Christmas passed quite uneventfully in Nancy. Like most of the Christian-influenced West, there really wasn’t much open. We hung out, watched a few episodes of the Tudors, had some discussions, and ate spaghetti for dinner. We did go out to see some of the town sights: the Place Stanislas (declared the Most Beautiful Place in Europe – place meaning “square”) due to its ornate fountains and gold everywhere and the adjoining Parc de la Pepinière. My family enjoyed the gardens, but LOVED the little zoo. There’s a sad chimpanzee who’s been living alone for over 30 years who perks up for all of his visitors, but the real stars were a family of monkeys huddling together in the cold on their rock exhibit. The ever-so-spacious “mixed outdoor” enclosure included deer and African cranes.
Le lendemain, we went to Trier, Germany (known as Trèves in French). Not only is it close by, it’s also the hometown of my German colocataire S so I knew that there would be some interesting things to do/see. Getting there was pretty simple – train from Nancy to Luxembourg, then connection from Luxembourg to Trier. Three countries in under 2 hours! My family was impressed a) by how much English German people spoke as opposed to the French b) the gorgeous cathedral and c) the delicious hearty food. Trier is the oldest city in Germany and has some Roman ruins lying about, such as the Porta Nigra (Black Door). The cathedral is huge in scale and includes a courtyard, a cellar with some reliquaries, and a sacred tunic worn by Jesus and brought to Trier by Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine. To escape the cold, we ate a delicious Weinstub with multilingual menus and friendly staff. I had some dumplings stuffed with meat and we all watched as my sister made her own lemonade at the table. In Luxembourg, we stopped at McDo for a café before heading back. Next up: Paris Day 5 and Rome!
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