After a quick trip down to the Saturday morning market in Kaiserslautern to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables we drove about an hour northwest to Mettlach, a village that lies near the point where Germany borders Luxembourg and France. It features factory outlets in the old downtown that specialize in housewares, most notably Villeroy & Boch. I didn't buy anything but if I was living in Germany I would have been tempted. After lunch we drove to Metz, France via Luxembourg along a picturesque stretch of the Mosel and Saar rivers.
I think the last time I stepped foot in Metz France was probably 1979 And I took a train from Metz to London to visit my brother Robert when he was studying abroad so I really don't remember it, and it was like visiting a new city for the first time. While less than 40 miles from the German border Metz is very French in its architecture and appearance. We wandered around the markets , the downtown pedestrian shopping district, and the main cathedral that features some windows by designed by Chagall. Metz does not have a subway or street car system, but it operates buses that look like street cars and have two points of articulation so they are the longest buses I've ever seen. When in France one should have duck for dinner, so I did. I will be leaving Germany on Tuesday by either bus or plane to Aviano Italy.
