Tuesday, May 31 -- our French connection

Today we tour Strasbourg, France.  The Rhine is the boundary between France and Germany for quite a distance, and the town's on the riverbanks have seen many changes of control over the years.  Our guide described some of the challenges and survival practicalities of living in a place that had "changed countries" (and, p.s., RELIGIONS therefor!) four times in a short 75 years ... within the lifespan of many citizens.  I am reminded of the constant presence of war and conquest really everywhere here.

But these are better times, and the two governments are partnering on a new rail bridge which will allow fast train service all the way to Paris.  The structure itself is beautiful, and the common goal encouraging.

We drove past a large park edged with tree-lined streets.  Almost every tree hosted a high-up stork nest, and we were able to see both parents and chicks from time to time.  The birds return to the same nest year after year, and seem to be welcome neighbors.

There are several pan-European administrative bodies here, including an overwhelmed European Court which has become too popular for its staffing.  Sounds like home!

After the bus tour, we walked through areas of the old city.  Various streets celebrated the different medieval guilds, and we heard the joyful noise of school kids at recess.  Due both to being a river town and an old one, we learned, the attics were extensively cornered to make them effective storage sites.  Well above high water and hard for varmints to get to, and ventilated and lighted by the dormers.

Of course, we end up at the cathedral square.  This cathedral is massive and open ... advanced had been made in architecture which meant interior walls weren't required for support.  Many of the stained glass windows had been stored remotely during WWII, and a large rose window had been rebuilt with a nod to the then-contemporary European Union.

But the real stunner was the clock.  No mere timepiece, this rose practically to the ceiling and was some 15' wide.  A watchmaker winds and maintains it weekly.  It tells time in several ways: the apostles pass in front of Jesus one at a time, marking the hours.  A child, a young man, an adult, and an old man pass in front of a skeleton one at a time on the quarter hour (the 4 phases of life).  Next down is an analog clock with the zodiac indicated around the hours and an accurate current position for each of the planets (hooray, Pluto!) and our moon.  At floor level, there is on the left a figure which moves only at midnight of the new year, when the clockmaker also sets a leap year when needed.  In the center is a sphere showing the current phase of the moon, the illuminated portion being in gold plate.  This also indicates the correct date this year for church holidays based on Lunar calculations, such as Easter.  The panel on the right holds some  watchmaker's arcane secret, or so we were told.  This heroic feat was accomplished just two years after the fact that the planets rotate around the sun was established.  Remarkable!

We had some free time to explore...and shop...and then met up again with our guide.  A different route back to the bus with tales is slaughterhouses along the river, and places where the condemned were put to difficult deaths.  Medieval times were rough ones.

Lunch back on the boat, and shuttle service ran back and forth several times in the afternoon.  But I succumbed to a nap and the enjoyed making progress on the needlework while drinking in this lovely vista.  Can't complain about that!