Strasbourg
Everyone said, “you simply must go to Strasbourg to see the Christmas Markets”. The Alsace area is unique in France because of it’s proximity to Germany. They call themselves “The Captial of Christmas” and their Christmas Markets are famous. We deliberated about when to go, talked about whether it should be a day trip or an overnight trip and finally decided to make it a weekend: an early Saturday morning train out of Paris to come back on Sunday afternoon. We chose a hotel seeped in Alsatian history that claims it is one of the oldest hotels in Europe.
It turned out that our choices were fortuitous. The Gilets Jaunes protests in France started in November and were becoming more violent and destructive every weekend. We didn’t know what to expect on our travel weekend. Everyone in Paris was advised to stay home. The monuments and museums were closed for fear of damage by protestors. The famous department stores: Galleries Lafayette, Printemps, and the Bon Marché were closed on what is probably one of the biggest shopping days of the year and many small, independent shops boarded up their windows. People were advised to make sure they had enough food at home, just in case. We were happy to be getting out of Paris. We were somewhat concerned about running into trouble at the train station but decided that our 7AM departure was probably early enough to avoid most of the protestors. Even so, we had to plan our route to the train station around the various metro stations that were closed.
We arrived at the beautiful, modern, Strasbourg train station at 9AM, ready to begin the day. Walking though the town on the way to our hotel we were astounded at how, just two hours from Paris, Strasbourg felt like a different country. The characteristic Paris Haussmann apartment buildings were replaced by half-timber frame homes and instead of grand boulevards there were twisting cobblestone streets. After dropping our bags at the hotel we went for breakfast at the Christian Selon de Thé and had our first Alsatian mannele: a brioche in the shape of a gingerbread man.
Saturday was spent exploring the Christmas markets around town: there were ten of them on the map. Each market had charming wooden huts where we found Christmas decorations, wooden toys, cookies, candles, miniature models, raclette, bretzels and hot wine. It was buzzing with energy and you couldn’t help but get into the spirit of it all.
In the center of town was the stunning gothic cathedral, incredibly ornate and imposing in its height compared to the all the buildings surrounding it. We waited in line to have a look inside and were fascinated by the statues of women with their angry faces and their long spears that seem to be inflicting pain on the bodies beneath them. What bible story was this coming from? Even though the famous astronomical clock was under restoration it was still astounding to imagine how something so intricate could have been built in the mid-1800’s.
The girls were saddened by the lack of snow in Strasbourg because, in their minds, snow and Christmas go together. It was still plenty cold and by Saturday afternoon the markets were getting so busy that it was difficult to see anything, especially if you were Mavis. We went back to the hotel to warm up and have a break before heading out again to appreciate Strasbourg after dark. At night, the lights were magical: it was like walking through a postcard. We went to the Place Kléber to see the Grand Sapin, the enormous lit up Christmas tree.
Sunday morning we explored Petit France, the historic quarter of the city of Strasbourg. Here the river splits into multiple channels and the canals, locks, narrow lanes, and bridges divide the sloped roofed, half-timbered houses. The girls found a petit playground to make them happy while H and I wandered the streets.
Fitting all of our Christmas goodies into our single carryon suitcase and backpacks was a challenge. We came back to Paris with local Alsatian beer, wine and crémant: a sparkling wine that is produced outside of the Champagne region and therefore must be called by a different name. We had a variety of tea, little cookies, nuts, candies, foie gras, and spiced breads. We felt fully stocked up with treats to enjoy over the holidays. Before catching our train home we had a lunch of local tarte flambée and more local riesling which we liked far more than we anticipated.
We were again struck by how easy it is to travel in Europe and were grateful to have seen another part of France. What a big, beautiful country with incredible variety in culture. Even being so far from our own decorations, foods and traditions, we felt as though the Christmas season had begun and were excited for the holidays.
Two days after our return we heard the news of the gunman’s attack on Strasbourg and of the people hurt and killed in Place Kléber, the square where we had admired and photographed their Grand Sapin. It was shocking to have terror strike and feel a personal connection to the place where it happened. We couldn’t help but think that if things had been slightly different, it could have been our family who was standing in that place at that time.
Our experience of Strasbourg is now colored with the sadness of the shooting but we are grateful to have had the chance to visit the town when we did. When we opened our bottle of Alsace Crémant it was to toast the town of Strasbourg. When I light my candle bought in the market I will always think of the town and its people. For many, Christmas in Strasbourg will never be the same.
We will remember Strasbourg for the gifts we received: a sense of celebration and joy, the pure delight we took in the markets and their discoveries and of the Christmas spirit we found when we were far from home. Merry Christmas Strasbourg and our heartfelt wishes for a peaceful 2019 full of hope and healing.
