We hoped to escape the intense heat wave we had endured for several weeks but it followed us to Alsace. It was well into the 90’s when we arrived. The sun was penetratingly hot. The Untours representative, Vivianne apologized for the hot weather welcome (as if it were something she could control). She chatted with us cheerfully as she buzzed along the roadways from the airport in Basel to our awaiting rental car and apartment in Beblenheim.

Located halfway between the famous medieval towns of Ribeauvillé and Colmar, Beblenheim is a beautiful old village with a very small grocery store, bakery, a few restaurants, post office and lots of wine cellars. The village is within easy driving distance of everything the area has to discover. Our apartment was in a perfect location. The final approach to the “Mirabelle” was through a narrow tunnel-like driveway surrounded by hanging plants and flowers. The Mirabelle is modern and even has a full sized refrigerator, somewhat of an extra bonus in Europe. In the following days the outside terrace with table and chairs became a favorite spot for our morning coffee and croissants from the nearby bakery. Each day the weather improved to more bearable warmth.

Vivianne handed over the keys to our tiny stick-shift car, which proved easy to maneuver through the narrow streets in the villages. Parking up on the sidewalks took some getting used to as well as zipping along the highways at 80+ mph but by the end of the two weeks we were very comfortable with driving. As it turned out, Kim Paschen, an Untours rep. from Media, Pennsylvania was also visiting Alsace at the same time we were there. Kim was checking out other potential apartment rentals. We were pleased to have the opportunity to meet her and Max, Untours’ rep from Provence, at the Untours sponsored dinner in Strasbourg the following week. It was fun to discuss with them face to face the various apartments and places they recommended visiting as well as hear about their traveling experiences.

The On-Site Guide for the Alsace Untour published by Untours tells you practically everything you will need to know and has great suggestions. The group orientation the day after we arrived provided us with some details not covered in the guide. We also borrowed some hiking maps to help us plan some walks for the next two weeks.

Some of the highlights of our Alsatian trip so memorable to us include:

• Exploring the huge Cora supermarket/superstore on the outskirts of Colmar (approximately 20 kms south of Beblenheim). We had never been in a store with 50 checkout counters. It took us over 3 hours to wander up and down the multitude of aisles. We were amused to find there brightly colored wool felted baseball caps (we had looked and looked for them back home in the States but never could find what we wanted). Here we had many colors to choose from for an unbelievable price of $4 each. We ended up buying 4! We laughed that we came all the way to France and bought baseball caps.



• While shopping at Cora we met Mindy and her husband from England who, ever so politely interrupted to ask if we were by any chance British. Mindy explained she is among a group of ex-pats living in the area who get together often to converse in English and having overheard parts of our accent she saw us as potential new members of their group. In discussing the heat wave France was experiencing, Mindy mentioned, "everything is all right now, Luv". As it turns out she was referring to the black out in New York City because of the critical overload. We thought she was talking about the nuclear plants in France which we had heard were of some concern because of the heat wave. We had not watched any English TV or read any English newspapers so we were eager to find out more. A short time later we bought an international newspaper in English where the NYC blackout was in the headlines. Mindy enthusiastically suggested things to see and do in the area and even invited us for tea the next time we are in Alsace. She gave us her telephone number and e-mail address. She also told us we “must” go to St. Alexis’ Auberge Restaurant in the mountains above Kaysersberg. According to Mindy, one of the waiters who was originally from the States met and later married the innkeepers’ daughter while vacationing here some 10 years ago. A nice little insider’s tidbit. She cautioned us that the auberge was closed on Mondays and it might be worthwhile to call ahead for reservations as it was a very popular spot. Although there is a winding road to drive up, the following week we actually hiked to St. Alexis through a woodland path from Riquewihr and back. It took us a bit longer than we had anticipated (about 3+ hours) but it was worth it. We were excited to run into Kim again from Untours who was having lunch with one of her friends from the area. Although the small chapel of St. Alexis next to the Auberge was locked up, the restaurant owner gave us the key to allow us inside on our own. The chapel was an inviting retreat after we feasted at the outside tables on a scrumptious lunch of choucroute garni and wine. We learned how to immediately recognize Alsatian wine by its narrow, fluted shape, which is required by law for bottles of all Alsatian wines. Before starting our trek back down to Riquewihr we returned the key and took a photo of Kim and her friend lingering over their lunch.



• Walking through trails through the marshlands outside of Seléstat (approximately 20 km north of Beblenheim) and spying a herd of small red deer grazing in a nearby field. Although this circular walk was described as meandering through wetlands and over crude bridges, that day, because of the draught it was extremely dry and water free. Several hours later when we returned to our car, two unmarked police cars came tearing into the parking lot causing the dust to fly. We were slightly startled and a whole lot befuddled as they got out and walked over to our car. In our limited French we answered what we thought they were asking: where we were from, where we had been, etc. Luckily our car rental papers were in order in the glove compartment (thanks Vivianne). After checking our drivers’ licenses (we had left our passports at the apartment but thankfully that was ok), they explained that a lot of rental cars are stolen and left abandoned. Since we were the only car parked in this out of the way spot and our license plate identified the car as being from Strasbourg they were apparently concerned that our car might be a stolen auto. They were going off duty after leaving us. One officer joked that he was really going off duty because this was his last workday—he was retiring. Since John was also newly retired he and John managed to "discuss" what it was like to not have to work anymore.



• Hiking up to the Trois Châteaux of Ribeauvillé with its superb views. Later stopping for a snack at a Turkish restaurant in Ribeauvillé. Was it because we looked so tired or that we mentioned were from the States that the owner so graciously treated Barbara to a glass of Turkish tea? He served it in an elaborately decorated gold-rimmed glass. It was delicious. We discovered our German language speaking ability was a bit better than our French. We conversed with him in German. Who would have thought we would be speaking German with a man from Turkey who lived in France?



• Walking the circular route through the vineyards from Beblenheim to Zellenberg (waiting it out in Zellenberg to continue our walk while a downpour with thunder and lightening rumbled through the valley) then continuing to Hunawihr (exploring the unique fortified church there) then on to Riquewihr and finally all the way back to Beblenheim through Mittelwihr.



• The local wine fest in Zellenberg, home of the storks’ nest, where we were treated to our first taste of Tarte Flambée sitting outside at a long able and where we were encouraged to join in the sing-along with the locals. The first few songs were in French and then all transitioned into German. It was a wonderful evening of cultural immersion. A real Untours experience.



• The magical evening of music and songs (recommended by Vivianne) in Bergheim where former professional soprano singer, Irene Marshall, from the States (and former Untourist also) treated us to an unforgettable rendition of “Summertime” and selections from various musicals. After the concert we strolled by candlelight up the cobblestone street to an old cemetery where we all joined in a chorus of “Those were the Days My Friend”—an emotional experience for everyone.



• The Untours-sponsored get together in Strasbourg with a walking tour led by Vivianne of the famous Cathedral as well as other city highlights; the fabulous meal in a restaurant specializing in spices and herbs, good conversation and copious amounts of Alsatian wine. Later at midnight trying to navigate our way back to Beblenheim from the underground parking garage in Strasbourg. Taking a wrong exit and heading towards Nancy. Getting back to Beblenheim at 1:30 in the morning.

We definitely will go back to Alsace with Untours. We recommend it to anyone who loves wine, easy walking, castles, history and natural beauty.