Le "weekend" a Strasbourg...

We busted out of Paris last weekend and hopped the TGV to Strasbourg. Oh, how we love the TayJayVay. We walked through the rain to pick Maya up from school (boys were off for Parent/Teacher conferences) with our rolling suitcases in hand. Hopped on a metro to the Gare de l'Est and we were on our way. The kids seemed to really appreciate the luxury in which we traveled this weekend. In their own words:

Maya, "Warm water, soap AND a hand dryer! TGV bathroom is 500 times nicer than the Italian train to Florence."

Jonah, "It feels like we just goed on an airplane!"

Loki, when we arrived at our modern, but very simple, apart-hotel, "This definitely feels like a 5-star hotel!"

And Chris, too, was pleased, especially with our location, "There's Thai carry-out one block from here. AND you can see the TGV out the window. It's like Disneyland."

I was just happy that everyone else was happy. A friend recently shared that now that she is a mom, her enjoyment in any activity basically revolves around her children's level of engagement and positive energy. So happy kids not fighting with their siblings on a trip to the grocery store turns out to be the greatest afternoon outing EVER. Eiffel Tower with cranky children - misery. So, I was just verklempt that the family was on the road, having an adventure, and everyone seemed so positive and up-beat about it.

Regan, kvelling over their great behavior, "I only ever hoped for kids who are healthy. And I got kids who are smart, beautiful and kind. I don't think I even deserve that." To which Maya responded without missing a beat, "Yeah, you BIT people!" Note to future parents: if you share your childhood secrets with your kids, thy will be used against you when you least expect it.

So, riding the wave of optimism that came from the joy of high-speed train travel, combined with pastries from the Alsatian bakery down the street from the hotel, we hit the archaeology museum. There, we found something for everyone. The museum is in the basement of the Palais de Rohan, this gorgeous building behind Loki.

It was interesting to see how this area has been a cultural crossroads all the way back to the Roman/Gaul/Goth crossovers 2000 years ago. Jonah found it amusing to see that the Roman armor really did look like the armor in the Asterix books. And while we don't pretend to use Asterix to teach the kids French history, it is a great way to get them interested in learning about history, and it definitely created a context for Jonah to connect to the museum. Loki was interested in the bones....

We explored the picturesque "petite France" neighborhood, where half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets and covered bridges give a medieval air to the town, and even found a playground for some rough-and-tumble play despite the cold.

We ate tartiflette (oven-baked potatoes, cheese and ham), and choucroute (huge mound of sauerkraut with large chunks of various meat items).

And for day 2, we took the tram to the modern art museum; a stunning building with beautiful views of the cathedral beyond the river.

Maya liked this monumental outdoor sculpture by French artist Severine Hubard. It is called "Village".

Loki liked Arman's "Homage to Cubism", and Jonah liked this Daniel Spoerri collage piece.. "It's awesome! It's made out of garbage!".

And then just like that, it was time to head home to Paris... Here's my team on the platform at the station in Strasbourg. The bold and intrepid voyagers.