Weekend in Strasbourg

The Boyfriend called me at the office on Thursday morning and suggested we "go somewhere and stay the night" at the weekend. By three in the afternoon, I had booked a room at the Hotel de l'Europe in Strasbourg and he had gotten the train tickets. So we left on Friday evening after work and we arrived in Strasbourg at 10.30 p.m., just in time for a beer and bed.

I indulged in some serious shopping on Saturday afternoon, after which I regained my strength with a generous serving of Earl Grey at the Artichaut, a café right next to our hotel. If I lived in Strasbourg, I'd go there with my laptop and write the blog - oh, wouldn't that be nice? What I love about French cafés is the way they let you eat something you may have bought at a boulangerie or pâtisserie on the way there. I could openly enjoy the ever-so-indulgent macaron au chocolat I had bought myself earlier on. Macaroons consist of two feather-light biscuits filled with a very rich cream. I thought that it went extremely well with the Earl Grey.

I firmly believe that you should not go on any trip unless you're armed with the Guide Michelin. The guide rouge has never let me down, its recommendations are fail-safe, even in the most crowded and touristy places. We chose

La Vielle Tour (1, rue A. Seyboth) for lunch on Saturday, where we enjoyed a lovely lunch from a set menu (35 Euros). Simple, straightforward cooking inspired by the mediterranean cuisine of southern France.

For dinner, we went to

A Table 77 (77, Grand'Rue), also recommended by the Guide Michelin. The food is modern with unexpected flavours and textures but still subtle and very, very good. With 30 Euros for a three-course dinner (you can pick any starter, main course and dessert from the menu), the prices are unbelievably reasonable.

We'll definitely do this again some other time. All the great food and not a laundry basket in sight.