Combating Slippery Sidewalks

There is ice on the left portion of the sidewalk but the sprinkled dirt path makes traveling safer.   In the very, very far distance of the photograph there is a man shoveling dirt onto the walkway.  I have unofficially appointed him the patron saint of winter streets.   

The sidewalks were icy last week.  It rarely snows in Strasbourg so this is not normally a problem.  When it does snow, things can get slippery.

From where I am from in the United States, there is a law stating that snow and ice need to be removed from walkways within a certain time period.  This does not seem to be the case in Strasbourg.  Most places here never get shoveled at all.  The snow gets trampled by walkers and bikers until it is compacted into a hard path of ice, making things dangerous.  A few businesses and government buildings use salt to melt the ice but this is a rarity.  It is very normal to have the snow lay on the sidewalks until it melts naturally.

I was very surprised last week when I saw a man shoveling dirt onto the sidewalk to make a safer path for pedestrians.  This was the first time I had seen this particular practice of combating the slippery surfaces.  The dirt had a reddish tint to it.  The Strasbourg cathedral is made from a local stone that is a pinkish color.  Maybe the man was sprinkling dust made from the same kind of stone?  I guess it really doesn't matter what it was made from.  What did matter was that I didn't have to watch my step so closely for a least a block.  I really appreciated this man's efforts in making it safer for me, as well as others, to stroll his street.

The Left Behind Rose

On the day after Valentine's Day, I walked by a restaurant placard.  A small speck of red caught my attention.  On closer inspection, I noticed that someone had stood a long-stemmed, red rose into the planter below the restaurant's menu.

I wonder what led to this rose being left in this unusual place?  Did a jilted lover shove the flower there in frustration?  Was it given as a present by an unwanted admirer?  Did a flower merchant sell all of his wares except this one lonely specimen?  Or did someone have such an abundance of roses that they thought it would be nice to share one with passers by?  I will never know the answer but it was fun to think of what might have happened.

La Photo du Jour: Waving Flags

A child watches flags waving over the Place de la Republic in Strasbourg, France.

La Rue des Coeurs

A romantic graffiti artist left this trail of spray-painted hearts along a tiny street in Strasbourg.  Make sure to keep your eyes open today.  You never know when love might cross your path.  Happy Valentine's Day! 

Les Photos du Jour: Please Let Us In

Two little boys are looking at the doors to the cathedral in Strasbourg.

The boys are waiting on a man and another boy to join them at the cathedral doors.  

It is too Cold to be Outside in Strasbourg

It has been bitterly cold in Strasbourg for at least two weeks.  Not only has it been this way in our area of France but all across Europe.  Thankfully Alsace hasn't been hit with snow as well as the frigid temperatures.  Yesterday it was 18 degrees Fahrenheit with the lows dipping down into the single digits.  Today is a balmy 22 degrees Fahrenheit.  That may not seem very cold to some of you but for Strasbourg it is extreme.  Winter temperatures normally hover right above freezing.

The news has been reporting that a couple hundred Europeans have died of exposure during this cold spell.  Most of the victims have been homeless people.  It makes me very sad to think that in such a modern world there are people who don't have anywhere to go when temperatures become dangerous.

There is a small population of "street dwellers" in Strasbourg.  I am making up the term "street dwellers" because I don't know how else to refer to them.  I don't know if they are homeless or not.  They might have places to stay but they enjoy spending a lot of time outside.  I do know that there is a group of people who I see on a regular basis sitting around in public areas of Strasbourg.  They are almost always in the same places when I walk through.  They are a community amongst themselves, hanging out together, talking, laughing, reading, or just being.  There are several dogs that belong to this community as well.  They are the most well behaved canines I have ever encountered.  They placidly watch the goings on around them, never barking, never fighting, always seemingly pleasant.

One of the men that I would consider as a "street dweller" is an older gentleman who plays a piano in various public places.  Sometimes he is by the cathedral but most of the time he rolls his piano to the popular street lined with stores, the Rue des Grandes Arcades.  Here he adds a beautiful soundtrack to the shopping experience.  I recently saw his piano being stored out of the way, under some overhanging eaves.  The stool was upside down on top of the instrument.  I hope that the musician was inside somewhere, staying out of the cold.  I also hope he has a warm place to sleep.

In Brussels: Brussel Sprouts

Just in case you were curious, this sign was the only sighting of brussel sprouts we had while we were in Brussels, Belgium.  My husband was disappointed because brussel sprouts are his favorite vegetable.  He was hoping to see more of them.  

In Brussels: Just Like a Pittsburgh Neighborhood

A neighborhood in Brussels, Belgium

We got a little lost driving home from Brussels.  Our navigational system blacked out for a few minutes which makes driving in a foreign city very difficult.  We unintentionally ended up taking some side streets and going through a neighborhood.  I thought it was a serendipitous event.  We were surprised at how much the area resembled Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the closest city to where my husband and I grew up.  There were even some signs for American products.  At times it looked like we were driving through Bloomfield instead of Brussels.

In Brussels: Additional Photos

A metal seashell embedded in the cobble stones

A waiter takes a break in an impressive doorway.  Notice the frieze above the doorway of Romulus and Remus.  

I wonder if the couple in the window is sharing heavy news with each other?  

Nougat

There were many seafood restaurants with displays like this sitting outside their doors.

No matter what country they are from, little kids are fascinated by pigeons.

These were possibly the best fries I have ever eaten.  They were made even better by their presentation in a paper cone.

Overlooking the city of Brussels at dusk

A seafood restaurant

The Grand Place at night

In Brussels: Manneken Pis

The Manneken Pis

While in Brussels there are several extremely touristy things one must do.  You have to eat mussels, drink beer, and savor the chocolate.  It is also mandatory to see the Manneken Pis.  This well visited icon is a bronze statue of a little boy.... ummm... relieving himself.

According to wikipedia, the statue was created in 1619.  The statue has been stolen many times so the city of Brussels now keeps the original in a museum.  A copy, made in 1965, currently stands in the  fountain.  There are various legends as to the story behind the Manneken Pis.  Wikipedia lists several that might be worth checking out if you are interested in learning more.  All of the stories involve a little boy urinating, of course.

It is tradition for the city of Brussels to dress the statue in a variety of costumes.  His clothes are changed several times a week.  He was wearing a jaunty red coat, a black hat with gold tassels, and holding a trombone when we saw him.  There was a green and red sash with an embroidered badge draped over his shoulder.  Matching flowers decorated the fountain below him.

This tiny tot is the mascot of Brussels.  His image can be found advertising multiple products.  He is emblazoned on t-shirts, mugs, and bags in all the tourist shops.  You can even buy little reproductions to sit on your mantle.

A woman poses with a human-sized, waffle-eating Manneken Pis.

Some mannekens doing their thing on a display of chocolates.

He even endorses beer!

Tourists line up to have their picture taken in front of the statue, laughing while doing so.  There is an air of frivolity and lightheartedness that doesn't happen very often with European statuary.  Manneken Pis is not about a famous king or military hero.  There is not a whiff of seriousness about it.  It is just a statue representing basic bodily functions.  It is nice to be reminded, when it is all said and done, that we are just people, doing what people do.