Strasbourg, France

Due to some unfortunate weather, my plans for canyon-swinging and white-water rafting in Interlaken were discarded and I headed back to France to Strasbourg, in the Alsace region.

Strasbourg has belonged to both the German and the French numerous times (currently the French), and the combination of cultures is evident in the language, architecture and, of course, the food.

Of course, I had to sample some of the specialities (or half of the specialities as portion sizes are HUGE):

Tarte Flamme (a thin pizza-like dough topped with bacon, caramelised onions and cream)




Foie Gras (served with bread containing figs, almonds and hazelnuts)



Tarte a l'Oignon

Strasbourg is visually stunning; surrounded by canals with numerous postcard-perfect bridges; it is the perfect city for walking and taking in the sights.

One of the key sights is the cathedral and the Astronomical clock. I lined up half and hour early to buy my ticket to the movie shown at 12.00pm about the clock before the clock springs to life at 12.30pm. It seemed that everyone thought the clock was malfunctioning based on the length of the display and how few of the figurines moved compared to one's expectations, but a quick review of a YouTube video afterwards has confirmed that the clock was operating perfectly well.

For my last meal in France (again) I decided to have a degustation of chocolate at Pierre Herme (my new favourite, sorry Teuscher). They were simply divine and I was too busy enjoying every mouthful to bother with photos and a running commentary. However, I can advise, if you are ever in France, track down a Piere Herme for some world-class chocolates.