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Published: August 6th 2007
Quartier des Tonneliers
The flowers cover all the signs on my streetStrasbourg has changed so much since I arrived. It’s incredible to think that I arrived here in the cold, bare winter, and now, just over three months later, it’s spring. The whole place is green, there are flowers everywhere - it’s just so beautiful.
To be honest, I really didn’t want the warm weather to arrive. I know that sounds strange because everyone knows how much I hate the cold, but I just thought that this gorgeous city would never suit the warm weather. I loved it bare, and I especially loved it covered in snow, but this greenery with flowers blossoming everywhere has made it more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
Just the view from my room is different. Comparing the view from my room now to the one in my first blog it’s like I’m in a different place altogether. The photos of the signs that were hanging in the street with snow falling all around are now covered in purple flowers. Everywhere is so green, which is such a weird concept coming from Adelaide where everything gets browner as it starts to get warmer.
My new favourite place is the Orangerie Park on
the edge of the city. It’s amazing, it’s full of colour and trees and lakes and lately we’ve gone there a few times for picnics or even to study. Yes, don’t worry your eyes are fine, they’re not playing tricks on you. I did say I’d been studying. Not much though, no need to worry about me, I’m fine. It’s just nice to get out the house and enjoy the sunshine and sometimes a really good excuse to do so is to bring the books along. Who woulda thought?
Not only has the weather been warm, it’s been hot. The freakishly warm winter has rolled over into a freakishly warm spring and I’m walking around in thongs and singlets. I’m leaving my windows open at night and there are no such things as fly screens in France. Well, not in any of the places I’ve seen anyway. And don’t think it’s because they don’t have flies, oh no, they have big fat flies that just wander into my room at night - it’s worse than Australia. The other day I even saw a pigeon peeking into my window wondering if he could come in for a visit.
The
From my window
The new, very different, view from my window best part about the warmer weather is that the city has come alive like never before. All of a sudden the restaurants have chairs and tables outside; there are people everywhere and buskers all over the city. As I sit in my room writing this I can hear the French piano accordions playing, children running around yelling and people talking and laughing from all the cafes just downstairs. It’s made me fall in love with Strasbourg all over again and it’s making it even harder to imagine that I won’t be here next year. That I won’t get to experience the end of winter and the start of summer this time next year. Because next time the seasons change it will only be getting colder, which will mean that my time here is coming to an end. I know it’s still another nine months away but it’s not something I’m ready to think about right now.
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Maa
non-member comment
Wow
I think it would have been great for us to come in springtime. Wow what beautiful scenery. People are really aware of the 4 seasons in Europe whereas we really only have two in Australia. Enjoy!