As the year 2018 comes to a closure, I really did something exciting and worthwhile, though on the second last day of the year. We visited the city Strasbourg, which is in France and is very famous for its Christmas market. It was cold, it was grey, it was cloudy, but the atmosphere and the decorations there brought a smile to my face and the day will be forever etched in my mind as one of the memorable days of the year 2018.
Our neighbor German family with whom we have gotten very close also came along. They haven't visited this city till now though they are in Karlsruhe for about 8 years. It is very close to Karlsruhe and after just 1 hr drive you reach France. The signs change, the language change. There is a similarity as it is a European city, yet there is a slight difference as it is in not a German city. It was the last day of the Christmas market and just 2 weeks ago, there was a terrorist attack there. But it hadn't dampened the spirits of the people and people from all over the world had come to see the market.
We reached at about 1:15 pm and headed straight to the market after parking the car in a parking house. Every person entering the market had to undergo police examination and we had to show our bags and also open the jackets to show that we are not carrying any ammunition. It was quite crowded at that time and there were small stalls of different items like candles, candle holders, eateries, puppets, souvenirs etc. We headed to eat the famous Flammkuchen (French Pizza) which is very famous in the Alsace region where Strasbourg is situated. Its very thin crusted and has fewer ingredients, mainly bacon, cheese and onion or mushrooms. After having the Flammkuchen with only cheese and onion, Ute and I headed for a walking tour to get to know around.
The person who conducts tours was standing with a board in his hand and we gathered around him. He welcomed each and everyone and asked the country of origin. People had come from Greece, California, Mexico, Austria. We were the ones who stayed the closest and had never visited this place yet. The walking tour was in English. There was no tour in German. So we had to take it in English and the guide didn't disappoint at all. He spoke very good English without any accent. We walked for around 2 hrs. and saw different places, the squares, the marketplaces etc. Strasbourg is a city which had to undergo a country change during different wars, i.e. from France to Germany and back to France for about 11 times. No doubt, this city is an amalgamation of two countries and two styles of architecture. The river Rhein separates the two countries and the two states. There was a feud between two countries for a long time, but now peace prevails and commuting between the two countries is very easy. The French and the Germans are very different from each other (They claim it!), but they co-exist and contribute to the European economy in their own way.
After finishing the tour, we came back to the same place, in the front of the cathedral where we had started. The boys had gone to some other place and so we both had to spend time waiting for them. So we went inside the cathedral. It's very huge and had a lot of people inside. It was also very cold inside. The walls as in almost every church looked beautiful with different designs in glass. There is always a serene feeling in the churches or temples that I have visited till now. We looked around and came out in about 10 minutes.
Then I went shopping for my favorite thing when I visit cities. I bought a fridge magnet of Strasbourg and by the time I came back, the boys had come back. It was already dark and now the beauty of the Christmas market was all the more prominent and I could not help praising the efforts and taste of people who took so many pains in decorating every nook and corner of the streets. Even trees were decorated.
On the way back, I was captivated by the lights and images all over. They created a deep impression in my mind. This is the spirit of Christmas and it really felt very lively and festive, unlike in Germany. I have visited Christmas markets in Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Karlsruhe. Nowhere were those markets close to the ones in France. Colmar was outstanding and so was Strasbourg. Germany felt very dry and bland compared to the pompous Christmas markets in France.
My mobile phone gave way and shut down, the battery got exhausted. In the evening, when it was needed the most, I couldn't click any pictures. But the i-phone of Ute and A came to the rescue and thanks to them, this pictures found a way to my phone later after charging it up. How could I not write about this wonderful short trip to one of the beautiful Christmas markets? Next time, Ute and I have decided to just visit the place for a longer time and without kids. There is a lot to explore when it comes to the culture here in this city and we will definitely go back.
Au revoir Strasbourg, je reviendrai
Our neighbor German family with whom we have gotten very close also came along. They haven't visited this city till now though they are in Karlsruhe for about 8 years. It is very close to Karlsruhe and after just 1 hr drive you reach France. The signs change, the language change. There is a similarity as it is a European city, yet there is a slight difference as it is in not a German city. It was the last day of the Christmas market and just 2 weeks ago, there was a terrorist attack there. But it hadn't dampened the spirits of the people and people from all over the world had come to see the market.
We reached at about 1:15 pm and headed straight to the market after parking the car in a parking house. Every person entering the market had to undergo police examination and we had to show our bags and also open the jackets to show that we are not carrying any ammunition. It was quite crowded at that time and there were small stalls of different items like candles, candle holders, eateries, puppets, souvenirs etc. We headed to eat the famous Flammkuchen (French Pizza) which is very famous in the Alsace region where Strasbourg is situated. Its very thin crusted and has fewer ingredients, mainly bacon, cheese and onion or mushrooms. After having the Flammkuchen with only cheese and onion, Ute and I headed for a walking tour to get to know around.
The person who conducts tours was standing with a board in his hand and we gathered around him. He welcomed each and everyone and asked the country of origin. People had come from Greece, California, Mexico, Austria. We were the ones who stayed the closest and had never visited this place yet. The walking tour was in English. There was no tour in German. So we had to take it in English and the guide didn't disappoint at all. He spoke very good English without any accent. We walked for around 2 hrs. and saw different places, the squares, the marketplaces etc. Strasbourg is a city which had to undergo a country change during different wars, i.e. from France to Germany and back to France for about 11 times. No doubt, this city is an amalgamation of two countries and two styles of architecture. The river Rhein separates the two countries and the two states. There was a feud between two countries for a long time, but now peace prevails and commuting between the two countries is very easy. The French and the Germans are very different from each other (They claim it!), but they co-exist and contribute to the European economy in their own way.
After finishing the tour, we came back to the same place, in the front of the cathedral where we had started. The boys had gone to some other place and so we both had to spend time waiting for them. So we went inside the cathedral. It's very huge and had a lot of people inside. It was also very cold inside. The walls as in almost every church looked beautiful with different designs in glass. There is always a serene feeling in the churches or temples that I have visited till now. We looked around and came out in about 10 minutes.
Then I went shopping for my favorite thing when I visit cities. I bought a fridge magnet of Strasbourg and by the time I came back, the boys had come back. It was already dark and now the beauty of the Christmas market was all the more prominent and I could not help praising the efforts and taste of people who took so many pains in decorating every nook and corner of the streets. Even trees were decorated.
On the way back, I was captivated by the lights and images all over. They created a deep impression in my mind. This is the spirit of Christmas and it really felt very lively and festive, unlike in Germany. I have visited Christmas markets in Stuttgart, Esslingen, and Karlsruhe. Nowhere were those markets close to the ones in France. Colmar was outstanding and so was Strasbourg. Germany felt very dry and bland compared to the pompous Christmas markets in France.
My mobile phone gave way and shut down, the battery got exhausted. In the evening, when it was needed the most, I couldn't click any pictures. But the i-phone of Ute and A came to the rescue and thanks to them, this pictures found a way to my phone later after charging it up. How could I not write about this wonderful short trip to one of the beautiful Christmas markets? Next time, Ute and I have decided to just visit the place for a longer time and without kids. There is a lot to explore when it comes to the culture here in this city and we will definitely go back.
Au revoir Strasbourg, je reviendrai
मस्त. प्रत्येक सण वेगवेगळ्या जागी तिथला तिथला रंग घेऊन साजरा होतो. माणसाची कल्पकता आणि संस्कार त्यात भर घालत जातात.
ReplyDeleteNice experience
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures and nice write up on the whole experience. I love Christmas Markets. They have a different charm which can lift up anyone's mood. It's sad that such a joyful place was attacked but I am happy the people didn't bog down and the festivities continued.
ReplyDelete