December 18

 Strasbourg, France

The MOST Picturesque Christmas Town

Well, we were told last night it would T-E-N degrees today as we walked around Strasbourg.  When we woke up this morning EVERYTHING was covered in a blanket of several inches of snow....AND the tree branches were coated with frost and/or snow.  You simply could not have created a more picturesque setting and for the most fairy-tale like city on the itinerary.  Just really set the Christmas mood and was EXACTLY why you come on a Christmas Markets adventure!  It was cold, and we did walk through snow.  But, fortunately the first 45 minutes of the excursion was a panoramic bus tour of the suburbs.  We walked for about an hour and a half through the old town and then had free time.  We had asked at the Guest Services desk last night for Mike & LuAnn to be in the same tour group as we were, knowing there would be free time.  So we found a quaint little French cafe - how appropriate - and the girls had Irish coffee while Mike had hot chocolate & French Cheesecake while I had an éclair.  We had about a half hour left before meeting our guide - who was excellent by the way - and so we strolled the Christmas Market.  Unlike yesterday there were many stalls to purchase Christmas items and we all did a little shopping and guess what else I purchased......oh, you know me too well - Gluhwein in a souvenir glass!  So here are the M-A-N-Y photos from the day......so many idealic Christmas scenes; the Christmas Market; and the TALLEST cathedral in all of Europe.  Check out our day in photos........

Step off the ship and into a "Winter Wonderland!"

Can you tell we are on a Christmas Markets cruise?  So postcard, picture perfect!

NOT just a dusting of snow to walk through today.....no, REAL snow-covered walks!

Sites From Strasbourg

One of the more interesting buildings on the panoramic bus tour - the Hall of Justice which is constructed to look like a cruise ship!

"La Petite France" facing this way......

"La Petite France facing that way.....

"La Petite Selfie" :)))

An example of a home built hundreds of years ago in the "gingerbread style"

The windows on this 700-year-old home has THE ORIGINAL glass (like soda bottle bottoms) windows still intact!

The narrow streets of the Old Town lined with the fairy-tale, gingerbread wooden homes

Christmas Markets

TOWERING over the main Christmas Market - and noteworthy that the OLDEST Christmas Market in Europe was right here - is the massive cathedral of Strasbourg

THAT is where you get it (the gluhwein of course)

And so I DID!  That's seven unique Gluhwein glasses/mugs to display as part of our Christmas decorations at home :) - one more Christmas Market tomorrow!

The "Fearsome Foursome" framed by the unbelievably HUGE cathedral

One final "snow shot selfie" to commemorate a great day!

At this evening's "Port Talk" not only will we find out more about our final stop tomorrow in Breisach, Germany but sadly, we will be given details about our imminent disembarkation procedure in Basel, Switzerland the following day.  And this will be MOST interesting to Khloe and I because our first flight LEAVES Basel at 6:30 am - so just HOW early are we going to have to be up and off the ship?  YIKES!

Strasbourg Highlights