Switzerland - Zurich & France - Strasbourg

After we checked out of our hotel we headed to the train station. Today we would be heading into France, but with one more stop in Switzerland. We rode to Zurich where we planned on scoping out the city for the afternoon. We walked the main street, were all of the high-end shops line the spotless walkways. It was a popular time to be strolling as it was Saturday and it seemed as if most of Zurich wanted to be by the lake. For lunch we picked up some picnicking supplies, lots of Switzerland cheese, and headed to the lake front. There we casually snacked as we fed the ducks and swans along with the other residents of Zurich. When we get back from the trip we are going to have to look up some of the interesting species we were giving lunch.
As the evening set in we took a train up the eastern boarder of France. We had a quick layover in Basel and the headed in to the Alsace region. Our destination was Strasbourg, the largest of the cities in Alsace. We wanted to spend some time in this area because that is from were the Eberlin family originated. The region is a little like a time warp because both Germany and France laid claim to it and it has been a part of both countries throughout the years, this was its protector during many of the battles of WWII as neither side wanted to destroy the land. On the train Evan and I had a bit of deja vu as we looked out on the countryside. Looking at the land it had an eerie resemblance to Calhoun, the rolling hills, farms and trees made us feel back at home. When we arrived at Strasbourg, a fairly large city, we got checked into our hostel. This one had a shower in the room, quite literally as it was only separated from the room with a small curtain. It was getting pretty late and we wanted to eat before everywhere closed, so we headed out into the town. While walking down a small side ally we found this little, bright and freshly decorated restaurant that was hiding in a corner. This turned out to be one of our more interesting dining experiences. Shortly after sitting down we discovered only the owner could speak a little English and he came over to help us order. Usually we do fine on our own, even with a foreign menu, since neither of us is very picky. Only this menu was hand written on a chalkboard and we had no idea where to begin. The owner, who was very patient and kind, explained that it was veggie or fish only and guided us through the few choices. I went for the Vegetarian special and Evan for a salad of orange and fish. When our meals arrived we were very happy with our food. I had food staples prepared in ways I have never tried before and Evan got to eat Swordfish for the first time. All of the details of the meal were great and we were very pleased with our Alsace experience.