July 1, 2023
No entry to the cathedral but some tarte Flambee
Playing American tourist on foot for the day
A good nights sleep after yesterday’s afternoon nap and I am back up and running on near full. I budgeted a free day at the start of the tour to explore Strasbourg. It’s a city worth playing an American tourist on foot. Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg was on the top of the to-visit list.
Off across the canal, my group followed Grand Rue to the cathedral. Being Saturday, just about every tourist had the same idea. The line to the cathedral had me wondering if Taylor Swift was performing inside. We opted to take the canal cruise recommended by the hotel front desk. It did not disappoint and was the best one of these tourist excursions I have taken in years.
Back to the cathedral and the Swifties line had only grown. The tickets to the cathedral’s observation platform sold out as we approached. Two bucket list items crossed off, climbing the 332 steps to the observation tower and viewing the astronomical clock. That as the second strike to see an astronomical clock. The Prague one was under restoration during by Czech Republic tour.
My bucket list crossed off, it was time to find lunch. We battled the mob in search of a café. We stumbled upon Le Pilier des Anges, the pillar of angels, in the shadow of the cathedral. It was a quaint tourist restaurant that oozed an American’s view of a French Cafe.
The specialty of the house was tarte flambee, somewhat of a pizza with very thin crust baked in a wood wired oven. I shared a mushroom and cheese tarte and a cinnamon apple tarte. The food did not disappoint but the service was slow due to the mad rush of tourists.
I normally avoid dining in the main tourist area and find a much better assortment of local flavor food at a lower price in the areas two or three blocks off the beaten thoroughfare.
The hoard was growing as we headed back to the hotel. Next up was our touring bike pickup at a location close to our hotel. The Eurobike pickup was speedy and organized.. My bike is a 21 speed rental hybrid bike. It could easily withstand a attack by a Panzer.
The bike is well equipped with a set of waterproof Panniers and a large touring waterproof handlebar bag. A lock, basic repair kit, and tire pump is in one of the panniers. It will soon prove its tour worthiness in the coming week.
I am spending the rest of the evening perusing tomorrow's route and getting familiar with the navigation and the Eurobike app. The good news is that the weather forecast improved for tomorrow with rain ending very early in the morning.
Today’s Trivia
Flammekueche, or tarte flambée, is a speciality of the region of Alsace, German-speaking Moselle, Baden and the Palatinate. It is composed of bread dough rolled out very thinly in the shape of a rectangle or oval, which is covered with fromage blanc or crème fraîche, thinly sliced onions and lardons.
Cycling into Germany tomorrow. - - Tom
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