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OMG, I'm in France now! Missing Switzerland already. Hope you haven't given up on chasing my Europe adventure so far. Okay, I'm starting in France. Please continue to chase my posts okay?
So we embarked on the journey to France, crossing the border over The Rhine River. This riverbed goes across six countries in total, with Switzerland and France being two of the six. It forms the natural border between Germany and France. And Strasbourg, a city in the northeast of France, is situated on the banks of the Rhine River that serves as a natural border between France and Germany.
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| A bridge over the Rhine River |
STRASBOURG, FRANCE
Not just that, they have a tram service that links Strasbourg (France) and Kehl (Germany), operated by Alstom Citadis. So convenient for people to travel between both countries, especially those living near the borders. Welcome to Strasbourg!
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| Tram Service between Strasbourg and Kehl |
The moment I stepped on the soil of France, I'm like so alert because we heard and read too much about pickpocketing/theft, especially in France. Even the tour manager asked us to be careful with our bags and belongings. So better be alert than sorry.
We were having free time to explore this place before proceeding to Colmar. Let's go!
⭐Fun Fact: Le Pont Du Corbeau is a historical and culturally valued bridge located in Strasbourg, France that spans the Ill River and connects the Petite France neighborhood to Place Broglie in the city center of Strasbourg. It is often depicted in paintings, photographs, and postcards of the city. And now the bridge is primarily used by pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Ill River.
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| Le Pont Du Corbeau |
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| Le Pont Du Corbeau and Ill River |
⭐Fun Fact: The La Cathedrale Notre Dame was built between 1180 to 1439 and is a blend of different styles of medieval architecture. With a western front of the building, along with its bold design and stone lacework, the tower stretches up to 142m, showcasing the excellence of medieval engineering, and remained the highest building in Europe till the 19th century.
I even texted my Dad to ask if this is the one which a fire happens in 2019 and he said no. It was the one in Paris. Oops... got the wrong one. Okay looking forward to see how is the reconstruction progress. Wait for my Paris post.
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| La Cathedrale Notre-Dame Strasbourg |
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| La Cathedrale Notre-Dame Strasbourg |
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| La Cathedrale Notre-Dame Strasbourg |
⭐ Fun Fact: Palais Rohan is a historic building, constructed between 1732 and 1742 as the residence of the prince-bishops of Strasbourg. It is an architectural masterpiece and serves as an important cultural and historical landmark in the city. It showcases an elegant blend of architectural styles, including French Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical. The three main wings surrounding a central courtyard function as the Episcopal Palace, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Strasbourg Archaeological Museum.
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| Lycée Fustel-de-Coulanges (left) and Palais Rohan (right) |
⭐ Fun Fact: Lycée Fustel de Coulanges is a French high school, named after Numa Denis Fustel de Coulanges, a French historian and archaeologist. One of many prestigious secondary education institutions located in the city of Strasbourg, France. It follows the French National Curriculum, offering general academic programs. Students typically attend the school from ages 15 to 18, during the last 3 years of their secondary education.
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| Every corner is beauty of its own |
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| Chillax life at the café |
Amorino is a well-known gelato brand, famous for its artisanal Italian gelato and distinctive flower-shaped presentation. They have numerous locations worldwide, offering a wide range of flavors made with high-quality ingredients. As usual, I got 3 scoops of different flavours because why not? Creamy with the respective flavors. Yummy! Glad I didn't miss another chance of having gelato from a recommendation.
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| Amorino Gelato |
COLMAR, FRANCE
Next, we moved on to Colmar and that was where we gonna stay for a night before our next destination, Paris. Checked into our hotel late evening and began exploring Colmar and La Petite Venise. By the way, Colmar is just right behind our hotel. How convenient!
Colmar is a picturesque and well-preserved old town located in the northeastern part of France. It is often referred to as a "miniature Venice" due to its charming canals and half-timbered houses. Its location in the Alsace region makes it ideal for exploring the surrounding area like charming Alsatian villages, vineyards, and the Vosges Mountains. Hence the town is famous for its Alsatian cuisine and wine, with numerous wineries and restaurants offering local specialties.
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| Colmar, France |
Unterlinden Museum houses in a former Dominican convent and it is known for its extensive art collection. The highlight will be the Isenheim Altarpiece, a masterpiece of German Renaissance art by Matthias Grünewald, and a range of medieval, Renaissance, and modern artworks.
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| Unterlinden Museum |
Marché Couvert is a bustling, covered market housed in a beautiful 19th-century building, adding its charm with an impressive glass and iron structure. Locals and visitors can find numerous stalls selling fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, seafood, and baked goods. It's a great place to experience the flavors of the Alsace region and find ingredients for traditional Alsatian dishes. There are also small shops and boutiques offering artisanal crafts, souvenirs, and gift items.
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| Marché Couvert |
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| Marché Couvert beside La Petite Venise |
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| Houses (left) with La Petite Venise (middle) and Marche Couvert (right) |
Little Venice (or La Petite Venise) is one of the most iconic parts of Colmar, with picturesque canals lined along beautiful houses and flowers on the bank, creating that iconic Venice scene. Taking a boat ride along the canals is a popular activity for visitors. Now I want a gondola ride with the gondolier singing away without knowing what he/she is singing. Hahaha...
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| Petite Venise |
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| Colorful Houses by La Petite Venise |
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| Cobblestone Paths |
Our itinerary seems like a well-planned one. From our hotel, Colmar is just right behind with a supermarket. Then we followed our tour manager for a walk through the stretch of Georgian and Tudor-style shops towards Petite Venise Colmar and thereafter to Restaurant Meistermann for our 3-course French dinner. It was packed with a dinner crowd, luckily tables were reserved for our group.
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| Restaurant Meistermann |
1st dish served was Flammenkuche, made with a simple dough and just 3 toppings. Because the dough is not leavened with yeast (or any other leavening agent), so this is more like flatbread than a pizza. It is thin and comes out super crispy. Everyone at the table loved it so much. Very crispy, thin crust with savory toppings on it. Ate while it was hot and tasted even better.
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| Flammenkuche |
After our Flammenkuche, we chatted and waited for so long before the dish was served up. I guess this is how the French enjoyed their meals. My dad always said they can dine for hours in the restaurant. And now I experienced it myself. Finally, our fish was served up. Honestly, I don't really like creamy food but tried to finish them up without wasting. After all, other than the potato, it felt more like a half-keto meal for me, again. Overall, mediocre taste but at least they were fresh and well-cooked.
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| Fish of the Day & Vegetables |
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| A bowl of Fruit Salad |
The white wine was actually forgotten until a group member asked the tour manager. And yes, our dinner included white wine. Hey, don't cheat us off a bottle of white wine when it is cheaper in your country. Everyone loved this bottle of white wine. The taste was good, smooth, and nice aftertaste. Next time you can try if you are here for a meal.
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| Best White Wine I ever had |
⭐Interesting Facts that I have learned:
- In Europe (or France especially), a designated lane for cyclists on the road. Even with traffic lights, you have to stop for the cyclists. And they ain't scared of vehicles on the other lanes and are arrogant too if you use their lane (wtf). Good luck to car owners in Singapore if that ever happens. You pay the road tax and get a middle finger from those who don't even pay road tax for using the road;
- And in Europe, many cycle to the destination(s) and you can see bicycle lots everywhere. Also in Europe hotels, they don't provide toothpaste and toothbrush but shower foam, shampoo, conditioner, and for some, lotion in 1 refillable bottle each for use;
- French dining takes a really long time because they take the opportunity to connect with friends??? or is every meal also no rush at all or is food ain't that important than family and friends? And wine is like a must or cocktail at least. So my dad is really true! Took us about 2 hours to finish our dinner. What an experience!
Don't forget my European adventure blog posts (with lots of photos) if you have missed out:
Also my Youtube Channel! Show your love to me and my Channel and hopefully it hits my 1st 100 subscribers by the end of 2023! For now, watch my latest Colmar video! Cheers.
Disclaimer: All the above were paid by the writer. Not sponsored post.