Stork fort and Whit beer

Rouen-Paris, Paris-Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is a very pretty town. It is in the French region of Alsace. I arrived early afternoon and had a nap to recover from 1.sleeping on the floor in Rouen, 2.waking at 6am that morning, after a string of up-before-I-want-tos, and 3.Bosler's train arrived close to 5pm and I had time to kill.

We found cheap beer and then an ACDC soundtrack to accompany our Croque Monsiuer dinner.
In Strasbourg you can find 'Little France' which is a gorgeous old part of town cut off from the Rhine by locks. You can find a beautiful gothic catherdaral in the middle of town, you can find sales in all the shops in the commercial strip, you can find a crazy homeless guy making out with his dog, and you can find a lot of stalks (as in the bird. And they are stuffed toys. Didn't see any real ones). Through a rough and hideous translation Strasbourg means Stalk - fort.



Strasbourg-Offenberg-Konstanz

My first night in Konstanz was great!
So wonderful to see Nomes again. And she speaks English in a German accent. Funny!
The train from Strasbourg took us through the Black Forest and then as we approached Konstanz I could see the Alps in the distance.
We headed along Lake Konstanz shore front, across the border and into Switzerland. Lake Konstanz is the biggest freshwater lake in Europe. It's big. I swam in it. Cheese and wine ensued with Nomes' local contigency made a solid turnout. Donner and blitzen moved overhead and across the lake. The storm took our sun light and then eventually rained on us. I was dinked in to and then out of Switzerland. The group gathered at a house where the wine was finished.

This morning I have had a traditional Bavarian breakfast of white sausage (don't eat the skin!) and white beer with sweet mustard and bretzel (like a large, bready pretzel). The weather is a mild 25 today but the rain may come back. I think my carefully planned itinerary includes canooing, a festival on the island on the lake, 'relax clubbing' (?) and german things like beer.

FRENCHIE CHERIE

O la la

PARIS was beautiful. I will try try try to return soon...
Rouen is also nice.
Capital of Normandy.
Gothic cathedrals, Impressionist festivals (thanks Rouen for hosting the birth of impressionism and bringing it from the landscape to the streets. Big up to Monet and Gauguin who loved the place, too)

leaving for Strasbourg but not before an amazing Afghani dinner and fireworks and music for Bastille Day.

See you in Rue de Bitche, Strasbourg