I didn’t realise when I booked an overnight stop in Basel that it was famous for its Christmas market, or that the old town would be so pretty. Lucky me to have an afternoon here before I catch the train to Zermatt in the morning. This will be the last Christmas market on my trip and it is a good one. Everyone was out today, soaking up the seasonal spirit or hunting for last gifts, and picking up extra special food for the big meal (which is usually on Christmas Eve). Bit of an effort to turn off the French and switch on my German, but everyone was very kind. One lady looked at me in surprise as I took photos of the bread on display (like why are you photographing this????!!!!), so I said ‘I’m from New Zealand, we don’t have this at home’, and she took my arm under hers and showed me everything amazing in the store. Tonight I have unpacked my thermals because it is 1 degree and snowing in Zermatt. Yay 🙂 Soundtrack for the day is I’m dreaming of a white Christmas by Bing Crosby (which has been playing on the loudspeakers for the last few days). Joyeaux noel x
Lunch
Amazing, slightly cooked meringue covered in chocolate and coconut
My driver today could not have been a nicer person if he tried, so happy and friendly AND a careful driver 🙂 so thank you whoever sent him my way. He was not great with directions, even though he was following Google maps, but each time he took a wrong turn he would turn to me and smile and say ‘oh no I have made a mistake but don’t worry I will turn around’, and it just made me smile. On the way from Strasbourg to Basel there are loads of small villages, wineries, Christmas markets and castles to see. I chose to stop at Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg, which is a castle originally built in the 1200s, then destroyed, rebuilt in the 1400s, destroyed again, rebuilt in the 1700s, and then abandoned. A lot of restoration work has gone into making it a complete fortress again and it is cool. Full of medieval furniture, armour and weapons, and things salvaged from the site during the reconstruction. It was a super foggy morning so the castle was enveloped in cloud, which added to the mood. I paid for my driver to come and see it with me (only 9 euro) rather than have him wait in the car, and he was so happy that he took loads of photos of me to say thank you. There is a restaurant here which is open in the summer, but today the moody fog was perfect. Reminded me of the Scottish castles in Outlander which I’ve been watching on Netflix (wrong country I know, but if you’ve seen it you’ll know what I mean 🙂 )
There are roughly 100 vineyards in the Alsace region, and I spent the day at one of them 🙂 a biodynamic winery called Achillee. Everything is done by hand here, and the wine is delicious. For a small winery, a lot of varieties are produced….pinot blanc, riesling, bubbly, muscat, gewürztraminer, sylvaner, scherwiller, hahnenberg, schieferberg, and pinot noir. I tasted 11 different wines and it was hard to choose a favourite. On the way back to Strasbourg we called in to Ribeauville, a beautiful medieval village with cute Christmas markets, gingerbread-style houses and castles on the surrounding hills. Magic.
It would be easy to come to Strasbourg just for the Christmas markets (which are awesome) but there is a lot more than hot wine and warm bretzels to discover. As well as wandering around by myself, I have taken two different walking/photo tours of the city, and it has a really interesting history (alternating between Roman and then Gallic, French, German, French, German rule). Each ruler added their own ‘gift’ to the city, and because of this, the architecture is hugely varied. Some monuments date back to the 1100s. Highly recommend both of the tours I have done with Air BnB – the Across Strasbourg and Time history walk with local architect and city planner Lionel is awesome (like walking with a cool and intelligent friend and he brought cookies 🙂 ), and the Christmas photo walk with Anastasia was amazing (she is so much fun to hang out with and showed me cool spots to take photos….will post them later). The Notre Dame cathedral here is incredible too. So big! And inside is a 30m long nativity scene, and a beautiful astronomical clock that measures every aspect of time, that was such a coup for the church that its maker was reportedly blinded so that he could not recreate it for anyone else. Not such a rarity apparently in the olden days, nowadays they would simply offer him a retention bonus to stay 🙂 Strasbourg also has amazing restaurants, and specialty food stores, and being in the Alsace region there are delicious local wines. I tried escargots (snails) for the first time tonight and they were delicious, swimming in garlic and butter with parsley and served with a freshly cut baguette. Followed by a plate of local cheese, also delicious, which you cut and eat in chunks instead of with crackers or bread. Happy days.
Today is the start of the school holidays for many people in France and this weekend will see huge traffic jams on the main highways. Only half of the 1.7 million train tickets that have been purchased will be honored because of the ongoing transport strike, which means 850,000 people have to find another way to travel. I am only an hour and a quarter away from my next stop in Switzerland, and have booked another driver to collect me on Sunday morning and away from the travel chaos. France is definitely on my list of places to return to, but not while this is all going on. Far too much drama.
Made entirely from chocolate
Amazing mix of architecture styles here
Pork strudel, eaten cold. Yum
Canelle – like a chewy caramelised crispy donut filled with creamy hazelnut goodness
Everything in this patisserie is pink
Kougelhopf
So tasty
Macarons
More Christmas penguins
Storks are a good luck symbol and its common to build nests for them (these are fake)
The last time I had a car trip where my life flashed before my eyes was in KL, on the way to the office in a taxi that had no seatbelts and doors that did not shut properly, and I had worn satin trousers which meant I had to hold onto the back of the drivers seat and brace my feet against the floor to stop from flying out while my driver pretended he was in a PlayStation game and drove at 160km / hour+ while texting. I loosened my grip on his seat at one point to grab my phone and text my daughter Jen to say I loved her. Todays journey from Paris to Strasbourg was less dramatic (didn’t pack the satin pants), but still a bit hair-raising as my crazy-ass driver sped one-handed down the freeway at 151km/hour. When we got to the mid-way rest stop in Metz I was not in the mood to take photos. Which is a shame because Metz is gorgeous. Cobbled streets and winding lanes, a huge cathedral, people wandering slowly through town stopping to chat, lots of happy dogs, amazing cheese shops, decked out for Christmas, and for only 69,000 euros you can buy a 2 bedroom apartment and live a wonderful French life. Luckily we made it to Strasbourg in one piece. Bloody transport strike, I miss the trains. Strasbourg is so gorgeous, with the old town surrounded by a river and inter-connecting bridges, and the whole area is basically one giant Christmas market covered in lights and decorations. So nice to amble slowly around it tonight, and try some of the incredible food and wine from the Alsace region (and I may have bought another pair of earrings). I have four nights here before I start heading to Switzerland, and my next stop (Basel) is just over an hour by car. So in the meantime I will put my feet up, and relax, and get in the Christmas spirit 🙂
Metz
My kind of Xmas tree is chocolate
Or wine glasses 🙂
Strasbourg
I want I want (matches my ukulele)
Also want want, my neighbours would hate it ha ha ha
Nothing says Xmas like nailing teddy bears to your building
I signed up for wine tasting and cheese sampling in a centuries old wine cave in the Marais district of Paris today, and it was wonderful. Beautiful wine, mouth-watering cheese, and very generous samples of both, in a great space with really nice people. The hosts also provide a list of tips for visitors to Paris which is the most comprehensive I have ever seen, so if you like wine and cheese look them up on Air BnB (with Valkyrie & Harry). I also bought another beret, inspired from the class yesterday, and because I stumbled across a shop that is run by university design students and their products are so original (Shopping for Happiness is the store). I might have also bought more earrings. So now, having left NZ with only one pair, I seem to have acquired more than 10 🙂 At least earrings don’t take up much room. Tomorrow is my last day in Paris and there will be large protests against the government in most of the city, and Paris will be on lock-down. A good opportunity to pack and get ready for my departure early the next morning. I have so loved my time here, and would love to stay longer. I still have heaps on my to do list to see, and a lot of day trips that I would love to make if the transport was easier. I’ll come back here another time. Finland is my favourite country, but Paris is the coolest and most beautiful city. I’m so glad I was able to spend a good amount of time here, and immerse myself in the community. If you come here, don’t stay in the city centre. Venture out a bit further, maybe into the Bastille as I have, and be local for a while. Walk instead of catching the metro, and shop in the local stores. People are so nice, and you will experience life in a non-touristy way. A bientôt x
Our tasting selection, many from Alsace where I am going next 🙂 yay
I haven’t used a sewing machine since 1981 when it took me two terms to finish an apron, but today I managed to mark up, cut out and sew a beret 🙂 When in France and all that. This is another bookable experience through Air BnB (I should ask them for sponsorship 🙂 ), and under the friendly watchful eye of Mickael who is an accomplished fashion designer, you are guided through the process. There were three other lovely people with me and we had such a fun afternoon, talking and laughing, sharing a wine and some amazing cheese, and getting creative. Such a unique experience. Berets were originally worn by peasant farmers to keep warm and dry, then adopted by artists, the French resistance and other revolutionaries, and by soldiers because it is easy to pack and emblazon. Now it is making a fashion come-back and is quite the thing to wear. A small piece of France to take with me.
There is no end in sight for the transport strike in France, with more large protests expected in the days ahead. The government says reforms to the pension schemes are crucial and it won’t back down. The unions are vowing there will be no truce (even for Christmas) unless the government withdraws plans for the reform. So I find myself in the midst of the biggest French strike in 24 years. C’est la vie. Not so impactful for me unless I want to leave Paris (which I will do soon!). But for shop owners and workers, life is very difficult. One local news site I read talks of people sleeping in their office or classroom, because it is easier than trying to get home and back again. Another says people are walking 3+ hours home after work, because there is no other option (keep in mind it is winter). Bike and scooter rental companies will be making a lot of money right now. There is a long history of downing tools and striking in this country, supposedly more so than any other EU country. This fiery spirit can be traced back through centuries and a famous revolution. It became legal for workers to strike in 1864 and since then it has become common for strikes and protests to bring the country to a halt. Only 8% of French workers are part of a union, but they tend to be in sectors like transport, teaching, health and energy, so when there is a strike it massively impacts life for everyone. So this is how it is in France. The national anthem says ‘grab your weapons and form your battalions citizens, let’s march, let’s march’. Even though I packed fairly light, I don’t fancy marching out of Paris with my suitcase, and I have a room that will be ready for me in Strasbourg on Wednesday night (400km away and 4 days walk according to Google maps 🙂 ). Trains and buses are running inconsistently, and there is no guarantee yours will be ok even if you have a ticket. Flights are running at 80% today, but air traffic controllers and ground crew will strike in the next two days, and maybe for longer. Some highways and petrol stations are blockaded, so driving yourself is tricky unless you know the area. So I have booked a private car to pick me up just before dawn on Wednesday morning, and whisk me out of the city. Fingers crossed.
Wandering the streets with my camera is a new favourite pastime, and today I had the help of a professional photographer and Parisian local. We walked in and around the Canal Saint Martin, I learned more about how my camera works, and had good company. Cool day. If you’re here and interested, look on Air BnB for the Canal photo walk with Rick. He’s awesome and it is like spending a couple of hours walking with a friend (who is a way better photographer than you 🙂 ).
I had such a fun night exploring hidden speakeasy bars in Paris. Tucked away inside grocery stores, laundromats, hotel kitchens, car garages and cafes is a maze of hidden bars and cool night spots, some even have hidden bars inside the hidden bars! You can look many of them up on Google, but entry is not guaranteed if you just walk up. For some you need a secret napkin or handshake, or it helps if you know the bartender. Scarcity is the ultimate marketing trick! Luckily checking out these cool places is a bookable experience through Air BnB, and Felix who has created the experience is an awesome host. I had a brilliant night, and made new friends. Highly recommend this experience if you are in Paris. There are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks to choose, and the cocktails are also legendary. Also, the whisky sour at the Laundromat is great (you won’t find many other places here that know how to make one).
