Strasbourg: more than a cathedral

Backblip:

Having been rudely interrupted by a computer crash, I'll carry on catching up with the Euro jaunt.

From Saarbrücken, we drove to Strasbourg, which is a town I knew a little, but it was a long time ago and it was cold. So I've forgotten a lot of it. It is a stunning place. It becomes a bit of a cliché that Europe is full of these sorts of places, but it really is. We wandered for hours through the cobbled streets around the cathedral, and then along the river Ill and the canal. We ate lunch under a plane tree in Petite France: the tree was planted in 1647; I am pretty sure my fish was caught during the same era. Disappointing as the food was - the wine was sensational. More wandering: M, B, Mrs. Ottawacker and Ottawacker Jr. climbed to the top of the cathedral. I decided to stay inside it and have a proper look at the astronomical clock. It was constructed in 1574 and is really impressive. Had a bit of a sulk at the cathedral though. Every 10 minutes, there is a pre-recorded message played throughout the building: "Messieurs, medames... sssshhhhhh." For a country that knows the value of tourists, it was tacky and cack-handed. So, I didn't buy the postcards I was queuing up for, and left. Hooking up with the others, we left the square and went for drinks and nibbles on a river boat.