The Grateful Dead, More Churchapalooza, and I *heart* Marc; or, Metz, France

Metz, France 
July 18-19, 2016

Our little family continued our mini-road trip across the western part of Germany and crossed through Luxembourg into France. This is my second time in Metz and I couldn't wait for my family to visit one of my favorite places (so far) in Europe. 

Why Metz? 
Um, why not? Metz is in the Lorraine region of France and is on the Moselle and Seille Rivers. It has a Gothic cathedral, museums, gardens, and beautiful views from all over the city.  There is an open air market that sells everything from cheese to meats to vegetables. When I was in Metz in 2012, it was on the Tour de France map. 

Our Day in Metz
For anyone who has done a road trip with multi-stops, you know how tourist fatigue sets in. We could have easily spent 2-3 days in Metz to do it justice. That would have included seeing museums and getting to walk around more of the city. 

Instead, we arrived in the afternoon and worked on seeing the St. Stephen cathedral, getting something to eat, and getting up the next morning to hit the patisseries and the market. 

Metz has these parking garages that are, well, incredible. There is a whole system of lights that tells you where there are available slots, and everything is much more organized---and compact---than in the U.S. It was a little challenging getting our rented Audi into the close spaces.

don't think we're fitting our car in this place. . . 

Both times I've visited Metz, it's only been to the Metz Centre. I definitely want to come back to see other parts of the city and spend more time here. 

beautiful waterways coming into the town center

Another thing to know about Metz---it's hot and humid in the summer. Like steamy, stifling heat. The two times I've been there in July have been quite miserable. Not much is air conditioned, so your cute little outfit for France is going to stick to you like Saran Wrap. You are going to sweat. Your hair will frizz or wilt. Forget being cute in France in the summer. Metz is NOT the place for that. 

What it is for me is (what else?) a great place to visit yet another cathedral. Churchapalooza 2016 officially came to an end in Metz, but what a place---St. Stephen Cathedral is one of my favorite churches in the world. 

Walking around you see some of the same as the Dom: flying buttresses, stained glass, and gargoyles. The church (and many other buildings in Metz) are made from a yellow limestone unique to that area. 

The entrance way has beautiful rows of martyrs and saints: 

I know the Janus goddess has 2 faces, but I have no idea who these people are with 3 faces. 

Walking inside, you are greeted by walls of gorgeous stained glass. The church itself is not fancy in any way---there are chairs instead of pews, and lots of simple stone pillars and walls. There are no saints and martyrs in any form except stained glass. But boy---that's a reason in itself to see St. Stephen. 

Then there is the St. Stephen name itself---here's the quick (100th disclaimer---I'm not Catholic) version: he was the first Christian martyr and was stoned to death. 

And just as important to a Deadhead, it's the name of an amazing song that goes something like this: 

St. Stephen with a rose

In and out of the garden he goes

Country garland and the wind and the rain

Wherever he goes the people all complain. 

What does this have to do with a guy who was stoned to death? 

I don't know. 

Honestly, I don't really care. 

Because when in Ohrid or the Dom or Prüm or anywhere else where we saw Stephen, my youngest (who is oh-to-inquisitive about those saints) would ask, "What did he do?" and I'd sing a line or two of the song. And any day you get to sing a little Dead is a good day, right? 

You can go all over the internet and try to figure out the meaning of the song as it goes with Catholicism and the St. Stephen story, but really, it doesn't matter to me and it probably doesn't really connect. All that matters is I love the song and maybe Jerry Garcia's family did, too---his memorial service was held in a St. Stephen Episcopal Church. 

Here's the other random thing I love about the cathedral: it has amazing and beautiful windows by Marc Chagall. 

The construction of the church started in 1220 and it was completed in 1550, but in the 1950s, Chagall installed a series of colorful windows. 

So how did a Russian Jew with French citizenship end up with windows in a Catholic cathedral? 

A 1999 article in the New York Times tells of how Chagall installed similar windows in Germany as a "reconciliation" between Germany and France and between Christians and Jews. 

Next to the highly stylized, traditional windows are Chagall's, with their ethereal, colorful figures depicting stories of the Old and New Testaments. 

In addition to the church, there is a wonderful market across the center with the same yellow limestone. Built in the early 1800s,  it has a little bit of everything you'd ever want. 

There are also amazing patisseries near the center with every type of beautiful and tasty sweet you can imagine. Most charge one price for take out and another to eat in (more expensive to eat in), so the kids and I took a large box of pastries and wolfed them down sitting in the square outside our Novatel hotel. 

My take on Metz

I love it for the art (Chagall!!), the little tiny bit of French I know and can use, and the beautiful city center. I want to explore more. 

And I want more of France. 

I was amused how in the hotel, I completely understood everything the desk clerks said in heavily French accented English, but my husband didn't understand a single word---because this is how I felt for 99% of the time people spoke to us in German-accented English. For once, I didn't feel like an idiot. (Hell, I understand French accented English more than Glaswegian, or English in Glasgow, Scotland, but that's a whole other story).  

The first foreign language I was exposed to was French, at a rather early age. Maybe all those Babar books my mom read to me in French and songs she sang---"Sur le Pont D'avignon"---paid off a tiny bit. Or the hours I played with my Babar doll that spoke many phrases in French until I literally wore it out. Or that one semester of French I took in college. All I know is I could actually read and understand a whole lot more than I did in Germany, and that felt SO good. French is a language I feel very comfortable listening to and reading, and want to learn how to speak it fluently. 

My oldest son was fascinated with France, too. It's more laid back---you wait even longer there than in Germany for the waiter to bring you your check, if at all. I think it's considered really rude in most of Europe for a waiter to hover over you or bring you your check right after you are done eating. You are supposed to take your time, savor each bite, enjoy the company of your fellow diners or perfect your solo people watching. France is more relaxed to me than Germany. It's hard to explain in words, but it's more of a vibe you get throughout the city. 

There is also the effortless style of French women, even in the town of Metz. Women wear simple colors, simple hair, little or no makeup. They are laid back and yet elegant. How did they do this when it's hotter than 7 hells outside and I'm sweating with frizzy hair and rumpled clothes? I wish I knew the secret. 

Can you tell I love France? And no, I didn't encounter any snobby French people. Maybe that's because I speak a teeny tiny bit of grammatically ambiguous French and just smile. A lot. People like when you try to speak their language and smile, even if it's when you are pointing and grunting, which I also did a lot of in France. In fact, I am fluent in grunting and pointing and smiling in all languages. 

H taking in the cathedral---his expression says it all

Of course, all of these generalizations of France are JUST based on Metz (and the little tiny time I've spent in a few other small villages in 2012). I could be completely off the mark about Paris or other larger cities. 

in my happy place

Whatever the truth is, this is for certain: I am happy that Churchapalooza 2016 ended in one of my favorite churches in the world, where a Jewish artist created beautiful art of Jesus, and where the name evokes my favorite Grateful Dead song. (And this: eventually, all roads lead to randomness when you travel with me).