Day Out: Strasbourg
It’s been just one month since we moved to Germany and it’s been packed with all the not-fun parts of adulting (think back to back days of things like registering at your new medical and dental clinics, and getting a drivers license, and registering your car, and choosing new mobile phone plans, and moving into a new house, house repairs, new job, new everything). We’ve snuck in as many days as we can getting out to explore and have fun. One of the days out I really wanted to do before we returned our borrowed car was visiting Strasbourg. It’s just an hour and a half away, just over the border into France, and I lived there for a month when I was serving as a missionary 22 years ago.
Strasbourg is a beautiful picturesque city most famous for its Christmas market and for its strong German influence that sits right on the eastern tip of France. It’s also one of Europe’s capital cities along with Brussels and Luxembourg, where European Parliament resides. There are also the Council of Europe, the Eurocorps and the European Court of Human Rights in the city.
It has changed ownership between France and Germany at least four times because of wars, most recently staying part of France since WWI. Strasbourg is considered the capital of the Alsace region known for its dialect, wines, incredible food and natural beauty.
One snag for us being able to go to Strasbourg was that we didn’t have our International Driver license yet. This isn’t an issue if you’re just visiting as a tourist, but being here in an official capacity means we have some extra rules and requirements. We needed to have our German driver license before we could start the process to get our International one and we had just received our German ones in the mail — not enough time before visiting Strasbourg.
But! We learned we could drive to Kehl, right on the border and avoid waiting for our International license. We planned to use our day off and headed to Strasbourg on July 4th.
We drove to the German border and parked at Kehl Bahnhof (the train stop there has a free parking lot) and walked through the tunnel under the train platforms to the tram stop. I purchased two Trio tram tickets at the tram stop which gave us roundtrip tram passes for our family of six, and we were off!
“Look! Regardez!”I kept saying to my kids. Brian and Nola, my youngest two, quickly noticed that the surroundings changed as we crossed the bridge into France and said that it looked exactly like the TV show they love called “Miraculous” that is set in Paris. I love that the apartment buildings have real shutters that are used daily and window boxes that are spilling over with flowers. The closer to Petite France we got the more we saw the old half-timbered houses that Strasbourg is so loved for. They were made that way originally to be temporary and possible disassembled because the people didn’t own the land. It’s remarkable to me that they have lasted all this time!
We hopped off at the Grand Rue stop and walked about 2 minutes to the Cathedral that is so incredible. This along with the historic center of Strasbourg called the Grand Île is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is an “outstanding masterpiece of Gothic art” that began construction in 1015. It’s single tower was the highest structure in the world until the mid 1800s. The stained glass dates from the 12th nd 14th centuries and has been entirely removed and replaced during the World Wars to preserve them from damage. There is an Renaissance astrological clock that is it’s own masterpiece, as well as the ornate organ and figures.
Being there on the 4th of July for us meant no parades or waving the American flag, but I saw this memorial in the cathedral that really moved me. When I lived in Strasbourg, I was invited to the home of an elderly couple whose family had lived there for generations. They served a meal of the traditional choucoutrie garnie (sauerkraut, sausages and potatoes) and told me stories of their love for the American soldiers during WWII that had saved their city and given so much service to their family there. They were so kind to me just because I was an American and it has stayed with me all these years.
Outside the cathedral was packed! There were so many school groups there of teens and younger children, as well as tourist groups from other countries. It felt so different to me from when I lived there before, but I remembered I had lived there during the winter when tourists are very few. It made me want look forward to going back when it’s not so busy or so hot!
We crossed over the river next to the cathedral to get some lunch. I was set on finding a place that served the traditional Alsatian tarte flambée because I wanted the kids to try it. It’s a super thin crust with fromage fraïs, onions and lardons (cubed bacon is the best way I know to describe it) with salt and pepper. We looked at the menus of a few cafés we passed and found the perfect spot with table and umbrellas at Mama Bubbele.
The kids were delighted to order Coca (Coca Cola) and Matt and I shared a liter of water (flat because we’re not huge fans of carbonated water which is so preferred and common here). The menu was all variations of tarte flambé and we totally could have shared 3-4 but I had no idea how big they would be. The kids and I ordered the traditional one, and Matt ordered his with Munster cheese. This isn’t the American version of Munster. It’s the stinkiest French cheese I know, even beyond Roquefort. Honestly we could smell it coming way before it hit our table 😆, but he loves it. He dared Emme to try it and I had a bite too. It hits my gag reflex pretty hard, and Emme said it tasted like a diaper. We laughed and laughed, loved the beautiful scenery with the cathedral just over the river and the Strasbourg museum right there. It was the perfect lunch for us at about €80. We definitely could have saved by sharing and skipping the sodas. Drinks, including water, run about €4 to €5 each.
With full tummies, we walked to find Petite France which is where the river divides and tiny streets collide to the most perfect, almost miniature-looking setting of half-timbered houses and French culture. It’s only about a 5 minute walk, but my maps led us astray which led us to searching for public toilets and finding the famous covered bridge. There are free public toilets at the cathedral square and at the covered bridge, but it’s expected that you tip the attendants who will be right behind your shoulder as you wash your hands so you don’t forget. My kids laughed because they recognized something on the toilets — Villeroy and Boch was imprinted across the porcelain bowls, which is the same make of our everyday dishes at home! I had picked up a grab box of Villeroy and Boch dishes when I lived in Luxembourg before going home and we have used them ever since!
We found out way to Petite France, Matt and I taking note of all the perfect hotels and cafés to come back to without the kids, and took some pictures. By this time the heat of the day meant our kids were done. We stopped in a patisserie to buy Fantas, water, macarons and a baguette before catching our tram back over the river to Kehl to drive back home to Stuttgart.
We know we will be back and that feels magical to me. It was so special to hear and speak French again. I’ve lost so much of it over the years and am anxious to stay connected to it. When I lived in Strasbourg, I was working everyday. I wasn’t there as a tourist, so I felt different to me to be able to explore and soak it up differently this time with the love of my life and our little family. When we shared with new friends here in Germany that we were going to Strasbourg they ALL told us that there are only two things you must do when you go to France — buy cheese and butter to bring home. Oh gosh! THIS IS SO TRUE! The butter, the cheese, the yogurt are just incredible, cannot be duplicated. I’d also buy a fresh baguette and eat it right then and there. I don’t know how they do it, but there’s just nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
Next time we go we will pack our cooler and visit the grocery store before leaving.
Happy memories across decades now, and it is so special to share it with the people I love the most.
