Many, many years ago, as a child, I was taken to the Old Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. The attraction that truly had me intrigued, at the time, was the Strasbourg Clock. This model of the clock was built by a young Sydney clockmaker, between 1887 and 1889. It is believed that his working model was based solely on a postcard of the original.
To this day, it remains one of the most popular attractions at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.
Leap forward to 2012, when we were fortunate to visit Strasbourg, in the Alsace region of France. The Strasbourg Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg) is the home of the original Strasbourg Astronomical Clock (in fact, the current clock built in 1843 is the third to occupy the site).
Our first glimpses of the Cathedral are from the canals and the streets nearby.
The cathedral is inspiring when we get closer, especially the detail around the entrance. 
I am always attracted to an organ, (and this one does not disappoint)
The intricate carving of the pulpit
At last, we reach The Clock
Our guide made sure that we arrived a few minutes before the hour, when the clock really comes to life, as it has done since 1843.
Our guide, Catherine, detailed the history and workings of the clock. As part of her story, she mentioned that the Sydney model of the clock is significant, because it is the only model of the clock outside Strasbourg. That came as a bit of a surprise to me.
The other surprise I had was that I was the only person in the group, which included other Australians, that knew about the clock at the Powerhouse Museum.
If you are interested, you can read more about the Strasbourg Astronomical Clock here, and about the Sydney model here.
