Bonjour mes amis!
It’s been a few days since my last post and
so much has happened!
Carrying on from my last update, from Paris
we caught our train to Strasbourg in Alsace, eastern France. I had wanted to go there since my grandmother
sent me a postcard of Strasbourg before I left for France, as she been there
before. Strasbourg is also renowned for having one of the best Christmas
markets in Europe, something, as you have surely learned from my blog, is one
of my favourite things!
…And it did not disappoint! The markets
were dispersed throughout the city, each one a wonderland of enticing
delicacies, artisanry and copious quantities of vin chaud. I tried the white
variety for the first time, and it was simply delicious! Unlike the markets in
Paris and Tours, the one in Strasbourg was home to very different merchandise,
noticeably influenced by the city’s proximity to the German border.
…which we traversed on our second day! I
wanted to at least say I’ve been to Germany, even though discovering the country
has been bumped up to the top of my revised bucket list (next time!). On
Christmas Day, the city was more quiet, and we hopped over the border to Kehl
(a quite small town) and back over. We then wandered through the old city where
all the adorable German-style buildings are located.
Strasbourg was a charming city, and the
Christmas market definitely made the trip worthwhile. From there, we traveled,
again by train, into Switzerland. Personally, it felt important for me to visit
the Alsace region and Switzerland, as they are the homelands of many of my
ancestors. After visiting these incredibly gorgeous landscapes, I’m rather
sorry they had to flee the Plague or religious persecution or whatever the
reason was because I would love to live among the mountains and rivers! Yet, it was exciting to be in a German speaking region, something entirely foreign to me! At least some of my German friends in Tours have given me a few words to roll with.
Our train stopped in Basel (or Bâle) before
our first destination in the beautiful country that is Switzerland, which was
Zürich (how I love the umlaut on the name!). We ended up walking down to Lake Zürich when a boat
happened to be loading up with passengers. Knowing nothing of the tour, we
hopped aboard a four-hour cruise of the lake. What a great idea! I was
incredibly excited because one of the tasks on my bucket list was to see the
Alps, and see the Alps I did! We had a beautiful and relaxing afternoon at sea,
touring the lake and taking in the scenery.
By Thursday we were headed to Genève (Geneva). Unfortunately, we ran into
a spell of miserable weather (some good Tours-style torrential downpour), and
our view of the Swiss countryside was clouded. My mother assured me that it was
astoundingly picturesque and I used my imagination as best I could but I caught
glimpses of some incredible sights. We passed through Bern and Lausanne and
coming through the latter around Lake Geneva was a sight to be seen; rugged, snow-peaked mountains that plunged into the vast waters of Lake
Geneva. It reminded me of the lake in Harry Potter, with tremendously more
impressive, almost breathtakingly fantastical mountains. That night we kept to
indoor activities, and high on my list, authentic Swiss fondue! I have never
tasted anything quite as delightful as real Swiss fondue.
Yesterday morning we went into town to check out Geneva properly and sat
by the waterside, looking out at the lake and mountains in the distance. By
then, it was time to move on and return to France, on an overcrowded train
chugging along through the hills to the city of Lyon. We will stay here until
tomorrow when we will be returning to Tours. But today we enjoyed a busy day
under beautiful open skies! I can’t express my excitement at seeing a canopy of
blue skies with not a drop of rain (I can’t exactly recall the last time I saw
the sun outright). We made it our mission to head to the top of the city, and
wisely, we took the funicular up. At the top is the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière and two
amphitheatres created by the Romans over 2,000 years ago! I can’t imagine how
the Romans got to the summit of Lyon or why, for that matter, but their work
was so impressive! It was unlike anything I had ever seen.
So there you have it,
Christmas Vacation update, part 2!
Until next time,
Z <3
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