Metz, France

Our trip to Metz was rather spontaneous.  We didn't really know what all there was to see there or where we were going exactly, we just knew we had enough time for a day trip and wanted to leave Germany.  We'd already been to Luxembourg and Strasbourg, so Metz won the bet.

Geoff, Jackie, Caedmon and I loaded up and took off for the city.  The car ride really wasn't bad - about two hours from Wiesbaden.

When we got there, we walked up to the train station, partially because we had no map and no idea what to go see.  It was a cool building though.

From there we took off for the cathedral.  A lot of the streets looked a little empty and there were bomb-shelter-looking doors on some of the buildings.

The cathedral was pretty impressive, and right down the street was a rivr overlooking another church.  Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it had started raining.  Since there wasn't much to see anyway, we snapped some photos and called it a day.

 

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Strasbourg, France

Strasbourg is a small town in France, about 2 hours from where we lived in Germany.  We didn't really know much about it when we took off, but the thought of "leaving the country" on a day trip sounded exciting.  I went with Caedmon and Jackie.

I have mixed feelings about Strasbourg, though I prefer to look optimistically on it.  I'm gald we went to France, but it looked very German, with the exception of the many canals and the more colorful and flowerful buildings.  All in all, it was very picturesque - straight out of a painitng - but there wasn't much to actually see.  And it was expensive.

The roads in France were worse, and the exits more like the ones on American interstates.  The exit signs were different and the mile makers were in the cneter of the raod.  The border was confusing - there was no toll, but there was a large crossing structure where people were stopping (perhaps they were just as confused as we were?).

At any rate, once we got there, we parked, and spent some time trying to get oriented and figure out where the center of town once.  We spent most of our time walking through and around "Petite France," where most of the canals intersected.  They offered cruises along them for about 8 euros (which included an audio tour).

   

      

We passed on the tour, but walked around the town, exploring the canals.  We stopped in a few tourist shops as well.  It was strange to hear people speaking a combination of French, Germany, and English.

A lengthy walk from there (or so it seemed in the 90 degree heat with Caedmon on my back) was the cathedral, which was one of the tallest buildings in Eruope.  I twas stunningly gothic and immense inside with a giant rose window above the entrance.

   

We walked back through Gutenburg Place for ice cream (which ran 8 euro a sundae - ouch!) and one last look around Petite France.

     

All in all it was nice to get out of Germany and see something different, but it was a little too much of a tourist trap for my liking.  I like to get out and go and see more old building that have stories behind them rather than half-timbered houses flowers.  :-)

 

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