Strasbourg (Finally!)

So, I'm using Dana's wireless since mine is awful for uploading pictures! And this is my Blog for Strasbourg.

After several fairly major transportation issues (not nice to deal with at 7.30 in the morning!) such as our tube line not working and having to get two others twice as long in half the time and nearly missing our TGV to Strasbourg, we did actually get there!

Basically Strasbourg at Christmas is a German style market (like we have in England) but on an enormous, whole city scale. It's very nice, but to be fair, most of the stalls end up selling the same things and there's nothing really good to buy for 'proper' presents, but it is an experience. However, it really lives up to it's reputation at night as you can see from the photos:


Here is a blue tree (apparently representative of Quebec who is their guest 'country' (!) this year). It hurt our eyes...lots!
These are beautifully painted cookies (gingerbread?) we saw at one of the stands.
This is the massive 'horloge' or cloak in the Cathedral itself. Every quarter of an hour it 'dings' and an angel moves. It's at 12.30 that it really gives you a show. I have a video if you wish to see it, but basically the 12 Apostles move around the figure of Jesus, Death tolls it's bell reminding us that time is short, and a really scary cockrel crows!
This is the giant (28 metres!) Sapin Noel they have in Strasbourg, at night.
Random bunnies that were moving to music.
A full view of the Christmas Tree.
A gargoyle on the side of the Cathedral. He looked pretty cool, and I've named him Fred.


And finally Santa! Or, Pere Noel. It's a decoration, but I thought he was cute :).

So, yes, that was Strasbourg. I have more photos on Facebook - so check there. And to my parents, I'll show you them all when I get home :)

I'm home in less than a week! Yay! I doubt I'll update before then, so Happy Christmas, Joyuex Noel and Frohliche Weinachten to all :D

Nielle xxx

Just a quick one...

Umm yes, just a quick update. Have been to Strasbourg and when I can be bothered to wrestle with both my internet and the horrid picture uploader, I will update properly and put in some pretty photos. Those of you on Facebook can see them already as Facebook is a lot easier to manage.

Life is good - still loving school. Can't wait to come home though and have a yaysome Christmas. Plus have been infected with the biggest spiders I have ever seen. Which is scary but we're learning to live together.

Have been Christmassing lots so far and will continue to do so this weekend and the coming week when we'll be doing Christmas stuff with the kids (not mentioning Baby Jesus of course - silly French!)

Love Nielle xxx

Paris!

Ok, firstly bear in mind that these photos are not in the right order...I can't seem to get the hang of the photo uploader...

So, we got paid last week. Dana wanted to go clothes shopping in Paris, and I wanted to go with. Thus on Friday 30th of November, we headed towards Paris.

First stop was the Rue de Rivoli for some shopping! I didn't buy anything (French fashion can either be very hit and miss or they just don't do normal people sizes!) but it was nice to just shop. By the time we finished it was lunch time so we went to a lovely Restaurant on the Rue called Angélina's. Dana has been wanting to go here for 5 years so it was pretty cool. Incredibly expensive, but lovely atmosphere and amazing desserts and hot chocolate. The hot choc was literally molten chocolate (mmm!) and the dessert we shared was Hazelnut vermicelli/paste stuff (?) over whipped cream and meringue. Oh my God amazing! But we were so full!

Next stop, Montmartre. I visited Montmartre back in year 6 and like it then :). I like it even more now :) So here are the photos:

This is the view from a random place at the back of the church.


This is the view of Paris from the top by the Church.
The other side of the view, including the Tour Montparnasse which is right by where our train from Chartres enters Paris.

This is the downward view of the gardens. Don't be fooled it's a long calf-wounding way up ^^.
And this is the famous church the Sacre Coeur. It's white and pretty. And really beautiful inside. Especially when you enter just as the choir is singing and the organ is playing. It's so much more impressive than boring old Notre Dame (I really dislike Notre Dame de Paris!).
Ummm forgive my lack of general knowledge about Paris...this is the French flag flying atop some building (? - someone please fill me in. Especially if it's famous and I should know!) Its looked pretty all lit up. What can I say?

The Champs Elysées, Arc de Triomphe end. These are the Christmas lights. It's pretty. Altough apparently now a hotspot for crime. Yay.

Champs Elysées, Jardins des Tuileries end.

Christmas lights close up. A little blurry. I was a little under sugared at this point and a little shakey...plus the lights moved. I still think the blurry kind of captures the general effect.



And again. Plus streetlamp :).

At this point we headed home. Me with headache and sheer exhaustion in tow.

Slept in on Saturday and then went to see what Chartres itself had to offer Christmas-wise. A little disappointed in the market, but it's about the same as Southampton's I guess, plus it's still very early on. And I have Strasbourg to really get me into the Christmas mood on Friday :)

Sunday went to a small produce fair which was kind of cute, but feared for our lives as incredibly strong winds practically blew the marquee down! And broke my brand new never before used umbrella too. And kept me awake.

In school we've been giving the kids their end of term tests. Most are doing ok...some doing pretty badly. Bearing in mind I set the test so they *could* pass! We have another orientation this Thursday - day off work! Which will be utterly pointless as it's about setting tests...three point who can guess what I've already done (clue, I've just talked about it -.-) Bloody French! Ah well.

I think that's about all for now. I imagine there'll be a big one for Strasbourg though (although I may upload most of the pics to Facebook since it's a lot quicker!)

Love

Nielle xxx