Le Shopping et les Oiseaux au Meme Jour

   The title means “Shopping and birds, on the same day”

   Berry and I stayed a second day in Strasbourg. We had contemplated birding Germany, but would have taken more than a day. Going around France again would have taken more than a day. So, we went shopping. Or rather, Berry went shopping and Robert tagged along to translate. She found a huge place with lots of stores. This mall is called the “Place des Halles”.

   Berry bought several things. We brought our loot back to the hotel and rested. We left again, looking for a city park in the southeast and found the “Parc de l’Orangerie”. We birded it and as we strolled through the back of the park, we ran onto a full, regulation-sized Petanque court. Berry and I play a version of petanque at home and thought this was interesting.

   We ate lunch in the park, seated next to Spanish diplomats from the nearby European Parliament. Robert had a Tarte a l’Oignon. Berry had a Salade César. The Spanish diplomat closest to me ate fried potatos with mayonnaise and catsup.

   One bird was under a bush and walked out to greet us. The Fieldfare (Turdus Pilaris) is similar to the American Robin. Imagine a North American Robin with spots instead of the red breast. Perfect cousins.

   We visited a large park right next to the Rhine River. Berry and I froze in place when this little fellow started flitting. We finally got a handle on him. The Treecreeper (Certhia Familiaris) was scoping the limbs for bugs. Like it’s North American cousin, it travels sometimes upside down to get his bug.

   In that same park, we finally observed a European woodpecker. It was diving in and out of the limbs of a tree. Berry spotted it and then lost it. Then I found it and identified it. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates Minor) is the smallest woodpecker in the forests in France. I has difficulty drilling holes in wood, because it is so little.

   For dinner, we ate at a Spanish tapas restaurant, El Pimiento. Berry had the Paella Real. Robert had Jamon Serrano, Croqueta de pavo, Calamares a la Andaluza, a spinach salad with orange pieces and a large piece of bread smeared with tomato paste and with melted cheese and serrano jamon on top. On our way to Luxembourg in the morning.

Robert and Berry

Photos courtesy of wikipedia and rfowler