Storks and stumble stones

 Strasbourg which is in the French side of the Rhine though we berthed on the German side in Kehl. Steve and I came here in 2003 doing the Route du Vin through impossibly Alsatian cute towns. We also visited Lorraine, Champagne and the Black Forest in Germany. However we failed to see the many storks Strasbourg has though we visited a sanctuary in one of the towns and saw one stork

A market in the old town

Modern building associated with the EU 

Their astrological clock in the cathedral 

Cathedral 

Unity sign on the German side

Modern hospital 

Well I should have guessed this was men’s room but I guessed wrong

At least five blocks of plane trees with newly occupied storks in them. They winter in Morocco

French pastries 

Stork close up

Stork stuffed animals 

Finally found a stoppel stein. All over Europe but some places forbid them such as the state of Bavaria 

My favorite candy pates de fruit.  Taste of pure fruit Bought a bunch

Easter was coming up

I think seeing all the storks in their nests was the best thing I saw on this trip. I do like Strasbourg and got to practice my French when I was buying my fruit pates. This area belonged to the Germans off and on and the locals speak a dialect of German.   Street signs were in French with the Alsatian dialect. a tribe called The Alemanni settled both sides of the Rhine (the French word for Germany is Allemagne)  I think part of me has descended from these people 

Stoepel steine or stumble stones are a reminder that Jewish people once lived here and exterminated by the Nazis. They are all over Europe and started in Cologne. we didn’t get a chance to see them there as our visit was cut short (we will go back in 6 weeks) but after many inquiries we found some in Strasbourg. They are in front of residences where the victims (not all Jewish) last lived. Some areas, notably Bavaria out law them

It’s been 6 months since this cruise so I am forgetting a lot. I will try to finish up soon