The marvelous Alsace. Trip to Strasbourg and Colmar, France

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The small region of Alsace lives suspended between Germany and France, and encompasses both, while showing a proper and distinct personality.

At the European Parliament in Strasbourg has become the heart of Europe, and just from above, bounded by rivers, the center of the city appears as a core protected, remote and isolated from the rest.
At night is truly spectacular, walking along the Grand Rue the lamplight there is a feeling of being the only visitors to the city, shops are closed and the long promenade is an oasis of silence ... but then the landscape opens Square Gutenberg ... and appears majestic Cathedral of Notre Dame. The highest building in red stone takes unusual colors and even seems disproportionate in its size, compared with half-timbered houses surrounding it.
The best view of the facade there is the small driveway in front of the statue of Gutenberg, the old-style houses huddle like a funnel towards the great rose window, creating a perfect symmetry ... postcard!

After reaching the Cathedral Square (really very small when one considers the large dome of red) you can not miss the appointment with the best local cuisine, a dinner at Casa Kammerzell, the best restaurant in town really is the ideal starting point for start your tour of Alsace. It is a mansion from the '600, fully restored but that preserves the charm of a time .. The menu offers a good selection of wines .. and though I was not very fond of French cooking, I had to think again ... because he was all exceptionally good!

The next day at dawn to board the first train to Colmar ... the capital city of Alsace, where the atmosphere is more German than French, and in November, before the famous Christmas market, it is really quiet , nice and free of the usual crowds of mass tourism.
In this city everything is super-scenic, half-timbered houses that are reflected on the canals of Venice Petite, the insignia colored wrought iron .... Not to mention the flowers virtually anywhere that gives the place an "effect-wedding favors" ... does not seem to be in a really experienced, it seems rather a replica of Disneyland!
However, despite being too perfect to be true, there may not fall in love with a place like Colmar, walking through its streets you forget really everything .. because every corner is a picture .. and escape from reality.

Back in Strasbourg, there rimmergiamo in traffic routes in front of the station, and just when the spell of Colmar seemed broken ... we discover in the Petite France district .. and we're back to the warm atmosphere of the village-perfect that we had just left!
The constant sound of the locks during the visit to the historic district of Strasbourg, also here you walk through a dense network of bridges and water from each place a different atmosphere and unique.
The branches of weeping willows descend to touch the water surface at each corner, the landscape is always the same but always different, until, no longer remembers where you started.

When you get tired of so much perfection ... just head to the Cathedral and go back to the pedestrian streets of the center, which, being a true Babel of shops, days are packed with people at every corner.
Try: the pastry and chocolate shops that are found virtually everywhere, some are able to create real works of art!
If you still have time available you can see the most modern reality of Galerie Lafayette and lost in its myriad plans of exposure .. even without buying anything .. only to see the mosaic of races and cultures, which moves up and down the escalators of the chain's most famous shopping the world.

And then again in the midst of people moving frantically from one side of town, few tourists this season, many French people addicted to shopping, or just to chat over coffee.

Alsace has won .. so as to seem surreal Wonderland ..