James Went To Metz

After falling in love with Strasbourg, it was time to head to my next destination, Metz.

Metz wasn’t somewhere I was particularly bothered about visiting, the reason I was there was that I wanted to go to Luxembourg yet was put off by paying £130 a night for a hotel, so thought I could travel there from Metz – which was 50 minutes on the train, and half the price in a hotel.

I soon found myself in a pretty town, of old stone buildings. But where were the people?

Everywhere was quiet. I’d gone from buzzy Strasbourg to boring Metz and I really was psychologically unprepared for it. Even Basel had more life to it. Hell, even Liechtenstein did.

That said, at least it was hot – though by this stage too hot for long walks, so there was only one thing to do and that was a beer in the sunshine.

Or two. There was a notably large square full of bars, which were all empty of people – bar me. Perhaps because people were avoiding the peak heat, but with my hotel being much more old fashioned than I expected (I expected it somewhat), especially in terms of décor, I was not especially minded to stay indoors.

Eating In Metz

My mood worsened with dinner on the first night, when I received a sub-par steak whilst looking at the French people around me eating what looked like glorious steaks.

I definitely had the tourist steak. Plus the bread was stale – however the red wine was superb. So it wasn’t all lost.

Eating out in Metz was generally a little deflating.

The next day at lunch, Casa Ricci served me a bang average salad.

Wine was excellent again though.

The only other meal I had in Metz was at a charming Alsace restaurant (charming and quiet) called La Winstub, where I was a very bad human being and ordered the veal – not entirely sure why, and I enjoyed the crushed potatoes far more, though they were excellent.

On the final night I was too frustrated and just went to the empanada place, Restaurant Boquita, which also had excellent (and very cheap) red wine.

A chorizo empanada may also have been dessert on the night after the shit steak.

And a chorizo empanada may also have been dessert on the night after the veal.

Oh well. Holiday.

Things To Do In Metz

So I wasn’t especially enamoured by Metz on arrival, a quiet and boring town/city and a shit steak. But they had modern art museum, the Pompidou centre, so the next day I went there, after the aforementioned bang average salad.

Well.

What an absolute load of shit.

I loved the Centre Pompidou in Paris, but its regional outpost was easily the worst modern art museum that I’d ever been to. Of course, art is very subjective, and one of the exhibitions I could see why people might have liked it, even if I didn’t – but it was just dull. The best part was that one of the floors was closed.

I wandered around Metz for a while, yep still really quiet, still rather pretty.

I probably would have enjoyed Metz more if it was my only destination of the trip, and I hadn’t just been to somewhere really fucking cool, Strasbourg – and likewise I imagine I’d have enjoyed it more if I was in my 60’s, and liked a quiet life.

Metz wasn’t for me.