Enfin, des photos! the day was not a complete failure...

This morning I had to deal with the alternately boring, semi-pointless, and confusing process of registering for some of my classes at the Institut d'Études Politiques (IEP). I'm taking the rest of my classes at UdS (Université de Strasbourg Marc Bloch), and there's a separate registration process for each. Not fun. Anyway, after that I planned to go downtown at 3:00 to meet my program coordinator and other BC kids, the objective being the creation of a bank account. It was an utter fail. She didn't tell me where to go, so I had to call her. She gave me false directions, so I never found my way there. Seriously, she's lived her for at least 15 years and yet I feel like she is little or no help at all. I won't say any names though. This blog is dedicated to preserving the anonymity of any persons mentioned herein. She is proof, though, that the extra tuition BC charged for this semester abroad is somehow being misappropriated. Sorry mom and dad.

On the plus side, and it was a big plus side, I got to wander around and finally take some pictures of my surroundings. Honestly, if I didn't get tired I could walk around Strasbourg all day just taking in the sights. Downtown is full of beautiful old city blocks, super narrow alleys, crazy german-french architecture, beautiful rivers (or canals, if you will), and many nice dogs. Just take a look at these beauties:

This is Place Kléber, one of the main squares in downtown Strasbourg. There are many boutiques, as well as bars, small restaurants, and specialty stores. Maybe that's what a boutique is. Quite nice. You can see the spire of the famous Strasbourg Cathedral in the background to the right.


Monsieur Kléber himself. I think he served the French military with distinction.



Some might find that face intimidating, but to me, Monsieur Kléber is stern. Stern...but fair.

This is a facade of a building I stumbled upon while wandering the backstreets of Place Kléber looking for the damned bank. A silver lining indeed.


Here's a closer picture of the ornate designs around one of the windows. I really have never seen anything like it. Puts my painting work to shame.


And here is another view - a mother and child (perhaps Jesus and Mary - France loves its Catholicism)? Maybe not, but en tout cas, quel détail magnifique!


I couple of streets away, I found this. Malcolm, I think I finally found a keg big enough for you. I don't think we could fit it in the back of your minivan, though.


These interestingly-shaped trees line many of the avenues and waterways in Strasbourg. Proof that the Whomping Willow exists.


This is a view along one of Strasbourg's many waterways/canals. Small bridges can be found every so often. Beautiful. I also felt like I was Jason Bourne the entire time, so that was cool, too.


Another view from along a waterway. One of the things I like most about Strasbourg's older buildings is the variation in color. Such a thing just doesn't exist in the states.



There are also lots of buildings that look like they're straight out of the Tudor era. They probably are.


Another old, ornate building. It is actually a café/ boutique on the first floor (rez-de-chaussée). The mixed German-French heritage of the Alsace region can be seen in buildings like this, and it really makes Strasbourg a special place.

Last, but certainly not least, I saw this guy sitting in the doorway of a building I passed as I was walking home. If I wasn't such an amateur photographer he might not look so demonic. Plus I haven't figured out how to use the red eye eraser tool and I didn't want to screw it up more. I thought about petting him, yet instinctively I knew that a beast of his majesty deserves to be left alone. People in Strasbourg love their dogs - I see them everywhere, even in restaurants. A sign of good people, if you ask me.