Strasbourg Hilton

I started the week in Geneva because of work. During my weekly Skype call with my parents, they mentioned my brother would be leaving for Paris the next morning. Nice of him to tell me! I called him but couldn't get a hold of him, so tried again in the morning. By the time I was awake on Monday, he was in bed for the night, but luckily he woke up and answered the phone. He told me he had a free day on Wednesday with no plans so this would be a good day for us to ...

... er&#8217; is said with an accent making it sound like &#8216;air&#8217;. This question had bothered me since the last time we were in Alsace.<br><br>Au revoir, France. A bien tot.<br><br>She Said:<br><br>Deciding where to go on a whim for a day that isn&#8217;t already scheduled into the itinerary used to be our most fun task. But we quickly discovered that with time restraints, money considerations, and more than just two of us to consider, it ...

... which is called "Petite France".) It is an upscale hotel with a champagne bar and a small terrace that is prime real estate for watching the boats float by while being undisturbed by the crowds on the other side of the canal. After you sign in they activate a small light that is in the ceiling above your room&#8217;s front door that displays the room number down on the floor. Tres chic. The room itself was huge and had an excellent view ...

... tarte flambée contains only bacon and onions. We decided to take it to the next level where they also add cheese as a topping. It was delicious! We completed our meal with French beer, Kronenbourg, which is everywhere here (though I have drank it in Canada as well). After lunch we started our second audio tour but were tired of walking long before it was completed. We had visited many important buildings outside of the ...

We caught the wrong train and wound up in Gengenbach. While we were waiting for a train back we met a lady who told us the town had a beautiful old-town section. So we went discovering again. After a good look around we stopped at a pub while we were waiting for the next train and got talking to the owner. Turns out he'd been to Australia on holiday, so we had a good time talking to him until it was time to go.

Day trip from Villingen. Wolfach has a factory cum tourist attraction where they blow the glass manually. It was good to watch them making vases etc. in the traditional way. The highlight for me was dobbing Roz in to get up on the stage and blow her own vase. She did a good job, and we bought the vase and brought it home. A very special souvenir.

... the stage lights came up and my day was complete. The show was everything I had hoped for and more. I have many performance DVD's and I knew what to expect, but standing 15 feet away with the wall of sound provided by 5 professionals who enjoy their craft, was unreal. I made my way back to the hotel in the rain totally exhausted after standing up for 5 straight hours, but no complaints as now I am looking forward to my next Marillion show. Luxembourg tomorrow.

... to enjoy later. Little Venice is very cute, and when people on the gondolas went under the bridges, they had to duck as to not hit their heads. Next on the wine route that we saw was Ribeauville. It is known to have 3 chateaus up on the top of the hill. We didn't have any proper hiking boots and what not, so we (Lisa and I) climbed up to the Notre Dame, which is nestled against the rocks. It was a long walk up, but it was ...

... it is not just a tourist town, but a university town and home of the EU Parliament. Historically it is interesting because it is an area of confluence, of German and French cultures, of Protestantism and Catholicism. It is a pretty impressive rail hub, and the SNCF staff are nice people. The local beer is variable, but the darker, sweeter brews are better. The EU buildings, especially the Court of Justice, are the kind of architectural ...

... Crement, but I remember drinking too much but somehow I finished the entire bottle (I don't remember if I had had it all the same night or I had stretched it out over a few nights; I believe that I had had some on my birthday as well so I think this was night number 2) but I do remember finishing it all. So I rang in the New Year alone, but that was okay. I feel that I threw myself a good little celebration and that I was enjoying my time ...