TravLog, stardate: 01-06-05

astro clock
Originally uploaded by Epiphany.

Doc has the coolest husband ever. He took me sightseeing today. First we visited Strasbourg, right on the French-German border. We walked around, saw the Cathedral, and had lunch. By the way, if you ever have the choice between Tarte Flambee and Spaetzle, take the tarte. Just a little tip from me to you.
I tried to get a picture that would convey the breathtaking height and detail of the cathedral, but it wouldn't all fit into the viewfinder. But this site has some great pics, and I wish I'd taken this one myself.
Inside the cathedral is an astrological clock that's about 3 stories high. I don't know exactly when it was built, but it's still running, and keeping good time, chiming every fifteen minutes.

Afterwards, we went to Haut-Koenigsbourg, a huge castle dating from about the 12th century. It was beseiged in the 1400s and again in the 1600's and left in ruin until 1900. It's very close to the German border, and at that time belonged to Germany, so Kaiser Wilhelm commissioned an architect to study what remained and rebuild it in the same style. Of course what they ended up with was a castle in a very similar style to the original, but with embellishments befitting a man of his rank and aspirations to power during the early 19-teens in Germany. But it's is still very beautiful, and well-kept,and visitor friendly. From the top tower, you can see for miles all the way around.