60 Days in Europe…#40 Strasbourg…Hamburg

Last day in Strasbourg.A lovely city made better by glorious weather,apart from my first day which is probably where I got this cold…our receptionist is a nice bright eyed woman but I do wish she wouldn’t wish me “ have a nice day” even from somebody as naturally upbeat as her it sounds forced.This sort of stuff doesn’t sit well coming from the French or Germans.It sounds as though it’s through gritted teeth…anyway that’s my beef for today…

Had one of those showers this morning where you never want it to end…anyone else ever had that? You think “ I could do this all day” might be a trauma for the chambermaid mind and nobody deserves that.She certainly wouldn’t be wishing me a nice day…

So back to Germany tomorrow.When I organised this trip I thought England would be out of the comp by now to be honest but I get into Hamburg tomorrow just a few hours before they kick off a relatively short distance away in Dortmund.Even though I am staying in St Pauli I will steer clear of Reeperbahn tomorrow as I suspect it will be full of pissed up England fans and after an eight hour journey it’s not something I’d relish…then I go to Berlin the day after the final so I’m arriving when loads of fans will be leaving…

So then Strasbourg? Well it’s got a population about the same as Wolverhampton (about 275,000) but get‘s a lot more tourists.No surprise really as in parts it’s very beautiful and as it’s close to the German border it looks old world German in some areas.It’s also home to the European Parliament and as a consequence has a lot of people from all over Europe working there so they’re used to foreign visitors.If you‘ve never been it’s worth coming.Also a very fast train from Paris if you’re in a hurry…like most European cities the pavement outdoor eating & drinking is thriving,especially down by the river & canal ( they’re kind of interchangeable)

One thing that’s helped me is that my rudimentary German is slightly better than my rudimentary French so being a border town with many locals understanding German I have got by a bit better than I would in somewhere like Lyon…every little helps etc

In the same bar as yesterday with a large undercover seating area outside.There are a few cafe bars around here and this one doesn’t do food so they’ve realised if they allow local office workers to bring their own food they’ll do far more business than if they get arsey about it as it’s a nice calm atmosphere plus a lot cheaper than most other places.Winner all round…

Having thought about any future trips in & around France I think from now on it’s always best if I start in Paris directly from Eurostar.That way any subsequent trips I won’t get caught up in the mayhem like I was last week.They will always demand reservation seat tickets before being able to board so that way I can sort it all out as I go rather than try it on a wing and a prayer,which didn’t really work out too well as my 18 hour journey last week testified…

Really letting the Brit side down here.Been in the bar two hours and had two coffees and now on an iced Orangina(god it’s beautiful on a blisteringly hot day) at this rate I will have my passport revoked when I try to get back into Blighty…shameful.Should be four pints in by now threatening the shrubbery surrounding the bar…

Update on the bar; they do food but still allow many to bring their own in,which I think is a very chilled attitude and more power to their elbow for that…

Had a perfectly valid question from a mate on facebook ( hi Phil) who does a fair bit of travelling around himself in Europe for concerts etc,he asked apart from visiting bars & restaurants in these places what do I do? The truth is that is what I enjoy doing,I may visit the odd historical site or museum in a city but mostly I like just catching the vibe of wherever i am.Many might think that’s a waste but each to their own.Generally i‘m enjoying being relaxed…also when in the bars etc I’m not knocking it back like a stag party in Benidorm.I‘m taking my time enjoying the crack and over this trip & the previous one met some very interesting people…so in conclusion I’m very happy doing nothing,nothing suits me down to the ground…however in saying that I might be sinking a few a bit quicker tonight watching the football!

In a while crocodile…