Strasbourg

The trip to Strasbourg was uneventful, but I arrived to more rain. It’s always raining here! The hotel was easy to find, and is simple and well-located. A short walk got me to the municipal library to get started on some research. They had a few good books, but hopefully tomorrow at the Bilbioteque National Universitaire will be better.

Strasbourg is a beautiful city, located on the Ill River, several canals make a number of islands, the largest being the city centre. The sinuous streets are lined with ancient houses and buildings that overhang the sidewalk, and even on the first of October, there are lots of flowers. Much of the old city is pedestrian only (here, as in Paris, pedestrian includes bikes, but thankfully not scooters). The only major traffic is the streetcars, which run throughout the city and converge in the old town at a transportation hub. Unlike Toronto streetcars, these look like TGV trains. They are shaped like high-speed trains, with cars strung together and sleek aero-dynamic noses (even if they only go about 40 km/h!). They’re also very low, so that you only step up a small amount when entering. One runs right by the hotel, so I’ll see how quiet they run tonight.

The great thing about old cities like Strasbourg is the maze of lanes and streets that make exploring interesting. The bad thing about old cities like Strasbourg is the maze of lanes and streets that make getting lost inevitable. After visiting the library, I walked around quite for quite a while, but when I tried to get back to the hotel, the way just didn’t seem to come clear. Finally back at the hotel I realized I’d gone past the street several times, despite following the map. Of course, the fact that the street changes names several times didn’t help!