Metz and Nancy – Part 2
Where was I?
Oh yes, ATM and gum. All that sorted and I also checked where I could get a snack on the way back. I wasn’t planning on staying super long. It was 3 PM when I got there.
The train station itself is a stunning building with an interesting history. It looks more like a palace and was built during the German occupation (1871-1918). There was also an old train station that was more in the center of town. Not very convenient for moving troops and there were also no through lines. Extending the tracks would have meant knocking down buildings.
Come to think of it, this could also be the reason why the train stations in Colmar, Strasbourg, Metz and Nancy are all about a 15-20-minute walk from the historic center. Makes perfect sense now. Glad I figured that out. I was not entirely confused, but it struck me that it was pretty much the same distance from the historic center for all four of them. Kind of annoying when your feet hurt.
Then again, there seemed to be free shuttle buses to the station, but that would have required talking to actual people 😉. Also, those are clearly for old people – not lazy ones. And yes, that’s my brain making excuses because I really didn’t want to talk to anybody. I was in full on explore mode, this would have slowed me down.
Off I went in the general direction of the cathedral. That thing is huge, but you can’t really see it while walking. There’s no street that leads right up to it and the buildings surrounding you are kind of tall – not NYC tall but too tall to see the cathedral from down below. I was confident I knew how to get there so I just kept walking. Those of you who have gone exploring with me know that if I’ve been somewhere before I can always find my way quite easily. And it seems like I remember the weirdest details years later too.
Found the cathedral – not that that was difficult. And it was as stunning as I remembered it. I posted this picture as the title image for my Sunday Morning Thoughts on August 25.
When you’re inside – look up. The many stained-glass windows are amazing. Especially go check out the ones in the transepts. Also pay attention to the detail above and around the doors.
When you exit the cathedral through the door at the end of the nave, the one that goes straight out, you can’t miss the covered market.
I wish I had missed it. The one in Colmar is nice and has a variety of things. This one was all meat and fish. The amount of meat that was on display and for sale was absolutely insane. After a long while I spotted some fruit and vegetables, then it was straight back to meat and fish at the end for good measure. I didn’t enjoy that at all. I was out the other side very quickly.
I remembered that going down to the water was the thing to do from a few years back. So, I did walk down and found the church I’d taken a picture of last time. Of course, I already used that picture of a church on an island in the middle of the river in my first Metz/Nancy newsletter. I then made my way back up (literally up) towards the cathedral. I just picked random streets and alleyways and when I turned a corner I was right in front of a bookshop. You just know that I had to go inside, don’t you?
It looked really small at first, but that shop extended for what felt like forever. There was an upstairs too. I could not find any books in English except in the foreign language section. Those were books on learning English, but anyway. I might have bought three French ones instead.
I walked back to the cathedral, which was right there as well, as the bookshop was just a few yards from the covered market. The cathedral was SO right there that I was surprised I hadn’t seen it when entering the bookshop. Then again, I tend to forget everything when I see books. So, it kind of makes sense.
Remember how much I LOVE tourist trains? There was one standing right next to the cathedral. It looked pretty full, but I spotted a single seat and just went for it. It didn’t ask about the route, nor did I ask how long it takes or how much it costs. I didn’t care, I wanted to sit down. Slight problem – my headphones didn’t work. Probably why nobody was sitting there. And this ladies and gentlemen is why you always carry a pair of plug-in headphones with you. I just unplugged the faulty ones and used my own.
Off we went. It cost €10, bit more than the usual seven or eight. I didn’t think much of it, but then we were nowhere near back at the cathedral after 70 minutes. Those rides usually last like 45 minutes. I quickly went online to check train schedules, and I saw that I had frequent trains back to Nancy until late. It was a Friday night after all. Next problem, I was getting hungry. We passed a bunch of restaurants and fast-food places and I saw one from a distance that had “taco” in its name.
I made a note of that for later.
Now let me tell you about that tourist train. It took me past most places I had already been to and I had never been on one where they talked about architecture this much. There was a lot of “neo”-whatever and Germans were to blame for most of it. That one stuck because that’s kind of a common theme. I did love the architecture though. Metz has a nice feel to it.
They also have their own Centre Pompidou. I didn’t walk to it on this trip but the tourist train took us past there. I was sitting on the wrong side of the train to take a picture of it, but you can just look that up. There was so much information about the history, the German occupation, the two train stations, the churches and the river Moselle (not sure how to spell it in English; it’s Mosel in German).
Metz is also famous for its mirabelle plums. I mentioned that last time. They are small and usually yellow plums. I find them a bit sweeter than their blue-ish relatives. Others disagree. So, here’s what you do – you go to Metz or Nancy in August and try them yourself.
On the way back to the station I paid a bit more attention to the architecture and tried to remember what I’d been told on the tourist train. Mainly how Emperor Wilhelm II wanted to Germanize the city, and it really shows in its architecture as one of my readers rightly pointed out when I shared some pictures.
And I also walked by that taco place. There was one along my route … it sounded good; I mean who doesn’t like tacos? Looking at the pictures, I knew immediately that it wasn’t something I wanted to eat. So I walked on and took another picture of the bike infrastructure that I’m sure was not there last time. It’s a start.
Train ride home was uneventful. I got a mirabelle tart at the station – super yummy and refilled my water bottle. I think I was back at the hotel around 8.20 PM. It’s a 40-minute train ride.
I’ll tell you about buses in Nancy and museum opening hours in part 3. There will also be a weather warning and some art nouveau.
And for those who played last time:
three books
276 pictures
17,096 steps
Notes:
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Metz-Ville
Exquisite architecture, especially the cathedral. I am so very drawn to such stories and photos. Perhaps in my next life, I’ll study architecture formally! Or at the very least, an occupation that pays a fair wage so I can travel in person and not just on line! You do plan so very well! I admire immensely! 😘
What fun! Great tour and looking forward to the next!