Rhine River - Day 8 - Strausberg France

We woke up in Strausberg France and decided to spend the day there rather than do an optional tour to a smaller city in the afternoon. It was 100% humidity and haze everywhere you looked, but the town was still beautiful.

Sadly everywhere we walked in the town we saw French military personnel carrying Uzi machine guns.  It's a fact of life after the terror attacks in Paris, but sad nonetheless.  France says they've thwarted 17 additional terrorist attacks this year so additional security seems appropriate ... but sad still the same.

But Tina and I enjoyed the Christmas decorations regardless.

And then it was on to Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg.  Imagine another Catholic cathedral in an old European town.  The mist made it impossible to see the very top of the steeple.

Then it was on to the inside of the church.

This is the third generation astronomical clock built for the church in the mid-19th century.  The clock is self running with a perpetual calendar, a planetary dial, a display of the real position of the Sun and the Moon, as well as solar and lunar eclipses.

This was a nearly life size nativity scene at the side of the church.

Walking into the shopping area we came across these entertainers.  The little girl was particularly cute.

Until the next post, keep ringing those bells and getting ready for Christmas.