(It's a  Lovecraft reference for bonus points. No ghouls seen here yet and its an amazngly pretty city - KPM)

I caught the 5:30 am train to Strasbourg and arrived in time for breakfast, so after dumping my bags at the hotel I walked up the street to a little place for coffee. Real coffee. After that I wandered over to the Cathedral Notre Dame by way of several small plazas. Saturday appears to be market day here and each place seemed to have a special theme - flea markets, clothing, old books, and of course, food.

 

The Cathedral du Notre Dame dominates the town but inside it's rather plain compared to Rouen or Paris.  The outside is however amazingly detailed and carved. It was pretty dark inside so few photos came out - I'm traveling light and using the pocket camera.

Kids are pretty much the same anywhere it seems



and the iron work was amazing

Walking past that was another series of plazas, over which the cathedral looms, and evidence of where Aragon's buddy ended up after the end of the War of the Ring.

I then wandered down alone the river bank looking at the houses and people watching. It was a rainy day but lots of people were out and moving. I worked my way down to the conjunction of the river...

and I passed the first gun shop I've ever seen in Europe with lovely over and unders and hunting rifles. They buy the actions and do the stock work and engraving inhouse.



I then doubled back to find the Musee Notre Dame (and to be honest a map).  There were by now a lot of buskers out but these took the prize, doing chamber music in the street.



The Museum is housed in a deceptively small looking building near the Cathedral...



Inside are rooms of wood and stone work salvaged from the restoration of the Cathedral. It seems to go on and on.  Statues, building parts, bronzes, furniture and carved heads...



as well as exhibits of tools.



At this point, I was getting beat and decided to grab lunch at one of the waterside cafes. The Alsacien sampler is something everyone seems to offers.


I think I'm developing a taste for Gewurztraimner wine...