Salzburg

Salzburg is a beautiful town whose claims to fame include being the birthplace of Mozart, the Salzburg Festival, and, of course, the filming location of The Sound of Music. On our Guru walking tour, we covered the Old Town area, starting at the beautiful Mirabell Gardens.

Mirabell means "wonderful beauty," and our guide told us a dramatic story about the Prince-Archbishop who originally built the palace for his mistress, Salome Alt, with whom he had 15 children! When he was removed from power, he was imprisoned in the fortress overlooking Salzburg, where he was forced to look down upon the palace and gardens he had built for her. An 1818 fire badly damaged the palace, which was later rebuilt to what you can see today.

There's also a roughly 335-year-old Dwarf Garden (Zwergerlgarten) nearby, the oldest in Europe and inspiring future garden gnomes for years to come.

We stood outside both the birthplace and later residence of Mozart, the Michael Jackson of classical music (he didn't have much of a childhood thanks to an overbearing father who pushed him towards musical genius). Mozart allegedly didn't like Salzburg that much because the Prince-Archbishop placed limits on the music he could make, particularly church music and its length. He was happier and more productive in Vienna, where he moved at 25 and remained until his young death at 35.

We walked by the birthplace of Christian Doppler (the physicist behind the "Doppler Effect," meaning that a sound coming towards you has a higher pitch than one moving away). 

We also ambled through Getreidegasse, where metal signs, some over 400 years old, line the street. These signs traditionally indicated what was being sold underneath... i.e. scissors and ribbon for a dressmaker (but now a Mango clothing store).

After our walking tour, we went to Augustiner Bräu Mülln Biergarten for some Munich-style refreshments. It was really cool: you bought your beer and got a ticket, then picked up a stone mug, washed it yourself, and gave it and the ticket to the bartender, who filled your mug from a wooden barrel. On our walking tour, we learned that when Biergartens were introduced, they became so popular that restaurant owners got upset, so rules were introduced limiting what food Biergartens could serve (mostly bread and beer!). The law has since been lifted, but the tradition remains, so we indulged in bread and beer just the same.

Every city deserves a side quest, and mine was finding the "Gurken" statues (thanks to Instagram travellers for the inspiration)! There are five pickle statues near the university library made by avant-garde artist Erwin Wurm (whose art was featured in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' music video for "Can't Stop"). According to Wurm, just like humans, each pickle has a different shape, curve, and size, but at one glance, you know what it is -- its a pickle. Humans though always looking different, are still humans. 

Tarun's favourite meal of the trip so far was a fire-roasted Margherita pizza at Pizzeria Ciro that we grabbed near our accommodations (Numa Salzburg Vogelweider). I was happy because when I tried to order in German, the server was surprised and asked if I spoke German. Proud moment for me! My favourite meal, however, was the Austrian Spinatknödel, a spinach dumpling made with spinach, cheese, breadcrumbs, and eggs.

As we wandered through the Old Town, we noticed signs for an open-air opera on Saturday in one of the main squares. Tarun begrudgingly agreed to go, but when we got there and realized it was a filmed version projected onto a big screen rather than live singers, *Carmen* unfortunately did not win out. 😅

We also had two very dramatic moments in Salzburg involving emergency services! One (less worrisome) was that our entire hotel had to be evacuated due to a fire alarm, and we got to see firefighters coming in to check the alarm system. Nothing like standing around outside in my PJs.

The second was that we had to call an ambulance for an older man who drove his bike into a wall! We were walking back from the bus in our very deserted suburban area when we heard the crash and saw him lying on his back. But we didn't have phone data, so Tarun had to run and flag down some random people walking by to ask if they spoke English and could call Austria's 911 (Note: it's 112!). We waited for the ambulance and police, but luckily I think the man was going to be okay. They took him away on a gurney, and from the police officer's attitude and the fact that they made him do a breathalyzer, I think alcohol may have been the culprit. He wasn't able to move after hitting his head, though, so I think we definitely did the right thing.

And as for the other famous thing Salzburg is known for? IMMA GONNA DO A WHOLE FANGIRLY POST ON IT NEXT... ;)

Berchtesgaden, Eagle's Nest & Königssee

We are headed to Berchtesgaden next. Known for being "idyllic and atrocious" in the same breath, it has some of the most gorgeous Alpine views in Germany... and was also home to one of the main seats of Nazi power in the 1930s and '40s.

We stayed just across from the Hauptbahnhof in a very pretty Alpine-style hotel called Hotel Grünberger. It's definitely a tourist town, attracting both nature and history enthusiasts. On our first night, we explored the town of Berchtesgaden and luckily came upon "Musik Montag" (Music Monday), where various musicians were performing throughout the town centre.

We grabbed Turkish dürüms (döner for T and falafel for me) and a bench to listen to a beautiful singer perform soft versions of English songs like "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Mamma Mia." We wandered through the town centre with ice cream later and were treated to a big brass oompah band playing in the market square. Traditionally dressed band members came around selling shots of schnapps, and we donated a few euros for the sweet treat and to support the musicians.

Eagle's Nest / Kehlsteinhaus

Kehlsteinhaus, also known by its English name, the Eagle's Nest, is located 1,834 metres high in the Berchtesgaden Alps. On a clear day, you can even see Salzburg, Austria!

First, you take a city bus from the Berchtesgaden Bahnhof (free with the visitor's pass you get by staying at a hotel in the region!). Then you pay for a ticket (ideally in advance, although you can alter your time to a later bus if needed) and take a special coach up a 6.5 km mountain road, about a 15-minute ride.

You enter a long tunnel, go up a golden brass lift and enter... the Eagle's Nest. The view is absolutely amazing. The historical significance... horrifying.

From 1933–45, the Obersalzberg area was the second most important centre of power for the Nazi regime after Berlin. Hitler had his Berghof residence here and spent a significant amount of time in the area, where he and other high-ranking Nazis made decisions about war, persecution and genocide.

The Eagle's Nest itself was built in 1937–38 as a prestigious reception building high above the Obersalzberg. Interestingly, Hitler didn't actually spend that much time up here and visited relatively rarely. It was used more often by members of his inner circle and to impress diplomatic guests. He entertained Mussolini here (the fireplace is rumored to be a gift from him). Eva Braun suntanned while Goebbels and Goering drank on the terraces. 

It's an absolutely beautiful and stunning view. It's surreal to be in this place as a historical tourist, 81 years later.

We took a teeny hike a bit farther up to get a really beautiful view of Lake Königssee and the mountains surrounding us. We had a beer and radler on the patio of the now-functioning restaurant before heading back down.

Afterwards, we went to the Dokumentation Obersalzberg, an incredibly interesting museum that highlights the history of Obersalzberg (the area above Berchtesgaden). It was laid out incredibly well, with an English (and other languages) audio guide showcasing how the area went from a small farming village and holiday destination to Hitler's heavily guarded, off-limits compound, and then eventually back to a recreational and holiday getaway.

Three artifacts in particular were of significant interest to me:

● A "Cigarette Photo Collection Book" from 1936. Adults used to collect these photos from cigarette packages and pass them on to their children to put into albums, and people would trade them. Think Spice Girls bubble gum stickers from the late '90s, but with Nazis. 😬 This was a highly effective propaganda tool, with millions of these albums produced.

● A map showcasing the battle on the Eastern Front (Russia). The one they had on display showed November 21, 1942, when Hitler gave the order from Obersalzberg that forbade the 6th Army to retreat from Stalingrad, which proved to be fatal for German troops.

● A baby "gas mask" cot. Germany developed these awkward machines to protect babies in case poison gas was used against German civilians. However, as the museum placard noted, "there were no Allied gas attacks and the cot remained unused. The only use of gas in World War II was by the Germans - to murder people in extermination facilities and camps." 😬

Afterwards, we explored remnants of the bunker system that existed beneath Obersalzberg. Upon defeat, the SS burned documents in these bunkers (you can still see one room darkened from soot) and the people living in the countryside ransacked the abandoned buildings for useful items.

I've seen the Churchill War Rooms in London, and now I've seen a similar kind of experience in Germany (bunkers, war maps, etc.). I am putting this history degree to good use.

Lake Königssee

To cleanse the palate from this dark history and enjoy the natural beauty of the region, we did a day trip to Lake Königssee. You can hike, take a boat tour, or ride a gondola up Jenner mountain. We opted for the boat tour.

A tip for those going in the future: book early! We booked the morning of, and the earliest boat we could get was 1:45 p.m. We subsequently had two hours to kill when we got there, so we explored the little lakeside attractions (overpriced food & souvenirs), snacked on a surprisingly fresh pretzel, and did a short mini-hike to the Malerwinkl lookout for a great shot of the lake.

We boarded our boat and floated leisurely across the lake. We passed an "Echo Wall," where the guide played a trumpet tune and the sound echoed back to us. In older times, they apparently used to shoot guns toward the wall to hear the echo.

The boat stopped at two locations: the Church of St. Bartholomä and the end of the lake at Salet. We skipped the church because we wanted to get to Salet and do a short hike to another lake for a swim.

Lake Obersee was a lot less busy, and we were so hot that a cool mountain-lake swim sounded perfect.

It really was.

We had a little swim and then headed back to Berchtesgaden by boat and bus in the evening. We totally missed the solar eclipse as we were getting ready for dinner, oops!, and enjoyed a delicious Indian dinner at Noor E Panjab, "the finest (and only) Indian Cuisine" in Berchtesgaden. 

That wrapped up our time in Berchtesgaden and we are off to Salzburg next!

Dachau Concentration Camp

In another chapter of Susan Visits Dark History Spots Around the World, we went to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp. My interest in history, specifically Holocaust stories (which was sparked by reading "Number the Stars" in Grade 5) has rubbed off on Tarun, and he was equally engaged in this memorial. I took minimal pictures while there, but those I did take, I will add to this blog.

Dachau was the first permanent concentration camp established by the Nazi regime, opening in March 1933, and it became a model for the concentration camp system that followed. Originally, it primarily housed political prisoners... those who opposed the Nazi regime, including communists and other political opponents, but it soon expanded to imprison many others persecuted by the Nazis (e.g. Jews, Roma, LGBTQ, etc). Over its 12 years of operation, more than 200,000 people were imprisoned at Dachau and its network of subcamps, and at least 41,500 died.

Before you enter the prisoner camp, you can see some of the former SS grounds, which included training facilities, administrative buildings & living quarters. Much of this area isn't part of the memorial today and is currently used by the Bavarian Riot Police.

The site originally had 34 barracks, but today only two have been reconstructed to show what the interiors would have looked like during different periods of the camp's existence. The locations of the others are marked by concrete outlines stretching down the former camp road. 

The expanded camp was designed to hold about 6,000 prisoners, but became incredibly overcrowded as the war progressed. By the time it was liberated by U.S. forces on April 29, 1945, more than 30,000 prisoners were crammed into the main camp. If you need a visual comparison like I did, BMO Field can hold about 30,000 fans during regular Argos/Toronto FC games.

Dachau housed fewer physical artifacts than what I witnessed during my visit to Auschwitz in 2010, but a lot more information. I skimmed a bit because of my finally useful history degree and lost Tarun in the museum area for about an hour. The main museum is housed in the former camp maintenance building, where newly arrived prisoners were registered, stripped of their belongings, forced to undress and processed into the camp system.

One thing that was similar between Auschwitz-Birkenau and Dachau was the gate bearing the words "Arbeit macht frei", or "Work sets you free." A taunting message of false hope to the people imprisoned there. The historic gate was stolen from the memorial in 2014 and eventually recovered in Norway in 2016. Since then, it has been kept inside the museum for security, while a replica stands at the original entrance.

While Dachau was not primarily an extermination camp, it did have a crematorium and gas chamber on site. The gas chamber, disguised as a shower room, was built inside the newer crematorium known as Barrack X.  Historians generally agree that there is no evidence the gas chamber was used for mass executions (unlike Auschwitz-Birkenau), but some prisoners may have been killed there using poison gas.

The crematoria, on the other hand, were extensively used. As the death toll increased, particularly near the end of the war, the crematorium could not keep up. A shortage of coal eventually stopped it from operating, and thousands of bodies instead had to be buried in mass graves. 😥

We spent about three hours there. It's only about 40 minutes from Munich and is quite a solemn, but important, visit. One I won't quickly forget.

Munich

Onwards to Munich, where I met up with my boyfriend Tarun, who flew in the previous day from Toronto. He'll be joining me for the rest of the trip, and I'm excited to show him a Euro-Summer!

We grabbed a later-start walking tour through GuruWalk and explored Munich's old town. I had crazy déjà vu from the last time I was in Germany, with my friend James on my 2009 backpacking Eurotrip, when we walked through the Hofgarten and saw its Diana Temple. In 2009, I described it as "a gorgeous garden with a wicked gazebo," and I think it still lives up to that name. Here's a quick photo comparison between 2009 and 2026...

We also saw sights like:

• Viscardigasse: During the Nazi era, people used this alley as a shortcut to avoid passing the Nazi memorial on nearby Residenzstraße, where they would have been expected to give the Nazi salute. Today, a trail of golden paving stones commemorates this quiet act of resistance.

• The Munich Residenz: Parts of the palace were heavily damaged during WWII and later reconstructed. In one courtyard, the facade was painted onto the walls rather than fully recreated in stone. The Residenz was also home to King Ludwig I, whose 1810 wedding celebrations  turned into the tradition of Oktoberfest.

• The Bavarian State Chancellery: Some of the historic columns still bears visible holes from the war. Munich was heavily bombed during WWII as symbolically, it was the birthplace of the Nazi movement.

• The Glockenspiel: A musical, animatronic clock in  that looks considerably older than it actually is. The "new" town hall was completed in the early 1900 despite it looking like old gotchic architecture 

Hofbräuhaus

Hofbräuhaus is associated with one of Munich's famous "Big Six" breweries. It's a classic tourist stop while still maintaining its beer-hall traditions. James and I stopped here in 2009, and the big 1-litre glass looked just as big as it did then... but was a lot easier to drink now. 😉 (It's about 2.1 pints!)

Tarun got a Radler and I got the house lager. For dinner, Tarun indulged in sausages and potato salad. I loved the potato salad... it's a more vinegary-sweet version rather than the mayo-heavy kind we're used to in North America. The vegetarian menu has certainly expanded since we were last here (sorry, James), but I was enticed and intrigued by the "3 Brot" bread spread and enjoyed a classic bread-and-beer dinner.

Regulars can keep their personal beer steins in locked compartments called the Maßkrugtresor (beer stein safe). The lockers are exclusive, with spots sometimes remaining in families for generations.

Dark History Fact: Hofbräuhaus also has a darker place in Munich's history. Hitler spoke here during the early years of the Nazi Party. Swastika decorations that once appeared on the ceiling were later painted over with Bavarian flag designs.

Englischer Garten & the Eisbach River Float

We spent an afternoon relaxing in the Englischer Garten, a huge city park that's larger than New York's Central Park. We explored approximately 2% of it, parking ourselves in the dusty shade near the river for a picnic lunch, watching the surfers, and then braving an Eisbach river float!

Locals (and tourists) float down sections of the Eisbach during the summer, despite warning signs and the risks of its strong current. You jump in from the side and float downstream, sometimes with a floatie or dry bag, or just using your own body. I could touch the bottom initially, but after floating under the first bridge, I couldn't anymore (although Tarun said he could). At that point, you lift your feet and let the current take you. It was a lot of fun.

There were scarier rapids farther downstream, but I exited before them. My float was about six minutes downriver and eight minutes walking back to my towel.I did try to get a look at the rapids and then almost got sucked back into the current. I know I probably would have been fine (former lifeguard/strong swimmer), but panic set in and I grabbed onto the wall for dear life while the current pulled at me. Luckily, a kind German teenager took pity on my panicked face and helped pull me out. Only a scrape on my elbow remains. 😂

Pinakothek der Moderne

We found out that on Sundays you can visit several of Munich's major state museums for only €1! This is an expensive town, so that seemed like a pretty good way to spend an afternoon.

We went to the Pinakothek der Moderne and spent about two hours exploring. We saw works by Picasso, Warhol, Ernst and Kandinsky, among many others.

There was also a special exhibition featuring the art of Dana Schutz, and we really liked her unique, bold work. I'm glad to have discovered someone new to look out for art galleries now.

The design section showcased everything from vehicles and robots to glassware, housewares and camping equipment. Two cool discoveries from the robotics section: 1) the Dash and Dot robots we have at my school were showcased, and 2) one of my favourite childhood toys, a talking educational robot named Alphie, was there too! It was the original blue version rather than the white one I had, but still... what a random nostalgia bang.

Olympiapark Sommerfestival

While taking the U-Bahn, I noticed a poster advertising the Sommerfestival at Olympiapark. As a yearly fan of the CNE, I obviously thought this was worth investigating. It was also held on the grounds of the 1972 Munich Olympics. After watching several films about the 1972 terrorist attack that killed members of the Israeli Olympic team, it was interesting and sombre to see the site in person.

The carnival itself wasn't *that* amazing. It was fairly small and much less busy than I expected, especially compared with my experiences at the CNE/Ex and Calgary Stampede. But it had expensive food, carnival rides, games and the same kind of trinkets for sale, so I still enjoyed the wander.

We also swung by BMW Welt at BMW's headquarters. It's free to enter, and we checked out model cars, art cars and a pretty gorgeous Rolls-Royce Ghost. I now know that if I ever win the lottery and buy one, my colour of choice is called "Twilight Purple".

Munich gave us beer halls, modern art, childhood robots, Olympic history, a carnival, luxury cars and an amazing river ride. A pretty solid few days.

There was also one much heavier stop during our time here: Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. That experience deserves more than a paragraph squeezed into the end of a Munich post, so I'll leave it for the next one.

Offenburg & Sasbachwalden - Gateway to the Black Forest

One of my main reasons for exploring the Black Forest was an Instagram reel I saw where you could do a hike and drink schnapps along the way. While Jill is already an avid hiker, I need a little more encouragement, and I think €2 schnapps shots made by local farmers and left in cooling huts throughout the hike are quite the enticement. 😏

Welcome to Sasbachwalden, a cute little town full of vineyards and orchards (for the aforementioned schnapps!) that lies on the western slopes of the Northern Black Forest. 

It was about a 40-minute transit ride from Offenburg (train to Achern, then bus to Sasbachwalden Gaishölle). Unfortunately, our train was delayed, which made us miss our bus, leading to an unfortunate one-hour pit stop at the bus station while we waited for the next one.

Our hike started at the visitor centre in town before following the Schnapsbrunnenweg 1 trail (7.44 km). We climbed some big hills and then took a wooden walkway up to the Gaishöll Waterfalls. I say "waterfalls" loosely, as the severe drought in Germany had turned them more into a bubbling stream. Jill continued on to see the actual "waterfalls," but the extra hike and elevation weren't worth it for out-of-breath me (and it turns out they weren't worth it for Jill either!).

We then exited the forested area and made our way through farmhouses, vineyards, and the Schnapsbrunnen. Schnapsbrunnen are self-serve, trailside honour-system stations where hikers can grab local fruit brandy (schnapps) and other drinks (water, beer) chilled in fresh mountain spring water. Each drink is 1.50 - 2 € and you drop your coins into an honesty box. I also bought two medium bottles of snapps (blueberry and cherry) for 5€ each. We visited five Schnapsbrunnen over the following few hours. They were run by the families of Fischer, Rösch, Brenner-Decker, Haus Zink, and one near the Fatima Grotto. I think my favourite was Rösch because the drinks were kept inside this cute little cupboard that you opened up, helping them stay cool in the 36-degree heat.

I also learned the hard way the difference between the drinks labelled "Wasser" and "liquer." The Wasser was disgusting and tasted like a shot of 40% hard liquor, like vodka, and nothing like the sweet 25–30% fruit liqueur we had been sipping. Later, I learned that Wasser is a clear, completely dry fruit spirit with no added sugar, while liqueur is a sweet, lower-alcohol drink made by adding sugar and flavourings to a neutral spirit base. So if you're there in the future, avoid the schnapps Wasser!

Surprisingly, we weren't too tipsy after all those drinks, but I think the heat zapped it right out of us. We had tried to avoid the midday sun, but our hour-long delay meant we were walking through the orchards and fields during the hottest part of the day, trying not to bake. Bless Jill for lending me her umbrella to walk under in the blazing sun and for attempting to find shortcuts back into town by cutting through random fields.

I really wanted a piece of Black Forest cake, but alas, the bakery we went to was completely sold out. They did, however, have a Black Forest roll! There is a noticeable difference compared to the ones back home, as the German version is flavoured with cherry brandy. Still, it was delicious, and I can officially say I had Black Forest cake near the Black Forest!

Offenburg

We used the town of Offenburg as a transit hub and grabbed a hotel right near the train station for our day trips. But while planning our afternoon there the day before we arrived, we realized that all the shops in Germany are closed on Sundays. So, other than wandering around the shuttered old town, we didn't really know what we were going to do.

Luckily, Jill had the idea to search for lakes to swim in, and we came across Strandbad Gifiz. This is a man-made lake with paid (€4) swimming access that includes lifeguards, washrooms, showers, lockers, a waterslide, ping-pong tables, volleyball courts, and a snack bar. It was the absolute perfect slow afternoon in Offenburg! Thankfully, it wasn't too crowded, so we laid out our towels, swam, went down the waterslide, drank Radlers, and relaxed.

When we got back from our day hike in Sasbachwalden, we wandered around the old town a bit more before dinner. During our two nights there, we had expensive (but delicious) sushi at Taumi and bowls and burgers at Celsius. We also highly recommend the train station-adjacent restaurant, Offenburger, whose name—a play on the town itself and its culinary offerings—made me smile.

Next up: day trips to Freiburg & Ulm!

Strasbourg & Colmar: A Jaunt into France

Bienvenue and Willkommen to Strasbourg. It is in the Alsace region of France, sharing a border with Germany. A town of dual identity, it has been passed back and forth between French and German rule throughout its history. A brief, summarized history would be that it was German in the Middle Ages, French when Louis XIV took it over during the Nine Years' War, German after the Franco-Prussian War, French after WWI, German during WWII, and then French again after WWII.

This unique dual identity is present everywhere. It borrows the classic half-timbered houses from Germany, has patisseries serving both pretzels and croissants, and even features dual-language street signs. It is not officially bilingual in that people are not required to speak both German and French, but hearing either language is pretty common.

It seems that I cannot get enough of France. Or rather... last year in Paris I found a medicine that helps immensely with period cramps, and I had run out! It's been a lifesaver during the first few days each month, so since I was going to be so close to France, Strasbourg was added to this year's route.

Reunited with Jill

I met up with Jill, my friend, colleague, and "always game for a trip" buddy. She arrived a little later than I did, so I settled into our very funky hotel, Hotel Arok (filled with images and puns surrounding the word "rock"), before we headed into Strasbourg's Altstadt for a wander and dinner.

We watched some street performers outside the cathedral, balancing on tall chairs and using impressive core strength to perform pole tricks.

I was excited to eat galettes again, my favourite meal from France, and we went to a Japanese-inspired galette café (Breizh Café Strasbourg) that served both traditional galettes and ones rolled up like buckwheat maki rolls. We also had galletes again on our last night here at (Creperie La Bolée de Cidre) but I preferred Breizh. 

Notre-Dame de Strasbourg

While Notre-Dame de Paris is the most famous, many French cathedrals are named Notre-Dame ("Our Lady") because they are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Strasbourg Gothic Cathedral took 400 years to build and was finished in 1439. It wasn't really complete, though, since the second tower was never built. Theories include a lack of money, unstable ground (it was built near the river), or that after the Reformation it became Protestant for a time, and Protestant churches tend to be less extravagant. Whatever the reason, it now has its unique one-tower appearance. We were even lucky enough to grab a spot outside on a patio for some happy hour (6€) aperol spritzes. 

This cathedral also has some original medieval stained-glass windows because they (rather smartly) removed them during the wars, stored them for safekeeping, and then put them back afterwards. The astronomical clock displays local time, the positions of the sun and moon, planetary alignments, a calendar, and the changing date of Easter. It also has animated figures, but we didn't catch the noontime show. 

In the evening, they project a light and sound show onto the outside of the cathedral for summer tourists. It was reminiscent of the one I saw in Bayeux last year, although a little less to my taste (it was more crowded and there was a smaller viewing area). That being said, it was still an impressive sight, and I'm glad we were there to see it.

Altstadt Walking Tour

We did a GuruWalks tour that explored the areas around the cathedral and La Petite France. We learned:

• Gutenberg lived here for about 10 years, where he worked on ideas that would eventually culminate in the invention of the printing press, so they created Gutenberg Square in his honour.

• The stork (la cigogne) is the main symbol of Alsace. They migrate to this region in late winter and leave again in the fall.

• Maison Kammerzell is one of the oldest and most famous medieval houses in Strasbourg. Its wooden façade contains many carvings, including astrological signs, and I found Scorpio! The windows are made of "bull's-eye" glass that looks like the bottoms of wine bottles.

• La Petite France, while quite picturesque now, used to be the tanners' and fishing district during the Middle Ages. The name "Petite France" comes from a hospital for syphilis patients because syphilis was once known as the "French disease."

While our plan to continue eating more galettes fell short because everywhere was full, we enjoyed a delicious bowl and avocado toast at Avotoast while dodging the evening rain clouds.

Colmar Day Trip

The following day, we took the train to Colmar, a French town south of Strasbourg in the Alsace region. This place looked exactly like a storybook or a movie set. You think they made up Beauty and the Beast? Naaaahhhh... they just modeled it after towns in Alsace, it seems.

We grabbed a walking map of the town and explored for the day, visiting sights like Maison des Têtes (which has 106 sculpted heads on its façade), La Petite Venise (which even had little motorized boats taking people up and down the river), the Marché Couvert Colmar (a covered food market), and Place de l'Ancienne Douane with its gorgeous half-timbered houses and fountain.

After wandering for three hours and making a "fast" (definitely the opposite) food stop at O Tacos for me, we grabbed a patio where Jill enjoyed a local radler and I had a local Riesling, one of the signature wines of the Alsace region.

We ended our evening back in Strasbourg enjoying some 4€ delicious grocery store wine at our hotel. Back to Germany tomorrow and a hike in the Black Forest!