So we were back on the road, this time heading to Strasbourg to stay with a woman called, you guessed it, Yahanatou. We took a wrong turn on the way and ended up at a roadside bakery. It was a huge, commercial looking set up. Think Pets at Home for croissants. We stocked up on tarte aux pommes and croissants and carried on our way.
Valenciennes to Strasbourg is a good 5 hour drive as Strasbourg is onthe border of Germany. I have to admit I feel a little bad for Joe. My head was lolling around like a bladder on a stick for most of the journey. What can I say? Travelling makes me sleepy.
We pulled into a beautiful street with a huge house and went to the gate. The happy face of Yahanatou came to greet us and what a greeting! We walked into a stunning courtyard full of wind chimes, herbs and fruit trees. She motioned for us to sit at a little table and brought us out a special hibiscus drink. She then brought out some biscuits. “Do you recognise these?” Erm, not really no. “No? They’re from Ickier.” No sorry, we don’t have that back home. “What? Yes you do. Ickier!” Ickier, Ickier…I searched my mind for what she could be saying and then it suddenly dawned on me. “Ikea!” I squawked at last. “Oh Eyekeya” she repeated, laughing playfully at my accent.
After our refreshments Yahanatou showed us where we were staying. It was a beautiful outbuilding that she had turned into another home. Her daughter lived in it but was away on holiday so we had the whole place to ourselves. It was spacious, modern and full of African art and trinkets. It had a polished concrete floor where Yahanatou told us she held yoga classes.
She’d left some maps and leaflets in the room and gave us some tips about where to visit before directing us to the bus stop. As we walked away she called to me “Roxana! What time will you be leaving tomorrow?” Around 9. “Ok, I’ll have your breakfast ready for 8”. Oh my god. I love her!
Strasbourg was the opposite of Valenciennes. It was vibrant but quaint. Full of tourists, flowers, old beautiful buildings with architecture clearly influenced by France and Germany. There were rivers and bridges. It even has a gothic cathedral, Notre-dame. It was a little like going from Hull to York.
We wondered around looking for somewhere to get a bite to eat which was super easy as there were signs everywhere for Flammkuchen. A speciality in the Alsace region. It translate to “flame pastry”.
It was really good. Like a carbonara pizza. I like my pizzas paper thin and charred and this was both. Then the creamy topping, white onions, smoked bacon and mozzarella. It was so good. I think of it often.
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Strasbourg, taking in the beauty and delighting in my new favourite word “schnokelock”. When we stumbled upon a Tabac I went it and bought a pack of slim, menthol vogues and a lighter. When in France…
Later on hungry again we headed to a restaurant by the river that we had spotted earlier in the day. It was leafy, shaded and buzzing with people. The menu was very German and I jumped straight in and ordered a ham knuckle. It was huge!! Not a particularly good meal but the view and the atmosphere made up for it. Soon enough it was time to head back. As we strolled for the bus Joe looked at me and said those magic words. “Get the cigs out then”….
The actual life of Riley 