Happy New Year!!!!

Well we had a wonderful new year weekend! We started it out by going to France, then to Triberg Germany, the next day to Ulm and then following one to Stuttgart. We went to Strasbourg, France. The Christmas market was still going on. It was a HUGE one!!! There were things all over the city. There were at least three different Christmas markets, plus many other things going on. Looked like a flea market at one square. Strasbourg is such a quaint town, there were so many things to see and do that we have already made plans to go back. 

 

One of the many cathedrals in town

 

There is a river running around the town and we saw a gentleman trying to feed some otters

                                                               
                                                                     My boys!!!!

 

One of the Christmas booths with some really cool lights - too bad they are all 220V and they won't work back in the states very well

 

Our Christmas market cotton candy.  I think we have gotten one at each one.  I guess it is only fair since it isn't the most exciting thing for the boys.

 

We also saw some swans on the river

 

Their purchase at the market, they really loved their new hats!!

 

One of the streets in Strasbourg

 

This was the main tree in the heart of the city called The Big Tree (30m high, the tallest natural Christmas tree in Europe).  A traditional, illuminated Alsace village has been set up at the base of The Big Tree. 

 

I love these trees on the sides - they are just so neat. We wonder what they are going to look like in the spring. 

 

Many people decorated the buildings in town, this is just one of the ways they did it.  There were also angels and other Christmas items hanging from them.

 

I just really think the buildings are really cool.

 

 

We also let the boys pick one ride each market to go on and this was the one they choose - Michael in the Mario truck and

 

AJ in the star wars fighter.

 

One of the main attractions was the Strasbourg Cathedral.  It was amazing!!!  I really can't believe the architecture and how did they build these buildings back then.  I would not want to be the one that had to work on the top of the building that is for sure.  We haven't had a lot of history lessons lately, but you will get quite a few the next few days starting with the Strasbourg Cathedral.  The construction began in 1176 and wasn't finished until 1439.  It was built on a site where first the Romans built a church and then there were two other built before the Cathedral was started.  It was started in Romanesque style, but then torn down and went to Gothic architecture.  Above all, the famous west front, decorated with thousands of figures, is a masterpiece of the Gothic era. The tower is one of the first to rely substantially on craftsmanship, with the final appearance being one with a high degree of linearity captured in stone.

 

The cathedral, on each one of those protrusions is a statue along with an animal.

 

Look at the height on this, it is absolutely amazing.

 

This is the pulpit where the priest preaches - amazing!

 

They had different scenes from the bible all over the church

 

The Strasbourg astronomical clock is located in the Cathedral de Notre Dame of Strasbourg, it is the third clock on that spot and dates from the time of the first French possession of the city (1681–1870). The first clock had been built in the 14th century, the second in the 16th century, when Strasbourg was a free imperial center of the Holy Roman Empire.  The current, third clock dates from 1843. Its main features, besides the automata, are a perpetual calendar (including a computus), an orrery (planetary dial), a display of the real position of the Sun and the Moon, and solar and lunar eclipses. The main attraction is the procession of the 18 inch high figures of Christ and the Apostles which occurs every day at half past midday while the life-size cock crows thrice.

 

This was in the church on the wall inscribed - It is really neat to see that they appreciated the US Army all over Europe.

 

Some of the stained glass windows - they were all over the place.

 

This was their organ - I would have loved to hear it played I am sure it was AMAZING.

 

One of the doors (not for the public to go in and out)

 

This was only one of the archways above the doors, there were at least two others that we say and they were as ornate as this if not more. 

 

This is one of my favorite pictures that I took with the big stained glass in the background with the organ on the right.

 

                                     The inside where you can light candles for loved ones.

 

 

I tried to put a few of the outside to show the carvings, but I didn't really even scratch the surface.  It was pretty overwhelming to say the least.  We stayed in Strasbourg for about six hours and still didn't see all of the town, hence we will go back again.  The boys did really good since they were walking the whole time.  They also did a little bit of bird chasing and tag while we ate a bit of lunch.  It is kind of fun to order food that you really don't know what it is and just hope it tastes good.  They also spoke French, of course, so it was a little harder to communicate.  Some knew some English, but then others didn't, but we made it through with body language, etc.