Sunrise to Sunset in Strasbourg

Even though I had nothing planned until 10:45, I was up at the crack of dawn. To fill the time, I started walking. I picked a direction and just went. It was beautiful. I made my way to a large square that was completely empty and found a much smaller church than the main one I’d come across later. As I kept walking, you could really see the German influence in the buildings, with their timber framing—it felt like I was back in the Rhine Valley.

As I turned down random streets, I stumbled upon the Strasbourg Cathedral of Notre Dame. It was incredible, so much detail and so tall. I found out later that it’s just slightly shorter than the Cologne Cathedral. I walked over to get a better view, and the area was completely empty. I had it all to myself. Not many people are out exploring at 7:30 on a Saturday, I guess.

Since the cathedral was near where I was staying I took a break before heading back out to see the markets that started at 9:30. I walked through one market that just sold books and then another filled with food. In just a few hours the town had gone from a ghost town to jam packed with people. When it was finally time for the food tour, I was so hungry I couldn’t wait. The first stop was salami and bretzel, there were 5 types of salami, the curry one was my favorite. I also tried a beer and wine, once again learning I am not a fan of either. The second stop was a restaurant where I had a dish with sauerkraut, ham, sausage, and potatoes. The different mustards that were at the table were really good and had varying levels of spice which greatly added to the dish. The next stop was this little store where I tried cheese, one being Munster which is from the region and has very strict rules in order to be called Muster (similar to champaign). The cheese was really creamy and would be perfect for crackers. After the cheese it was time for pastries. At the bakery I tried a Kugelhopf which was shaped like an upside down cupcake, but was all pastry. It was a little too dense for my liking but still delicious and covered in powdered sugar. The last stop was hands down my favorite. Sweet Tarté Flamm, thin bread covered with apple rings and cinnamon.

Then to make it truly a flaming tart, bourbon is poured on topand set a blaze. I am not usually a fan of the taste of alcohol but this time it worked. The outer rim was still super crunchy with the middle being full of flavor. The tour ended right around the corner of the restaurant on a bridge in Le Petit France. Before heading off to explore some more on my own, one of the couples from the tour invited me to get dinner later. Now with plans, I decided to make my way back to my Airbnb. On the walk I called my mom since I was excited to tell her all about the food tour. After a few hour break and a long call with my family it was time to venture out again. It was now around 3pm and the city was very busy. I walked back to the cathedral to go back to the cheese shop and buy some mustard and a souvenir. The whole area was packed with even more pop up tents and people everywhere. Part of the crowds was because the next day there was a huge carnival celebration. I am not sure what the celebrations were for but there were decorations everywhere. I walked around the area where I was staying and found a bookstore. I wandered through there for a while and found one of  books I had read in French class in high school.

After the bookstore I walked back towards the cathedral. If you couldn’t tell I spent most the day walking in circles. At this point all of the crowds had gone and I was able to really take in all the detail. Since it was almost sunset I went back to Le Petit France to watch the sunset. As I walked along the canals and over random bridges I watched the sunset over the bright colored timber-framed houses. I started to make my way back to my Airbnb when I texted the people I met earlier and we figured out dinner plans. We met up for dinner and I ordered Cordon Bleu with Munster cheese. It was amazing, the cheese was so good and went really well with the chicken. During the meal I talked with my new friends and learned so much about France. The whole meal was a great end to my trip to Strasbourg and my birthday.