If it's Tuesday, This Must be Belgium - 10/28/08

Welcome back to If it's Tuesday, This Must be Belgium! (This still is Tuesday, right? Yes! Phew!). [Hopefully you'll appreciate the fact that it took me, well let's say multiple attempts, to get this new photo loading system of Gather's to actually load photos.]

In any case, this week I'm in Strasbourg, France.  For those who don't know where that is, you can check it out here: Strasbourg.  Strasbourg is just over the Rhine (or Rhein) River from Germany, maybe an hour or so by train from Stuttgart.

And the train station is something to behold:

Yes folks, that is the train station.  Of course the inside looks like most other train stations, with tracks, trains, and long lines.  But from the outside it looks like something that might just take off - straight up - at any minute.

Strasbourg is a rather unique kind of city.  It has the usual "old city" kind of flare, with its big churches (though this is just a little one)

And of course a trolley system that runs throughout the city

But it also has an area called "Petit France" that is like an old style village along a canal and the edge of the Rhine.

This bridge/house looked pretty cool to me

As did this famous triple tower bridge

And an old style building...

Such a beautiful place...even time to stop and smell the roses (or peonies or something)....

The walk along the canal was just beautiful.  Petit France sits more or less on a little island (or two) with parts of the river splicing it.  Of course, there were canal boat tours for the tourists...

But not to fear, Strasbourg has its gothic cathedral as well.  In fact, the Strasbourg cathedral is quite famous...and quite impressive.  What I found amazing is how tightly it was tucked in amongst the buildings (or more likely, how the buildings tightly encroached on the cathedral)

Check out the angle on this shot...

The next few photos get you closer...and closer...and closer...and inside

As you can see, I was there on a Sunday in time for services.  I think I went to church a dozen times that weekend. :)

Finally, there's an old tradition of marine biologists (of which I was once in a past life) to end with a sunset.  Unfortunately I don't have one.  So I'll end with a swan song.  [Okay, maybe I'll skip the song and just end on a swan]

That's it for this week.  Hopefully these will actually upload now that I've spent the better part of a Century (it seems) trying to get the photos loaded.

Take a look and let me know what you think.

Au revoir...