"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." MAE WEST


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February 24th 2011
Published: February 24th 2011
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RosesRosesRoses

I played with my art program on this to make it look like an oil painting. Click on the image to enlarge it. You'll see what I mean.
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 girls, Barbara and Ingrid. I met them at the train station in Offenburg and we fell quickly into the kind of chatter I love when all three of us are talking excitedly and all at once. We drove across the Rhine from Germany into a different world. The architecture, the streets, the language (obviously), the people. Despite the cold, it seemed
L'epicurie of StrasbourgL'epicurie of StrasbourgL'epicurie of Strasbourg

Typical french scene in a cafe.
everyone was out today. Of course, we enjoyed our coffee and beautiful french cakes, found some incredible shops in the backstreets and a particular one, The Button Shop, which was amazing. Couldn't get a pic of this though. Not quick enough before the lady in the shop herded me away. Picture a wall of beautiful wooden shelves, floor to ceiling, holding hundreds of glass jars of buttons, all colours, shapes and styles. Amazing!

We visited the Cathedral, with only one spire...they never actually finished building it. "The Unfinished Cathedral"...kinda has a ring to it. Barbara pointed out a small carving in the alcove above the grand front door. It was an image of a little man bent over and exposing his nether regions to the world. You wouldn't know it was there unless someone pointed it out. Why this mooning was part of the religious story here at the entrance of this particular Cathedral is beyond me. But I will make a point of looking for this in other places I visit. Maybe it was a joke that was never found out until too late. Or perhaps the sculptor may have had his head (or something else for that matter) chopped off by the guillotine for his stupid prank. It could have been a dare. "Hor Hor Pierre! (said like Rene out of 'allo 'allo), I dare you, you silly French man, to make zi image of your asshaul into the cathedral without anyone noticing." 😱 Some people can be so gullible. If there is a particular religious story as to why this is so, please send me a message. I'd really like to know.

More shops and we lost Ingrid in a shoe store for a while but found her again some streets away with bag in hand containing the new pair of boots she just purchased.

The girls took me to this wonderful old cafe, L'epicurie (6 Rue du Vieux Seigle...in case you're in the area). We sat at an old stove and ordered soups and tea and salads. I keep seeing things that are typical France. But what is typical? I suppose, it's the visions and impressions from art and media I've collected throughout my life. So I have to say that this cafe is the epitome of the French style that I have in my head. The chatter, clatter of plates and cups,
A great way to decorate a florist shopA great way to decorate a florist shopA great way to decorate a florist shop

and to use the old flowers not worth selling.
the lighting, the elegance of the women and the nonchalance of the men. The vase of tulips centred on the long table, the collectibles in antique cabinets, the smells of the food wafting out from the kitchen. I could've stayed here all day but no rest for the wicked as they say, so we were off again to explore more lanes and visual stimuli.

We finished the day off back at Ingrid's home with a cuppa and afternoon snacks of chocolate and fruit. A very enjoyable day with Barbara and Ingrid.

I returned to Strasbourg a week later to organise my train ticket to London and have another look around. It was a beautiful sunny day this time and I was armed with my camera instead of only having my iPhone. The Cathedral was closed off to be the setting for a period movie. I wandered up and down the lanes, around corners and alleyways. Such a great place to explore. As luck would have it, I found the same cafe L'epicurie. This time, I ate the 3 cheeses on toast. Trois Fromage sounds so much better and tasted wonderful. A beautiful cup of tea revitalised me after all the walking and I slowly made my way back to the train station and back to Buhl. One week to go.




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A little known piece of the Cathedral carvingsA little known piece of the Cathedral carvings
A little known piece of the Cathedral carvings

This is the Asshole of Strasbourg Cathedral
The grill in the floor of the CathedralThe grill in the floor of the Cathedral
The grill in the floor of the Cathedral

A great way to collect money that's fallen from people's pockets.
Outside an old doctor surgery.Outside an old doctor surgery.
Outside an old doctor surgery.

A person is to walk through this gap. If he touched the sides then the doctor would tell the patient he's too fat. No wonder French people are so thin!


2nd March 2011

oo oo la la
What a great Tour de France girlfriend, love the style, colour, character of France and loving your blogs - from the confines on my lounge where I continue to get well I feel transported to these exotic locations you are blogging on. merci amoureux
1st April 2011
A great way to decorate a florist shop

Florist shop pictures
Do you have anymore pictures of this florist. My daughter is opening up a florist and her shop is very tiny like this one. Any decorating ideas would be very helpful to her. Thats why I was hoping you had a few more pictures of this shop
2nd April 2011

Florist shop
Hi Kristina, I'm sorry I don't have any more pictures of this shop. It was something that appealed to me because of the rose petals on the footpath. It was different, which is why I took the picture. Good luck with the business. Lynne
15th October 2011
Roses

Nice Rose
Hi Dangling Carrot, Seeing your picture, I feel happy and inspiration from art. I look this use photoshop to make oil painting. And a funny is the color, same with your craft on your neck, right?
27th October 2011
Roses

Hi Alice. I hope you're enjoying Vietnam
You can see my travels from a past life on another blog name DavidnLynne. I was in Vietnam for 3 months. Thanks for your message. The roses image was changed on a little bit with the oil painting function but the colours were just a vivid in real life. This was a fabulous florist in Strasbourg. Enjoy the world. It truly is wonderful. Regards Lynne
5th November 2011
Roses

http://www.atriptoindia.com/
beautiful flowers

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