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France/Spain 2011
Day 3 - 19th March - Strasbourg: On top and around the Cathedral (Part 3)
Returning to the city centre of Strasbourg (on the Grand Île), I witnessed a protest.
Anti-police protest before the Cathedral
While the anti-police protesters filed out, what seemed to be a busker was displaying his music CD wares. However, he was not busking, but only seemed interested in hugging and kissing a girl. I asked him why there was no music, and he said there was an important demonstration. I thought he was joking, with the small demonstration consisting of demonstraters like so:
Colourful (and cold) protesters
Mini Protest departing
As the protesters departed, I thought the busker would start busking.
While waiting, I admired the front portal of the cathedral.
Front portal
Then, I noticed a commotion.
Police car in the vanguard of a REAL demonstration. This was the demonstration the busker was referring to, I think.
Police car trying to run over kids who are, with the cyclist, trying to encircle it
Police clearing the way for protestors. It's great to live in a country where the police don't just not crack down on but facilitate protests
It's great: every year I come to France I witness a protest of some sort.
Education Protest 1: "L'Education est notre avenir" ("Education is our future")
Protesting in Prams: inculcating the young with national values from a young age
"Demonstration of students, teachers & parents against budget cuts"
"The hours of IDD - 'Itineraires de Découverte' [Itineraries of Discovery] used for assuring other learning. So no IDD for the students"
The tourist office is in the background. They should promote demonstrations as a tourist attraction, especially to tourists who come from repressive states which don't allow protests
Education Protest 2
One woman asked me if I was a PRC, then if I was a journalist (maybe she thought my fascination arose from my coming from a repressive state which didn't allow protests). What self-respecting journalist would use a piece of A4 paper to write notes?!
I should've responded to "Vous êtes journaliste ?" with "Je suis blogueur"
She then wished me "Bonne visite en France" ("Have a good trip in France") and I wished her "Bonne démonstration" ("Have a good demonstration").
She also gave me a balloon. Aww!
Protest Balloon: "FCPE - Fédération des Conseils de Parents d'Elèves" ("Parents' Advisory Federation")
I was wondering how to embark on my favourite form of exercise (climbing the cathedral tower) with a balloon, then it burst in my hand, solving my problem.
Horse's ass
Flying buttresses
Overlooking the square
Strasbourg from partway up the tower
Cathedral from above
History of Strasbourg cathedral
How to kill time on duty at ~66m (he's watching a soap on his smartphone)
Strasbourg from above
Spire. It was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874.
Spire from below
Latin carving on lintel above entrance to spire
More views from above
Descending the tower I had a look at the Maison Kammerzell
Maison Kammerzell
According to the SNCF audioguide this is an example of Renaissance architecture and marries religious and secular themes.
Wandering around the outside of the cathedral, I ran into a group of girls trying to sell sweets to passers-by. Questioning about whether this was an advertising campaign revealed that this was a French tradition: one of the girls was getting married in 3 weeks so it was tradition to sell sweets and such. In one basket I saw a foil packet I suspected was a préservatif. I didn't hear the magic word, though.
Bride-to-be and hens
What I got: traditional Alsatian sweets and scrunchie. I had been feeling a sore throat coming on since morning though, so I held off on consuming them.