Strasbourg, the heart of Europe. When you get there.

Here are the photos from the rest of my trip. I know, you've been very patient with me, but I hope my joke from yesterday went some way to make it up to you.

This is rainy Paris on my way to change stations. I had thoughts about walking from Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est, but the rain meant I had to take the scary Metro and work out tickets and everything. But I did it. All thanks to the self service machine being able to switch language. Phew.

This is Bischwiller station, just north of Strasbourg. When I was on TOM I was on a team that worked on a Methodist Church here. I so wanted to get off and have a look, but sadly there was no time. Plus I doubted my ability to take me back to the church.

This is the terrace at the hotel we were staying at. You can't quite see the pool in this picture, but it's there. Now, now, don't get excited. It was possibly the world's tiniest pool. Like one of those treadmill pools that keep the current going on cruise ships. Except there was no current. I didn't have my swimsuit with me anyway. Gutted.

I know, I'm really not making you believe this trip was anything more than a jolly with photos of terraces and banqueting tables. It's just it reminded me of the one we had in Lyon. (I was going to look for a photo to link it to, but it turns out I never put it on here. Oopsy.) Anyway, what was I saying? Oh yes, rough work these conferences...

We went into Strasbourg one day to visit the Council of Europe. We got three lectures by different legal experts. See that banqueting table is looking less impressive suddenly.

 This is the parliamentary assembly. Oooh.

The Council, or certainly the part we were in, has a nice 70s feel to it.

During our lectures, it was hard not to wonder what the designers of this room were thinking. Stripy blue and purple walls (textile, I imagine for sound proofing), red chairs, and brown carpet. Stylin'.

In one of the breaks, a trip to the bathroom revealed some green grouting. I know, I really do give you the inside information on here, don't I?

After visiting the Council, we went into to Strasbourg and visited the cathedral.

It's quite tall. 142 metres, I think. the highest point in Singapore is 162 metres. Fact.

We then had evening prayers in another old church. I say evening prayers, but really it was a forty minute tour of all the old features and a run through of all the priests since the year dot. I was enthralled.

Sadly in amongst the detail they did not tell us when the tables and chairs were added to the building. I'm not an expert on ecclesiastical design, but I'm fairly certain they are not original, and possibly of Swedish design.

I got flashbacks to Lyon with this carousel. Once again, I'd link it to a photo of Lyon, but that also appears to never have made it to the blog. You can just take my word for it.

I visited la Petite France in Strasbourg before I left the next day. I think they meant to say pretty, for I saw nothing small about it. 

  

Here's another one for fact fans. The building on the left with the French flag is where the French national anthem was written. La Marseillaise, my foot.

All too soon the trip was over and I was back to Paris again. This time the weather was much nicer, and I enjoyed my stroll through the streets of Paris to Gare du Nord. 

All in, I think I preferred Lyon as a city. But you can't be fussy on these conferences. Goodness know where I might be off to next. But don't worry, swimsuit is the first thing going in the case.