Jingle bells

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 🙂