Friday, 14 August (p.m.). Unfortunately, the ship was moored quite a distance from the island where the old city center of Strasbourg lies. We left the ship at 3:00. It was a good 25 minute bus ride to the drop-off point (beyond Place de l'Etoile), then another 20 minutes to walk to Rohan Palace. All three groups from our ship (134 persons), plus probably a hundred others, piled into a single open canal boat for the cruise around the city. The sun was out and it was quite warm.

We sailed west past the Old Customs House and past Petite-France, the covered bridges, and the Vauban Dam where the Ill River splits into two branches for more than a mile, making old Strasbourg an island.

Typical buildings along the canal

Petite France area

My favorite spot in Petite France

Covered Bridges

Vaubon Dam

One of many houseboats

 

EU court of Human Rights

EU Parliament building

Here the canal turned north, then curved around the island until it rejoined the other branch of the river. But instead of following the canal back to our starting point, the boat followed the river the other way. After some distance, we came to the ultramodern European Union buildings, something we hadn't seen before. We then cruised back to the Rohan Palace where we'd started.

It was 4:40 by the time we got off the boat. We were supposed to meet in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, a short block away, at 5:15 to walk back to the bus, so we only had 35 minutes. Our Tour Director was still talking to us as it passed 5:00, so Jane and I just walked away and entered the Cathedral by ourselves. We had seen it before, but didn't want to lose this chance for another look. Construction of the red sandstone Cathedral began in 1176, and it took more than 260 years to complete. It was the tallest building in the world until 1874. The main tourist attraction inside is the huge Astronomical Clock (1843). Oddly, the only time all the many animated figures of the clock move at one time is at 12:30 p.m.

Astronomical Clock <  Notre Dame Cathedral

Triptych in Cathedral

Jane & the Cathedral mime

The bus got us back to the ship just after 6:00. Dinner was at 7:15. If GCT had just scheduled the bus to leave the city at 6:00 instead of 5:30, we all could have had another half hour in Strasbourg.

After dinner we went to the lounge to see the "French Chansons" show with Armand (accordionist) and Cecile (singer). We managed to get seats in front. Late in the show, Cecile, not a small woman, circled the stage, then jumped right in my lap. She tried to get me to sing the next high note as she went up the scale, and when I did my best, she gave me a big (but fake) kiss.

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