Vive la différence: a long weekend in Strasbourg and Paris
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Two cities just a few hours distant, yet miles apart in terms of culture, crowds, and metropolitan swagger. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Would you like to meet Arthur?” asked the well-groomed American tourist in the scalloped booth next to ours. We felt perplexed as the man seemed to be sitting on his own, but then we realised that perched on a soft cushion and gently lapping at a saucer of organic yoghurt, was an elderly poodle. “Arthur loves Strasbourg,” he explained. “This is his 16th visit!” The dog stared unblinkingly at us, his pink tongue licking a spot of white yoghurt from his black whiskers. “Really,” I said. “What does he like so much about the place?” The man looked at us with amazement: “Well, the breakfasts, of course!”.
![[Martin Love]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2017/12/05/Martin_Love,_L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
I also like breakfasts – and the city of Strasbourg – but this is only my third visit. This time, my wife, Juliet, and I are here for the weekend as surprise guests at a close friend’s 60th birthday (somehow we managed to keep our visit a secret until the moment he and his French wife entered the tiny restaurant we were waiting in).
![[Modern Strasbourg: the Museé d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de Strasbourg.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/a92e2e1e769bc03b3a1e42588ee7413f366c0bd7/260_551_4783_2870/master/4783.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
He has lived in Strasbourg for years and it’s always good to have a local guide to show you around. But this pocket-sized city could not be easier to navigate and seems almost purpose built to make life easy for visitors. It is compact, almost traffic-free, and has a helpful network of ultra-modern trams crisscrossing its medieval centre. The oldest part of the city nestles in a great bend of the River Ill (that’s an I and two Ls, the river isn’t ill, it’s in great health).
![[Jaw-dropping: the Bourse in Paris.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/96906ee6c75d310ee3c698e92f1df0da5744890c/0_1240_5267_6583/master/5267.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
