Strasbourg, France

The Viking Sun tied up at Kehl, Germany, and we were bussed across the Rhine to Strasbourg. During the drive over, our guide for the day (a French teacher) gave us a brief history of Alsace and it's shuffle between France and Germany. The bus dropped us outside of 'old town' and we began our tour by walking across one of the many canals to "Petite France" with it's 'half-timbered houses' and up to the cathedral. This first photo shows the single spire in the distance and the bronze of Johannes Gutenberg, inventer of the printing press.
This Gothic Cathedral is very ornate and is famous because the south spire was never completed. It was finished in 1439 but this church became the worlds tallest building when a taller one burned down in 1647. Our guide said that the walls were thicker than the Koln cathedral, and the windows were smaller as a result. "Like the city of Strasbourg, the cathedral connects Münster-German and French cultural influences, while the eastern structures, e.g. the choir and south portal, still have very Romanesque features, with more emphasis placed on walls than on windows." Thanks, Wiki.

Once inside the church, we noticed that it was quieter than Koln but a bit darker. Our guide then took us back to 'the clock' and started his lecture, taking as long as needed for the clock to strike the hour, and advance it's parts.
At that time, I noticed some gold lettering on the wall in that area, some of it in English, so I walked over and took this last photo. For the French to put such in a cathedral was very moving and puts paid to thoughts that they aren't grateful. On the bus ride back to the boat, we learned that Audie Murphy was involved in the fight to free Alsace during WWII.