Saarbrücken is close to the French border, so we agreed that it would be silly not to have a trip there. My companion has lived in Saarbrücken in the past and is familiar with the area, so she suggested that we could go to the French town of Metz.
Metz is about 40 miles from Saarbrücken, so it doesn't take long to get there by Autobahn and then the French Autoroute. By this time I was regretting having not upgraded my satellite navigation system for continental Europe, as we had by now taken one or two rather circuitous routes to some of our destinations (although we had always managed to get there in the end). We had also had one or two slightly fractious moments.
And so it was with Metz. We managed to overshoot the town at first. I was driving and managed to mishear my companion's navigational instructions. Fortunately, it was quite funny on this occasion. Even reminiscent of the John Cleese film, Clockwise. Fun and games.
We found a parking space just outside this beautiful town, which was free of charge. As I come from the UK, parking for free so close to a large town always seems to good to be true. And we all know about things that seem to good to be true (They usually are.), but on this occasion we parked for free. But enough of parking tales. Who writes Blogs about parking?
Metz is gorgeous, and once again the weather was warm and sunny. The most striking thing about Metz is the Cathedral. It stands out from some distance, due to it's elevation. It also has large buttresses which stick out some way, as if to protect it from toppling over. And the darkish yellowy sandstone caught the sun's bright rays brilliantly.
It can't possibly be true, because France is - arguably - an economically successful country, but when walking around French towns during the day; it often seems to me as if no-one is doing very much. Everyone is having a nice time. They might be hanging around in the streets talking to their friends, having a coffee in one of the delightful coffee shops; even protesting. During our time in Metz, we encountered several protests one of which seemed to be protesting at cuts to a local hospital. But I sometimes can't help wondering if anyone is actually doing any work. Who am I to ask? Good luck to them.
We climbed up a small hill near the town centre and looked down at the beautiful view below. Life seemed good. The weather was fantastic, the view good and I was with a friend. We spent the rest of the glorious afternoon wondering around the town, it's churches and the main cathedral. On the way back to Saarbrücken, we decided not to take the main Autoroute, but to meander home through rural France.
This meander reminded me of other trips I'd had to France with my late grandfather, some years ago. The long straight roads with mature trees lining each side of the road seem to me characteristic of France. Indeed, on those occasions with my grandfather, we had been near Compiegne, some way North of Paris. That is a long way from this part of France; but it may go back to what I was saying in my previous blog "The strangeness of national borders".
On the way home, we stopped in Saint-Avold to have our evening meal. We ate outside the restaurant overlooking the main square. A great way to end a wonderful day.
Metz is about 40 miles from Saarbrücken, so it doesn't take long to get there by Autobahn and then the French Autoroute. By this time I was regretting having not upgraded my satellite navigation system for continental Europe, as we had by now taken one or two rather circuitous routes to some of our destinations (although we had always managed to get there in the end). We had also had one or two slightly fractious moments.
And so it was with Metz. We managed to overshoot the town at first. I was driving and managed to mishear my companion's navigational instructions. Fortunately, it was quite funny on this occasion. Even reminiscent of the John Cleese film, Clockwise. Fun and games.
We found a parking space just outside this beautiful town, which was free of charge. As I come from the UK, parking for free so close to a large town always seems to good to be true. And we all know about things that seem to good to be true (They usually are.), but on this occasion we parked for free. But enough of parking tales. Who writes Blogs about parking?
Metz is gorgeous, and once again the weather was warm and sunny. The most striking thing about Metz is the Cathedral. It stands out from some distance, due to it's elevation. It also has large buttresses which stick out some way, as if to protect it from toppling over. And the darkish yellowy sandstone caught the sun's bright rays brilliantly.
It can't possibly be true, because France is - arguably - an economically successful country, but when walking around French towns during the day; it often seems to me as if no-one is doing very much. Everyone is having a nice time. They might be hanging around in the streets talking to their friends, having a coffee in one of the delightful coffee shops; even protesting. During our time in Metz, we encountered several protests one of which seemed to be protesting at cuts to a local hospital. But I sometimes can't help wondering if anyone is actually doing any work. Who am I to ask? Good luck to them.
We climbed up a small hill near the town centre and looked down at the beautiful view below. Life seemed good. The weather was fantastic, the view good and I was with a friend. We spent the rest of the glorious afternoon wondering around the town, it's churches and the main cathedral. On the way back to Saarbrücken, we decided not to take the main Autoroute, but to meander home through rural France.
This meander reminded me of other trips I'd had to France with my late grandfather, some years ago. The long straight roads with mature trees lining each side of the road seem to me characteristic of France. Indeed, on those occasions with my grandfather, we had been near Compiegne, some way North of Paris. That is a long way from this part of France; but it may go back to what I was saying in my previous blog "The strangeness of national borders".
On the way home, we stopped in Saint-Avold to have our evening meal. We ate outside the restaurant overlooking the main square. A great way to end a wonderful day.
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