We docked in the German town of Kehl early Monday morning, but other than an early morning walk with dad, I didn't really explore it until later that afternoon. Instead, we had some breakfast and boarded a bus to take us across the Rhine and into France. Our destination...Strasbourg!
Strasbourg has been on my "places to go" list for-ever, so when dad was picking a cruise for us and said the Rhine Getaway cruise stopped at Strasbourg, I was super-excited!
The excursion began with a coach tour of the city. I was ancy the whole time, anxious to get off of the bus and walk around (plus there was a horrible glare in my window making it nearly impossible to take photos!). The driving tour took us by the EU headquarters, down a street where we saw loads of storks (seriously so many...it was kind of crazy), and around to some other Strasbourg sites. We finally parked, and once again, Bryn and I ditched the guided tour and took off on our own, armed with a map and the shuttle bus schedule. That was one great thing about the day in Strasbourg - we weren't tied to the main coach bus and could spend the entire day in the town if we wished.
It was still early, so we found our way to the picture postcard vistas before the crowds were out and about. If I can offer one travel tip, it would be don't sleep in! In my opinion, early morning is the best time to see a new place. Most of the tourists are still in bed, so you really only have to dodge delivery trucks (totally doable) and the locals who are starting their day. Basically this means that no one is walking in and out of your shot, so you can take your time to get the photos you want without getting in anyone's way!
By the time our wandering had brought us to the cathedral, we realized mom and dad's tour would be finishing up, so we hung around to see if we might run into them. Sure enough, we did! Mom opted to take the bus back to the ship, but dad stayed to walk around a bit more with us.
Many of the cities and towns with canals running through them also have a lock system to let boats and ships through. We went through several huge ones on the Rhine in our cruise ship, but this was a cute mini-lock in Strasbourg.
After pretty much walking in circles looking for a good spot for lunch, we decided to stop at a cafe located directly adjacent to that postcard perfect view over the canals (pretty much the view in the next picture...not bad, huh?!). Dad managed to get us a table (I find the restaurants and cafes very confusing...do you just sit down? Where/who do you ask for a table? It seems like Bryn and I always make the wrong choice, haha) and we had a nice lunch and break from walking.
By the time the first of the shuttles was scheduled to leave, we had decided we were all walked out and might as well head back to the ship. Dad and I wanted to visit some places in Kehl, and Bryn was anxious to take part in a cooking demonstration happening that afternoon.
Strasbourg was just as lovely as I thought it would be. We saw a lot in our long morning there, but I think ideally I would spend two days, just to give yourself time to slow down and take in the sights, as well as have plenty of time in between to have a coffee or beer, and just figure out how the restaurant scene in France really works!
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