On Day 8, I left the apartment at noon and headed for the Catacombs. When I arrived, there was a line around the block. No way was I gonna wait. So, I saundered over to a cafe with outdoor seating in the Marais district. I planned to wander around this popular area but it started raining again. Then it started pouring and, even though I had a compact umbrella, I was getting soaked. I headed back to the subway and I was back at the apartment by 3pm.
Hotel DeVille
The only photo I took this day.
One of several major train stations in Paris.
Clang, Clang, Clang went the Trolley!!
Ding, Ding, Ding went the Bell!!
Zing, Zing, Zing went my Heartstrings!!!
Video of what it's like to look out the train window going 130 mph!!
The Strasbourg train station.
But, wait.....
The entire old station is now encased in glass!!
Strasbourg, a city of about 275,000 is very walkable.
During the summer, all the canal bridges are adorned with flowers.
Light Rail slices through the city center.
There are 6 lines, totalling 40 miles of track.
Public Art
Because Strasbourg is on the France/Germany border, there's a blend of French and German architecture as well as some dramatic modernism mixed in as you'll see in the next few photos.
Light Rail train stop
A Mall.
Printemps is a department store chain.
Paris isn't the only city with a Notre Dame!
Strasbourg has one, too!
At over 450 ft high, this Gothic cathedral has only one tower off to the side. Usually there's two or if only one, it's centered.
Plaza in front of the Cathedral
Video of the music being played on the plaza....and then....
I couldn't get far enough away to get the entire cathedral into one snapshot, so here's some in pieces!
The cathedral was built over a period of 400+ years and was considered completed in 1439.
The rose window you see here is 45 ft in diameter.
I stood in this line THINKING it was the entrypoint to the interior of the Cathedral.
I didn't see any other line, so this must be it!!
It wasn't.
It was the line to climb the tower!!
Once I got to the point of buying a ticket, there was no turning back.
So...I climbed.
300 steps up!!
300 steps back down!!!
I LOVE GARGOYLES!!
Looking down from the roof of the Cathedral.
These cone-shaped viewers are pointed at specific sites but use no magnification.
See explanation below.
On the way down...
We were 217 ft up, at the level where the tower begins.
You can see part of the casita in the flat area to the left of the tower.
Now inside. It's massive but not as embellished as I've seen in many others.
After seeing the Cathedral, I walked down a narrow, cobblestone street (pedestrian only) and took some snaps of charming cafes and Inns along the way.
I stopped for lunch at a very popular outdoor cafe adjacent to a canal.
The TGV whisked me 'home' to Paris.
Next up....We skip ahead to Day 12 and you DON'T want to miss this one!!
Dano
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