Strasbourg, France

This weekends adventure was to Strasbourg, France. It was about 1 1/2 hours in the car. Not too bad. We started our adventure by checking into our hotel and using the parking lot there. Parking in the hotel lot was 19 Euro ($28) for the day. We headed to the tram to take it to the town center. Once we got there we found out the machine only takes coins the hard way. We needed 11 Euro and we only had 6 Euro in coins, so Michael had to walk around looking for a place to get change.

The tram was a favorite for the kids. It was interesting being surrounded by French and actually finding almost comfort when you heard German. Not that either of us are anywhere near fluent in German, but German made alot more sense to both of us.

Once we got to the city center the coolest part had to be the cathedral. Breathtaking. We tried to capture the beauty, but pictures didn't come even close to it. Once inside we tried to get a little history lesson on it, but the kids only allowed so much...Here's what we learned in the time alotted by the kids

1. The stain glass windows in the Strasbourg cathedral are some of the oldest in Christianity.


2. The first version of the church was built in 1015.


3. The church stands at 142 meters (at one time was the tallest building in the world)

4. other stuff, but the kids wiped away all recollection when the whining started...

Inside we all lit a candle. Of course a couple for Soxsie and one for our friend Coach Kav who is doing well now we hear. We all also took our "three wishes" for once inside a new church. Michael's still has not come true..you can take that however you want...

We continued to walk around, enjoyed an AMAZING lunch, and did a little shopping. Michael enjoyed a plate of 7 different meats, I had risotto, Jack and Molly had type of flatbread pizza, and Gracie had voll a' vent. Gracie's was the best! It was a puff pastry with chicken, mushrooms and a cream sauce...soooo good.

When we finally got back to the hotel I strongly encourage Michael to get some beers for us down at the lounge and handed him 20 Euro. He came back with 3 Euro and two draft Heinekens!!! 17 Euro for 2 beers!!! Yikes!

While waiting to go down to dinner (the restaurant in the hotel didn't open until 7) some of the most enlightening things happened. It all started with Molly in the bathroom. She screamed and walked out drenched. When we asked her what happened she said, "that low sink in the bathroom had a fast faucet"... we laughed so hard and tried to expain that the fun little sink looking thing is not a sink, it's a bedet. The facial expressions were priceless when we tried to explain how some people use them. Molly stripped her clothes off faster than I have every seen anyone change.

Next up...Jack. While back at the restaurant for lunch Michael took him into the bathroom. When they came back neither of them said anything. So back at the hotel Michael told Jack to tell me what was coming out of the dispenser in the bathroom. So my innocent sweet little boy while jumping on the bed smiling deadpans me and says, "shit tickets". The toilet paper at the restaurant was like a single sheet dispenser and Jack asked Michael in the bathroom what that was and my mature husband tells him, shit tickets...yea that's gonna come back and bite us in the ass.

We enjoyed a great dinner at the hotel and then all 5 of us turned in for the night. The Murnanes are cheap so we got one room with one king size bed. Yea, not alot of sleep, 1 bloody nose from a kick from a sibling and lots of whining. I suggest bringing sleeping bags or splurge for another room.

Got up and tried to go into Le Petite France, but it was raining and everything was closed (Sunday), so home we came...

Next weekend...Rookie possibly comes for a visit!!!