Hello there! I recently arrived in Europe for a trip to visit my father who is currently living in Germany. My father, my two cousins, and I are going to various places in Europe to explore the history and different cultures. I will be sure to recap some of the days on here. I hope you enjoy it!
Day One
On the first day, we arrived in Germany at approximately 10:30AM, after a long red-eye from the east coast to Paris. Following that red-eye, we absolutely raced across the Charles De Gaulle airport to catch our flight to Germany. I have flown on a plane more times than I can count and I have NEVER had this close of a connection. It was so stressful, but we made it and that is all that matters. The gate our plane arrived at was across the airport from the gate our plane to Germany was at, and we had to go through security AGAIN. It was rough, but once again, we made it and that is all that matters.
After my father picked us up at our gate, we headed to his place to unload our things. Later, we explored his city and we each munched on German pretzels. We finished the day with a lovely dinner, eating the German classic - Schnitzel. It was yummy! Then we headed to bed for a twelve hour snooze. It felt great, but it wasn't nearly enough!
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from this day that I am going to share because I was a jet-lagged zombie. Also, I was far too stressed to attempt to get good shots of this day.
Side Note: I must say that this red-eye didn't pain me half as much as the past red-eyes I have experienced. My flight was great. I actually slept, which was a miracle. Additionally, I had a good time on the flight. My cousins sat next to me and we laughed and watched movies for most of the time we didn't try to sleep. The time I wasn't sleeping or laughing with my cousins I exercised my French by chatting with the lady next to me. She knew absolutely NO English. I was so happy about that. I wanted to challenge myself with a French conversation. It was fun.
Day Two
Behind me, in the picture above, is a beautiful church - Notre Dame - which was the highest structure in the world for 200+ years. To me, that is so crazy to think about. It is tall, but it isn't too tall, compared to some of the skyscrapers in cities today. It sure is beautiful though.
The greatest part of Strasbourg, France was the Christmas Market. Strasbourg has been deemed the "Capitale de Noel" (Capital of Christmas) and I will surely support that claim. The streets of Strasbourg are festive as ever, and I have been told that they were even more so before Christmas, and that is hard to imagine. The most adorable, tiny wooden cabins line the streets serving the best French foods - beignets, crepes, and french drinks. There are also lots of handmade crafts that you are able to purchase too. The Christmas spirit is just so lovely with decorations on everywhere.
I treated myself to a delicious crepe! It did not disappoint. Although it was delicious, I think the best part was being able to watch the man make the crepe for me. He must've thought I was a five-year-old in a toy shop. I watched his every move with wide eyes, in awe of the deliciousness.
Final Thoughts
Strasbourg, France was absolutely incredible. It was as beautiful and festive as I had hoped for. It was so entertaining listening to the different languages the people around me spoke. Strasbourg is on the border of France and Germany, so their languages were most prevalent. France has a large number of immigrants and of course, the Christmas market draws in a number of tourists (like me!!) and that added some languages too, I can assume. I love hearing them, as it makes you feel small, which can be good sometimes. It teaches you that this world is so big, and that your problems are truly small, leaving me to feel optimistic about this world that can often feel overwhelming.
My final FINAL thought - it is much colder in Europe than I thought it would be at this time. If you are heading here soon, consider packing more layers than expected. In these pictures I am wearing a 4 layers of shirts, a scarf, and a hat to cover my upper body. I am from New England, so I am used to the weather, but I was still cold! Be sure to prepare yourself by packing layers AND comfy shoes.
I honestly despise wearing sneakers when I am traveling because I feel like they ruin my outfit and make me look like a tourist, but I had to! One of my other pairs of shoes were giving me blisters yesterday, and I knew we were going to walk 4+ miles today. In retrospect, I so am glad I went for the sneaker option. My advice - do some investigating and look through your shoes with a keen eye or look into purchasing some comfy shoes for walking. Beauty shouldn't be pain, contrary to what the legends say. I know it's an unpopular opinion, but it is true. Not to mention, Europeans try to minimize their travels by car, while optimizing travel for pedestrians. Make sure you're prepared for this because you can't drive everywhere in Europe. If you are prepared, you will surely be able to make the most out of your European adventure!
It was a lovely day. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to visit Strasbourg!
Until Next Time,
MM
Day One
On the first day, we arrived in Germany at approximately 10:30AM, after a long red-eye from the east coast to Paris. Following that red-eye, we absolutely raced across the Charles De Gaulle airport to catch our flight to Germany. I have flown on a plane more times than I can count and I have NEVER had this close of a connection. It was so stressful, but we made it and that is all that matters. The gate our plane arrived at was across the airport from the gate our plane to Germany was at, and we had to go through security AGAIN. It was rough, but once again, we made it and that is all that matters.
After my father picked us up at our gate, we headed to his place to unload our things. Later, we explored his city and we each munched on German pretzels. We finished the day with a lovely dinner, eating the German classic - Schnitzel. It was yummy! Then we headed to bed for a twelve hour snooze. It felt great, but it wasn't nearly enough!
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from this day that I am going to share because I was a jet-lagged zombie. Also, I was far too stressed to attempt to get good shots of this day.
Side Note: I must say that this red-eye didn't pain me half as much as the past red-eyes I have experienced. My flight was great. I actually slept, which was a miracle. Additionally, I had a good time on the flight. My cousins sat next to me and we laughed and watched movies for most of the time we didn't try to sleep. The time I wasn't sleeping or laughing with my cousins I exercised my French by chatting with the lady next to me. She knew absolutely NO English. I was so happy about that. I wanted to challenge myself with a French conversation. It was fun.
Day Two
On day two, we got up bright and early. I wasn't the most bright eyed at 8AM, but I was excited to visit the Christmas markets in Strasbourg, France. We traveled for a while and made it to France to see the most adorable and beautiful city that did not disappoint. The architecture of Strasbourg was just what I expected - a rustic style with lovely shutters and colorful buildings. I have not been to France before, other than the airport in Paris multiple times (lol), and the city was exactly what I pictured it would be like.
Behind me, in the picture above, is a beautiful church - Notre Dame - which was the highest structure in the world for 200+ years. To me, that is so crazy to think about. It is tall, but it isn't too tall, compared to some of the skyscrapers in cities today. It sure is beautiful though.
The greatest part of Strasbourg, France was the Christmas Market. Strasbourg has been deemed the "Capitale de Noel" (Capital of Christmas) and I will surely support that claim. The streets of Strasbourg are festive as ever, and I have been told that they were even more so before Christmas, and that is hard to imagine. The most adorable, tiny wooden cabins line the streets serving the best French foods - beignets, crepes, and french drinks. There are also lots of handmade crafts that you are able to purchase too. The Christmas spirit is just so lovely with decorations on everywhere.
I treated myself to a delicious crepe! It did not disappoint. Although it was delicious, I think the best part was being able to watch the man make the crepe for me. He must've thought I was a five-year-old in a toy shop. I watched his every move with wide eyes, in awe of the deliciousness.
We ended the day by traveling back to my father's place. On the way home we stopped at an interesting German grocery store. It was an adventure in itself. When we arrived "home", we spent the rest of our night munching on leftover schnitzel from the night before with a side of cheesy potatoes. It was delicious. We ate while we planned out our sights for the next day. Then we headed to bed for a wonderful and much needed sleep!
Final Thoughts
Strasbourg, France was absolutely incredible. It was as beautiful and festive as I had hoped for. It was so entertaining listening to the different languages the people around me spoke. Strasbourg is on the border of France and Germany, so their languages were most prevalent. France has a large number of immigrants and of course, the Christmas market draws in a number of tourists (like me!!) and that added some languages too, I can assume. I love hearing them, as it makes you feel small, which can be good sometimes. It teaches you that this world is so big, and that your problems are truly small, leaving me to feel optimistic about this world that can often feel overwhelming.
My final FINAL thought - it is much colder in Europe than I thought it would be at this time. If you are heading here soon, consider packing more layers than expected. In these pictures I am wearing a 4 layers of shirts, a scarf, and a hat to cover my upper body. I am from New England, so I am used to the weather, but I was still cold! Be sure to prepare yourself by packing layers AND comfy shoes.
I honestly despise wearing sneakers when I am traveling because I feel like they ruin my outfit and make me look like a tourist, but I had to! One of my other pairs of shoes were giving me blisters yesterday, and I knew we were going to walk 4+ miles today. In retrospect, I so am glad I went for the sneaker option. My advice - do some investigating and look through your shoes with a keen eye or look into purchasing some comfy shoes for walking. Beauty shouldn't be pain, contrary to what the legends say. I know it's an unpopular opinion, but it is true. Not to mention, Europeans try to minimize their travels by car, while optimizing travel for pedestrians. Make sure you're prepared for this because you can't drive everywhere in Europe. If you are prepared, you will surely be able to make the most out of your European adventure!
It was a lovely day. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to visit Strasbourg!
Until Next Time,
MM
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