Shortly after Andrea finished the book 'Sweet Life in Paris', she informed me that we were taking a road trip to visit a little city on the northeastern border of France.....just to get some cheese. OK. Apparently the book is a really fun read filled with good humor and excellent food suggestions all involving fine cheese from France.
So we jumped in the car and made our way to Metz, France which is just under 2 hours by car from our village. Have to say that we both chuckled at the thought of spending a Saturday afternoon driving to France just to pick up some good cheese. But that is the true beauty of living in Europe: everything seems so close together making it possible to visit all the really cool villages and cities that you never thought of visiting before.
There was only one minor drawback to our Saturday plans: we were in the middle of a deep freeze. I'm talking single-digit highs during the middle of the day WITHOUT the wind. Frozen car doors were becoming expected. The sun was shining however, so we kept the positive thoughts as we made our way to Metz. It couldn't be that cold if the sun was shining, right?
The city of Metz is bordered by both Luxembourg and Germany and was once an important Roman city, so there is plenty of see and do when you visit.
Arriving to the city centre
Throughout the walking area the city is filled with great buildings, including this wonderful church
We were on a mission to find the local farmers market....and as I was taking the picture of the church, I turned left....well lookie there!
Inside the farmers market. A funny scene was the purchase of the bread and cheese. We speak almost no French, so we were a little anxious as to how this transaction was going to take place. When we approached the counter however, the helpful lady spoke to us in English. Huh? How did she know that we were from the states? Oh, the PCC bag hanging over Andrea's shoulder was probably a give away. Oops.
With cheese and a fresh baguette in hand, we wandered around a bit....
....and found the frozen river a sign that it was just a little cold.
The cold didn't stop us from enjoying the sights however.
Andrea taking in the sights....or wondering if she will ever feel her face again. Note the fresh baguette in the PCC bag.
This long corridor reminded us of the city in Switzerland, Bern. Ah, good memories of warmer times....and spending time with great friends!
The cold finally penetrated our warm layers so we dipped inside a restaurant and had probably the best crepe ever: made with chili con carne and a healthy portion of beef. Of course we enjoyed a dessert crepe as well....chocolate and powdered sugar. Yummy.
With our mission complete, we ventured back to the car and headed for home. It only took an hour for the feeling to return to the toes and fingers, so it really was worth the drive. The city of Metz is really neat and we are looking forward to returning this spring to enjoy more of the sights and culture. In fact, rumor has it that the Tour de France will be ending a stage there.....Metz in the heat of July sounds nice!
