Today
we spent the day in Strasbourg for the first day of the Christmas
market.
A ten-minute walk from the station, we quickly encountered
the Cathedral and the surrounding market- right in the centre
of town - just in time for lunch.
We had hoped to dine at the historic
Maison Kammerzell but had failed to estimate
it's popularity with any degree of accuracy and it was
fully booked - reserved! Every table on every floor! Gone!
On our next visit to Strasbourg, we're going to damn well
eat here! 
Anyway, we headed into the more touristic Brasserie
au Dauphin (13,
Place de la Cathedrale, Strasbourg 67000). We both
elected for the Menu au Dauphin a three course meal at
a fixed price of 28EUR per head. OK - not cheap but worth
the money. We both took the Foie Gras which was quite enjoyable
- if not the finest France has to offer. For the main I
took the Baeckoffe - a kind of gigantic caserole - which
was more than ample with its layer of spuds and chunks
of stewing meat.
After
luncheon, we headed through the market to the Romanesque/Gothic-style cathedral
which is one of the best known style pieces of architecture
in it's style in the area and in
France
itself. The stained
glass windows are amongst the oldest in Christianity and
date from the 13th and 14th centuries and tell stories from
both the Old and New Testaments. The pulpit is worthy of
closer examination. Apart from being highly detailed and
displaying a high level of craftsmanship, the maker has carved
a small puppy, asleep, into the pulpit. I won't tell you
where that cute little puppy is - you'll have to find him
for yourself! The Cathedral is noted also for the tapestries
that line the nave.
After the Cathedral, we pottered around the market itself. Strasbourg Christmas Market is spread over the town in 7 different locations including the impressive Place de la Cathderal and the picturesque Petite France - one time home to a hospital for syphilitics.
In
spite of the oft-repeated claim that Strasbourg Market is
one of
France's
oldest and biggest, an unhealty obsession
with the mass-produced trinketry is more than in evidence.
For all the fuss made my the Frenchies about regional food
produce, finding any at this old and fragmented (large) market
proved quite a challenge - actually we only managed to find
around a dozen all in Place
des Meuniers where we picked up some rather enjoyable
Pinot Gris from Domaine
Loew who also do a rather enjoyable Gewürztraminer.
