Sounds Like “Mess”

Last Saturday we took a day trip to Metz, France.
Like most French words, Metz doesn’t sound like it’s spelled.
It’s pronounced “Mess.”

It was a beautiful day, perfect for playing at the fountain.

And doing some window shopping.

 
Look what we saw in one of the little shops.  
That there’s a Cleveland Cavaliers hat.
I put my French classes to good use and told the shop owner that our hometown is near Cleveland.  I’m sure my pronunciation was horrendous and I may have used the wrong word for “near” but he understood and told me to take a picture. 
(My French teacher has told me more than once that they think it’s cute when Americans say something incorrectly in French.  I’m gonna go with that.)

We wandered around the city some more…

Until we made our way to Saint Étienne de Metz.

The center of the cathedral is over 130 feet high.

And the stained glass?  Breathtaking.
The pictures don’t do it justice.

 
Hannah was probably like another old building?
I’m thinking that before we leave Europe, she will have seen enough cathedrals and castles to last her lifetime.  I guess this is what happens when you have us for parents. 

That’s just what we like to do – drive to a city or little town to get lost and explore.

On Sunday, we did more of the same.
After church we changed our duds and hit the road.
This time we stayed in Luxembourg for a picnic in the town of Echternach.

Echternach is the oldest town in Luxembourg.

We did some rock climbing.

And picnicked on the bag that turns into a blanket.
It’s a bag.  It’s a blanket.  It’s genius.

Hannah is standing in Luxembourg, but just across the river is Germany.

Yep, it was a good weekend.