Blogs from Alsace, France, Europe - page 21

Geo: 48.0807, 7.35997 GUN 15 GUNLERDEN CUMA Eguisheim da anıları canlandırdıktan sonra, Dünyanın en romantik kenti seçilen Colmar'a yöneldik. Eski bilgilerimize dayanarak ,merkeze yakın bir park yeri bulduk. Almanya 'ya oranla hayat var. Sokaklarda insanlar dolaşıyor ve restaurantlar açık. Aslında Ayşe ile Schwendi de yemeyi kafamıza koymuştuk. Havanın serinliği nedeniyle içeri girdik. İlk kez içine girdiğim Schwendi, çok güzelmiş yahu... Flambe lerimizi ve şaraplarımızı ısmarladık. Millet içeride eğleniyor şarkılar söylüyor... Çok keyifli bir yemek oldu . Bu gece Fransa'daki son gecemiz ... Aracımıza atladık ve Rouffah'ta otelimize döndük. Colmar hakkında daha önce verdiğim bilgiyi tekrarlıyacağım: Şehrin girişinde tanıdık bir heykel . New York taki Özgürlük anıtı... read more

Panorama A movie set around the Cathedral of Strasbourg. The woman on the right in black is a famous French actress, allegedly...couldn't say who, sorry. I had a chance to pop over the border into France and enjoy the sights of Strasbourg. I love saying that, pop over into France or day trip to Switzerland (not that I've done this yet). Australia is so remote that we can't just say stuff like that offhandedly. Mostly we can say that we've gone to Noosa or Coolangatta or perhaps as far as Byron for the weekend. There used to be secret potluck flights with an old airline-gone-bust, that would fly you to Sydney or Melbourne for a shopping day. Not sure if any of the current providers still have these types of promotions. Anyway...first time, was with the ... read more

Strasbourg 5pm I am in a wifi hotel again - a rather nice one actually called Etc. - but still in Strasbourg Thurs. due to a strike (greve)- it affected 2 of the 5 tram routes - went to station to buy my ticket (which it still sold me - dumb machine!) but Brussels train not running at all altho some French trains - returning towards Hotel Patricia the tram did not go any further than Homme de Fer (Iron Man strangely!) - due to impending workers parade as you can see - a lot of smoke from a flare etc. The strike does not seem to have affected the shops tho - although a lot of them close for lunch anyway for an hour or so! the Etc hotel I just found taking a shortcut ... read more

I have dated this Wed.22 Sept. and hope to keep it short as there is simply not enough time to do all of these in huge detail. The arrival in Strasbourg from Colmar was relatively efficient as the train trip is only about 35 minutes. However finding a hotel here was impossible as I asked all the hotels within reasonable walking distance of the station -- I later found out, after seeing "complet" (full) on most hotel desks, so you did not even have to ask, that it was a European Parliament sitting week -- one week a month in which you can guarantee that the hotels are virtually booked up a year ahead. I had to resort to going right down to the bottom of the Old Town near the cathedral on spec and found ... read more

(this is also written in Strasbourg on 22/9) petit Corentin was apparently concerned he might not see me before he left for school so I made sure I got up at 7.45am to say goodbye. The girls had already gone so did not see them again. He was a little disappointed that I did not really speak French much - this is because it was simpler to speak English with Gisele (who is now teaching German so had apologised in advance for her English - but no problem there) and Francois - who was concerned that this might upset his German when he went back to work. He works a more family friendly 4 day week, with Monday off. The Swiss normal week is 42 hours surprisingly. Gisele works all 5 days but with different hours. ... read more