Strasbourg

After the disastrous train ride home from Berlin and a steady decline in my bank account, I decided this past weekend was a weekend to take it a little bit slower.

While our friends scattered to Munich, Ireland, and a road trip to Vienna, Taylor and I decided a one-night stay in Strasbourg might be what the doctor ordered. After weeks of packing our backpacks and running to catch a train, Taylor and I packed a few essentials’ into our over-sized purses and hopped a quick train to the French city across the border. It was so nice to take a short 2 to 3 hour train as opposed to one in the double digits. Since it was only the two of us, we splurged and got a hotel room instead of settling for a hostel. Great choice. Added to the relaxation for sure.

Strasbourg is absolutely adorable; a picturesque French village with a touch of German ancestry. The houses line adorable canals and call on the architecture of days long gone. But nothing compares to the striking cathedral, which tours over the rest of the miniature village. Every little detail about the cathedral, located in the middle of a dramatic square, demands respect and awe. The inside was a little bit darker than I had expected and the translation boxes didn’t demonstrate such an expertise of English. However, the astronomical clock on the inside was very impressive.

Taylor and I basically spent the entirety of the time there shopping and eating (very unlike us). Strasbourg, keeping in character with my description of the town, had some adorable little shops of French home accents and higher fashion. Taylor and I were in “girls’ weekend away” shopping utopia. Despite our attempts to save money by staying closer to home, we ended up dishing out more than a few euros on some timeless keepsakes.

We also greatly, greatly, greatly enjoyed our first tarte flambee. Not knowing what to expect, we ordered a chocolate and banana one to split for a dessert. Little did we know it was heaven on a plate. It’s a giant pizza type pastry dough thing with your food of choice gracing the top. YUM! We basically inhaled the entire thing in a five minute span.

After spending Friday night and all day Saturday, we felt rejuvenated and headed home on a Saturday evening train. We were right, the whole weekend was exactly what the doctor ordered.