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During the night we sailed from Switzerland to Germany. Feeling much more rested this  morning, we left the ship at 8:30 am and drove to Strasbourg, a charming town that I visited during my working years with my colleagues Karen and Lisa who might be reading this post. Strasbourg is the formal seat of the European Parliament. The town has an incredible gothic cathedral in the middle of the town square, which can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. We had a lovely walking tour around the old part of the city and then had time to do a little shopping and have some lunch.

Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Strasbourg

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Strasbourg

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After lunch we traveled to Baden-Baden, known for it’s mineral baths and spas. We had a choice between going to the baths and a walking tour. At the last minute we opted for the walking tour. Baden-Baden is a place where people retire, and according to our guide, a very relaxing and non-stressful place to live. There is a lovely large park are many high-end shops. Cars are not allowed in the large shopping district and it is very pleasant to stroll around. We ended our afternoon at the Biergarten and had a delicious tall cold beer before heading back to the ship.

Baden-Baden

Baden-Baden

Baden-Baden

Baden- Baden

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With Ellen and Neal at the Biergarten

There is increased security here in Europe. We were told that we would see the military in the town center in Strasbourg, which we actually didn’t, but our bus back to the ship from Baden-Baden was delayed for about half an hour going through a check-point on the road.