Kyle and I spent last Saturday afternoon on a little trip to another well known Lorraine city~Nancy. Though Metz and Nancy are the largest cities in Lorraine, they are quite different. For instance, Metz was a German city from 1871 to the end of WWI whereas Nancy remained French. Nancy also has had great influence from European neighbors to the east. In the beginning of the 18th century the Duke of Lorraine was seated in Nancy. This duke was the former king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; his name was Stanislaw Leszczynski. The place (or square) in the heart of the city is named for him. How did the old eastern European king become a duke in France? His son-in-law was none other than Louis XV. Quite a regal history. Anywho, Kyle and I enjoyed some time at Place Stanislas, the vieille ville (old city), and parc Pepiniere.
Posing like old man Stan
It's all about the gold...
Where da gold at?
It's pretty wherever you look.
As if the gilded gates and buildings weren't enough, we indulged in some white beers which look deliciously golden.
Medieval view in the old city
The cross of Lorraine~where can a girl get this in pendant form?
I saved the best for last. Everyday we see statues of important Europeans. In parc Pepiniere, we found this treasure with no name or explanation or anything. I never thought I'd see that kind of mustache on a statue outside of any state that fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.
Those are the highlights of our little day trip. Though interesting and quite lovely, I'm happy we're settled in Metz. I guess I'm a little predisposed to prefer a city so influenced by Germans~my maiden name is Heim (German for 'home'). All in all, it's nice to have a really great city like Nancy to be able to visit easily. Our summer of local traveling continues... on the horizon~ Fete de la Mirabelle. Later friends!
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