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Published: February 24th 2011
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Roses
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 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 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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Melinda
non-member comment
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