Strasbourg's Petit France

We decamped from Nancy and drove the relatively short distance to Strasbourg, in Alsace, finding the nice municipal campground and setting up in enough time to take an early evening stroll into the city for the Michelin walk of the old Petit France area. 

Strasbourg's importance was as a port on the Rhine, canals and
channels of which we walked past; pretty sure we never saw the
main channel; anyhow, it's a watery place, great for those watery
reflection pix

Three tall defensive towers survive from the olden
days; the red sandstone looks really nice in the sunset;
the Alsace is one of Europe's many contested places,
currently in French hands; we never heard anyone 
humming "die Wacht am Rhein" but wouldn't have
been surprised...

We'd see the cathedral the next day

Fortified bridge of yore

More sunset glow, more reflection

If you're into the half-timbered look, Strasbourg
is your kind of place

Also red sandstone

Most of it pretty old

But not too old for Thai cuisine

Final Nancy Scenes

After four days, we decided to leave the rest of Nancy for "next time," and ended with a stroll through the city's large downtown park, the Parc de la Pepiniere, partly to see the monument to Claude Gellee, dit Le Lorrain, and partly to just enjoy the usual French park ambience.

Another huge, beautiful urban park

Innominata

The statue of Le Lorrain is by Rodin; himself

Be impressed

Of course we found the rose garden

Next time...

Daum Museum in Nancy's Musee des Beaux Arts

The Daum brothers, Auguste and Antoni, pioneered glassmaking techniques and were at the forefront of Art Nouveau both in the Nancy School and worldwide. Daum glass renown has survived well beyond that time and is still in great demand. One of the two Daum stores is in Nancy--we visited briefly, hoping it was the outlet store (😀)--but, more importantly, the museum of Daum glass is in the lower floor of the Museum of Fine Arts. Vicki is rather more into fine glass, but even I could find the display of a century+ of Daum glass, particularly the older work, fairly overwhelming...beautiful to look at, marvelous to ponder how it was designed and made.

Of course there are antique stores all over old Nancy, and Daum
glass is much of what one sees in them; with price tags generally
in the $ thousands...

The museum was built over the remnants of Nancy's old fortifications,
so the glass museum shares the space with these remnants and artefacts
from them

Also some other glass; I think this was Baccarat? Also from the
region

Helpful model of fortifications

On to the Daum...the interpretive stuff was quite good

Opening artsy/glassy view

More interpretation; and in English too

Half or so of the collection

For a mushroom admirer we know

Return of the Giant Attack Beetle

Return of the fortifications...sort of like the Louvre
in this respect

Long after the Belle Epoque

Most recently

Even if you're not into glass nor Art Nouveau, it's a pretty incredible
place

Grand Cafe Foy Lunch Interlude

Museum visits can be so tiring. Not even half way through the Musee, we needed rest and the restoration that a good restaurant can provide. Fortunately, the Grand Cafe Foy was right next door on the Place Stanislaus, and it provided both restoration and amusement.

Table with a view....of the Stanislaus statue, Grand Opera
and Grand Hotel in view, the square, etc.

We figured Quiche Lorrain was the proper thing to order; and it
was decidedly better than the frozen versions one gets at Picard or
Franprix

Note finely-layered texture; and no soggy bottom

Entertainment was provided by several passing hen and chick parties

Another group approaches

Today's wedding at the nearby Hotel de Ville

Luncheon highlight was the Coupe Lorraine, mirabelle
sherbert with alcool and marmalade of mirabelles (a variety
of plum favored hereabouts); quite a bit of alcool

And the show went on...