I've always desired to visit France but did not think I would have the chance on this trip. While Paris was definitely out of the question, it was a sweet surprise when Ethan told me that he was going to drive me to Strasbourg which is only a 1.5-hour drive. This region of France, called Alsace, has a whole lot of history (and even current political turmoil) as it's ownership has gone back and forth between France and Germany. It's unique from the rest of France because of the German influence but we definitely noticed a heavier presence of French culture. This town was named a UNESCO World Heritage Centre which according to Wikipedia means it's a "landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties." It's neat that they want to preserve this area as much as possible and given the history of this place, I can see why they want to keep it from changing. A fun fact is that it was here that Gutenberg invented the printing press which greatly aided the Protestant Reformation.The main attraction, as you will see in a large portion of the photos, is the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is probably the most ornate building I've seen in my lifetime. (You may recognize it from the opening scene of the Sherlock Holmes movie!) We also walked through an old palace where Napolean and Marie Antoinette once spent time in. I actually didn't take a picture of the whole palace but I did grab two detail shots (me standing on the steps and a bust of someone, haha.) It was really neat seeing real french bread and while we didn't buy any, I did purchase a bundle of dried lavender. It was very overwhelming to see loads of people and dozens of souvenir shops all selling the same items. I found it more appealing to walk the back streets and alleys away from the main attractions where we got glimpses of more honest Strasbourg life. I'm very glad we made the trip and am excited to share the photos I took in the little corners where there weren't 9 billion people around. 😂
