Straßourg

When I left Nice's beaches for Strasbourg, everyone asked me why. But it was actually an amazing place and I'm happy I got to see it. Since it's in the Alsace region, it has a very German feel which made it different from everywhere else I'd been. Even though it's a big city (it's actually the capital of all Europe), it looked like an adorable little Bavarian village. 

Since I had taken the overnight train, I had plenty of time on my first day there to explore. It ended up being a tour of churches that perfectly summed up my trip. The three biggest cathedrals in the city each had features that looked similar to an amazing church I saw elsewhere. The first had a dome that reminded me of Sacre Cœur. 

The next church I came across was the most unique. The inside was decorated with murals instead of stained glass like most cathedrals. 

 But the courtyard attached to it looked exactly like the Mont St. Michel abbey. 

The last one I found is actually one of the top attractions of the city, la Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. At one point it was the tallest building in the world, so it really is impressive. But the facade reminded me of la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona because it was so busy and ornate.  

For the rest of the day I just wandered the streets and channels. The pastry shops in Strasbourg were probably my favorite because they had the best French baked goods and the best German delicacies. Which basically means they make a lot of pretzels in addition to the tarts and chocolates. 

The first night, I was sitting in the lobby when someone I knew walked in. Troy is an Australian I had met early on in Nice, but we had no idea that we would both be in Strasbourg. So the next day we met early and headed out for a day of exploring. We actually wandered so far that we walked straight into Germany. There isn't much to see in the small town of Kehl, but at least I can now say I had a beer in Germany. 

After two relaxing and great days, I headed back to Paris, completing the circuit of my very own Tour de France. I'm still amazed at how natural that city feels to me and how easily I navigate the metro and streets without a map. So I spent the day just walking and enjoying my last full day in Europe.