the second was never built.

It is a blend of different styles of mediaeval architecture. Building started with the late Romanesque choir and transept, superseded by French and German Gothic from the 13th century onwards. The western front, with its bold design and stone lacework, is an outstanding example of the skills of the Cathedral masons.

The tower showcases the excellence of mediaeval engineering and remained the highest building in Europe until the 19th century standing at 466′. Today it is the 6th tallest church in the world and the tallest structure built entirely in the Middle Ages.

Wooden roof beams were prone to fire and were part of the construction. The church was repaired after each fire but at times work was interrupted by wars and political causes.

As with most cathedrals, stories were told a variety of ways. The stained glass windows were a key part of the storytelling. The various colors of glass used added to the grandeur seen inside the building. During WWII the stained glass from this cathedral was removed in 74 cases and stored in a German salt mine.

After the war the cases of stained glass were returned by the U.S. military. BTW – the cathedral was hit by British and American bombs in 1944 with repairs completed in the early 1990s.

The five lower bays on the north side contain some of the oldest stained glass of the cathedral, installed in the old Romanesque cathedral in about 1180. The windows are devoted to nine Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Each holds a scepter in his right hand and an orb in the left hand, symbols of their responsibility as both sovereigns and religious figures. In the 13th century some rebuilding occurred and the windows were reinstalled in random locations. In 1877 an architect placed the windows back in their original arrangement.

I couldn’t resist this shot. This ‘individual’ was looking down on those inside the church – watching them.

I noticed a few tourists looking at the railing to a pulpit. There was a famed preacher with the cathedral who died 1510. A sculpture of his dog was placed on the steps of the pulpit where he once preached, mourning the loss of his master.

One note l discovered while researching talked about the sculptures for this cathedral. The Strasbourg sculptures clearly show emotions – prophets look severe, the Virgins serene and the Virtues look noble.

There was grating on the floor and I saw someone dropping something. Upon closer inspection, individuals were dropping coins or bills through the grate. My photo only shows a small portion – probably a 10th of the full size.

Existence of the organ was recorded beginning in 1260. It was hoisted to its current position in 1327. While very difficult to see in my photo, the bottom of the organ contains a figure of Samson opening the jaws of a lion. The figure has moving parts. I could find nothing else about ‘how’ or ‘when’ said parts moved. A mystery to me.

The current astronomical clock is one of the most famous features of the cathedral and the third one. The first clock was installed 1352. When it stopped working the entire structure was dismantled in 1572. A second clock was completed in 1574 and was remarkable both for its complexity as an astronomical device and for the range and richness of its decorations and accessories. This second clock stopped working around 1788 and stood still until 1838.

The current clock is approximately 59′ tall and shows much more than the official time; it also indicates solar time, the day of the week (each represented by a god of mythology), the month, the year, the sign of the zodiac, the phase of the moon and the position of several planets. A crowd was gathered and seemed to be waiting for ‘something’ to happen. It did. At the very top of my video, you can see the moving parts.

330 – what does that mean? That’s the number of steps until you reach the observation desk. Naturally, we (some) go that distance. Here we go.

Got some interesting photos along the way.

Wasn’t sure if this sign was good news or not, ha!

Made it!!!! Yep, only three of us.

You can see 30 kilometers from the observation desk. Yikes!

And now the journey begins downward.

Also, a chance for more interesting shots.

Reunited with the missing member of the group. 🙂

Ginny

France 2025 – post 2

May 16, 2025 by ginnyinshanghai

Strausbourg Dining:

Our first night of dining was absolutely amazing. Rich found a tapas bar that specialized in regional food and this was one of the top rated: Restaurant les Chauvins. They welcome you in a modern and warm setting in preparation for discovery of the flavors of Alsace. Their mission is for their diners to rediscover the authentic taste of fresh quality products, including organic farming and the know-how of local producers. The owners make it a point of honor to work with fresh products grown on Alsatian terroir.

Days into our trip and we were still talking about some of the food from that night. The first thing to arrive was ‘tarte flammbee traditionnelle’, a lovely thin-crusted item with a special cheese base, thinly-sliced onions and bacon pieces. Truly, it is the only thing I remember from our trip in 2005.

Next three items to arrive were: foie gras de canard (duck), aslacian pork and mini-burgers.

We still wanted more food: white asparagus, rolled meat & herbs rolled in egg pasta and hot dog aslacian.

This item was liked the least: escargot in mushroom cap.

Desserts? But of course. Eric ordered ice cream……..raspberry and citrus flavors, with sparkling white aslacian wine poured into the glass. It was pretty good.

However……………..this is the dessert we talked about the remainder of our time in France: Kougelhopf pain perdu with ice cream and a v.e.r.y tasty sauce. Most similar to French Toast – only better.

The kougelhopf was a local specialty of the Alsace region. It is a yeast brioche cake with raisins and almonds although googling recipes found a multitude of fruit and/or nuts that could also be added. I am going to make this at home! Don’t think I’ve mentioned yet, but at the point this photo was taken, I had been up 32+ hours. Yikes – I’m too old for this.

Walking through the historic area, one gets hungry. Lunch was at Au Petit Bois Vert, outside on the terrace around the foot of the oldest tree in Strasbourg.

While not a tapas place, we continued to share and taste each other’s selections. Never going to be a bad meal when sitting next to water – just saying.