Written 6/22
Long train rides are perfect for catching up on missed blog posts and uploading pictures. There is always the fear of running out of computer juice and needing it upon arrival when something hasn't quite worked out according to plan. Anyway, to conserve juice, I will get right to it.
June 19:
Last day in Tours and the Loire Valley. I was excited to go to Strasbourg, especially after my "German" dinner the night before. I decided to take the bus to the train station to avoid lugging my backpack around town. As there was no listing of stops in the bus, I ended up missing mine. This made the 15 minute bus ride into an hour long bus ride. Ever the optimist, I figure that I got the chance to see another part of Tours (the part from the last century). Once I finally got to the train station, I went through the regular procedures, waiting in line, reserving my seat, finding a sandwich for the road. This sandwich, at a low 2,70 euro, was one of the best I've had. Maybe deliciousness can be found under 5 euro. *another note on sandwiches* I love butter. Everything tastes better with butter. But that doesn't mean that it is an appropriate condiment for sandwiches. Or so I thought. The French, like Paula Dean, have invented new uses for butter. I have had at least three sandwiches smeared with it. Salami and butter. Ham, cheese, and butter. Ham, lettuce and butter. It is odd. It is also, of course, tasty. Everything is better with butter. I wonder if Subway will add some semi-doux to my BMT? *end note*
Scenic four hour train ride.
When I get to Strasbourg I am starved but I have to get to the hostel by six, plus I have my life on my back. I figure out how the bus works and hop on, this time I don't miss my stop. I find the hostel, check in, and am off to find food. While the hostel is a very nice, purposefully built place, it is far as crap (on an empty stomach) from food. I couldn't tell you how long I looked (could have been 10 minutes or 30. My hunger deceives me). I found a restaurant and ordered the suggestion which was boeuf émincé avec champignons. Now I don't like mushrooms (champignons) in most cases, but I will order a dish with mushrooms if I'm in the mood. And what I wanted was a real meal with beef as the main component. Out came a plate of stewy beef and mushrooms with rice. Yum. IDK that the picture does it justice. picture to come. I finished by meal with espresso. I have gotten into the French habit of ending a meal with coffee or dessert. I love it but fear that on a student budget, it will break the bank upon my return. Also the coffee won't be nearly as good. After my dinner, I strolled around the very cute, very German, very French Strasbourg.
I finally returned to my hostel to meet my roommate...from American University. We decided to go out that evening for a drink. We made our way towards the city center and as we got close, we heard drums and saw lights and smoke. Turns out there was quite an elaborate summer parade going on. Extravagant costumes and floats. Fire crackers, flame throwers, drummers, dancers, Obatman. It was quite the spectacle. pictures to come. We only caught the last 15 or 20 minutes of it but it was a lovely surprise. We continued to a hole in the wall microbrewery and had a drink.
June 20:
The next day I planned to do all the Strasbourg sites starting with the walking tour of the city center. I learned all about the history of the city. I had forgotten that Martin Luther nailed his theses to the doors of the catherdal here. And I learned that Gothenbourg invented the printing press here. And of course Strasbourg has much war time history. After the tour I climbed the MANY winding stairs to the cathedral platform. The cathedral itself is interesting with its sole spire but the view from the platform was also great. Then I went to the Palais Rohan and visited the Musee des Arts Decortifs. I have learned that museums are not really my thing. Well let me correct that, most museums with their endless paintings are not my thing. I.e. my favorite Smithsonean is Natural History. I love the gem exhibit. I can't get enough of shiny things. And I think that is why I keep choosing to go to these palais with their excessively decorated rooms full of exquisite furnishings. I had a choice of many museums to visit for free with the "Strasbourg Pass" and despite the fact that I had seen more opulence than one might be able to stand in Paris and Versailles, I still chose the Decorative Arts museum. My favorite part this time was not the furniture or the gold paneling, it was the clock room. Strasbourg is home to an astronomical clock and it the birth place of the grill pendulum, which was the mechanism that first allowed clocks the precision to determine time to the minute accurately.
When I left the museum, the clouds had finally parted (of course it was a gloomy day) and it was slightly warmer. I decided to put off my visit to the chocolate museum and rent a bike to explore the other side of town housing all the important EU buildings. On my way, I stopped at the botanic gardens and the huge Orangerie Park. When the clouds rolled back in I decided to head to the city center, return the bike, and get dinner.
As Strasbourg is so close to Germany and therefore so influenced, I thought it important to have a sausage. I love sausage. Some sort of sausage always resides in my freezer. I wanted to try the real thing. I bought a brat and 'craut for lunch today from a little cart vendor. Oh much was left to be desired. I actually would have preferred Hillshire Farms. IDK if it is just my American taste buds or what. But I thought I would try again for dinner. It was better. But still not the deliciousness that I would have expected. And it didn't help that both of these sausages looked a bit like undercooked hot dogs. It was not until the next day (that would be tomorrow the 21st), when after a long and difficult search for indigenous food that would not cost me 18 euro, I found these 3 euro sausages. Cooked on the grill they were slightly charred. They were spicy and tasted just as I thought a sausage should.
I topped off dinner (on the 20th) with a hot chocolate while I waited for the 9pm boat tour. After a relaxing hour on the Ill River, I returned to my hostel for the night.
June 21:
I decided to make a day trip to the Route du Vin. Since I had missed "wine country" in the Loire Valley, I hoped to get to see Alsatian wine territory. I wanted to make this trip during the latter part of the day so that I would be able to see the film presentation on the Astronomical Clock which they show everyday (except Sunday) at 12:00. It was free with my pass. To fill my morning, I ventured to the historic wine cellar of the Strasbourg Hospital. It was just lots of barrels of wine. Off to the clock. The movie didn't really cover what I had hoped. But then, most people would not have enjoyed the movie that I was hoping for, filled with the technical workings of the clock. Off to wine.
I caught the train to Obernai and wandered through the small town to the office of tourism. I was given a listing of wine "caves," or cellars, and went off to explore. One by one, I was told that they were not showing the cellars today or that I needed to come back in an hour or they just didn't answer at all. After having explored the whole of the town and it's surrounding area, and five unsuccessful attempts to visit a wine cellar, I reasoned with myself that the cellars probably are not much more exciting than the one that I saw earlier. I did want a wine tasting indigenous wine though. I went to a couple wine store in the city center but they did not offer tastings. So I went to the grocery store. I figured I could at least buy a bottle of Riesling or other Alsatian wine. Lucky me, they had two little bottles, one Riesling and one Gewürztraminer. I decided to call the day a success. I found the tasty sausage for dinner and got on the train back to Strasbourg. At the hostel, I popped open the Gewürztraminer to wash down the frites I had purchased on the walk from the train. Interesting wine. Sweet and floral. Reminds me a bit of moscato. I intended to go out and experience the Fête de Musique but I had to handle the business of booking my hostel in the alps. Not an easy task and I ended up missing the one group I wanted to see. To make up for it, I looked them up on Myspace. French rap should be in French. They (or he?) aren't bad but I don't think I missed anything amazing. I will gladly take peace of mind over Blockstop.
June 22 (Part I):
Business as usual. I checked out fairly early 1. because I had to since check out is at 9:30 and 2. because I wanted to make sure I could get a train to Argentiére, where the Apline "hostel" is located (plus breakfast was over at 9 anyway). I hopped on the bus to the train station. I went to the ticket office and the lady gave me a schedule for a train to St. Gervais at noon. Apparently no trains were going to Argentiére by the time I'd get in (or that is what I assumed she was saying since she didn't speak English). I would have to take a bus to Argentiére. I took the schedule since it was my only option at that point and I got back on the bus towards the hostel to use the wifi to make sure that I would be able to get to the "hostel."
There is a little café by the bus stop that sells 1 euro espresso and has free wifi. I decide to just use this rather than go all the way back to the hostel. I eventually found a bus and felt fairly certain that I would be able to get to the chalet (a chalet is kinda like a family home/ski lodge. This is what the "hostel" was). I decided to walk down to the city center to grab some food for the long train ride and also for lunch. I bought a couple sandwiches from Brioche Douche (I had purchased my lunch there the day before. A delish chicken breast sandwich.) Lunch today was a chicken breast panini with peppers and some sort of tasty sauce and I got a buttery ham sandwich for the ride. With food in hand, I got on the light rail to get back to the train station.
*addition* I was supposed to visit the chocolate museum on the 21st before I left for the Alps. That is, until I realized that the chocolate museum is not actually in Strasbourg and that getting to this museum would be an adventure that I could not accept in a limited time frame. Le sigh. *addition*
June 22 (Part II):
I thought I already had my, "What am I's gonna do" moment for the trip. I am currently on the train (still, at 10:00 pm). I have watched the sunset and am still not entirely sure how I am going to get to my hostel. I have been through a range of emotions and I am very close to panic. I am wondering why I didn't just decide to stay in Switzerland *side note* Yes, that's right, I ended up in Switzerland. The schedule the attendant printed out clearly noted that I had a transfer in Lyon but it failed to mention a second transfer at Bellegrade. When the train stopped at Genevé and I disembarked the train to find a customs desk, (albeit unattended) I was ever so confused. I eventually pieced together that I had indeed left France and was in the land of chocolate, cheese, and knives. I was so flustered that I didn't think of staying as an option. Instead, I found the next train and hoped that the additional time did not ruin my plans. *end note* I am so afraid that I will either be stuck in St. Gervais or make it to Argentiére and not be able to get in the hostel. Neither situation is to my liking. When things first went array and I realized that I had indeed ended up in Switzerland, once I got over the initial shock and found out how to get back on track, an odd peace rolled over me. I even found humor in the whole situation. Things do not always work out perfectly and I'm very used to things working out how I envision them. It was an acceptable wake up call. But at this moment I am wide awake and I'd love if things would work out in an acceptable manner.
No comments:
Post a Comment