Alsace Untour, Spring of 2005
by Rebecca Hamilton and Martin Wilber, Nacogdoches,TX
Comments limited primarily to Untour portion of our trip. Included some internet links I found useful. Alsace is a land of terraced vineyards, hilltop castles, refreshing wines, mouthwatering cuisine, charming villages and even more charming people!8-10 May
Follow the Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag diet beginning 3 days before departure. (http://www.louiselambert-lagace.ca/lllenglish/antijetlagdiet.htm). Depart East Texas home to Dallas & American Airlines flight to Zurich. Arrive and purchase roundtrip train tickets at the SBB counter to Colmar, France. Train includes change in Basel to SNCF (French) rail system. Arrive Colmar and walk to conveniently located Chez Leslie B&B booked online for 2 nights (http://www.chezleslie.com). Shower and walk around town stopping for dinner at L’Auberge Brasserie at the Hotel Bristol. Kept our eyes open until after 9 pm. Continued tour of charming Colmar (http://www.ot-colmar.fr/). Lunch at Maison Rouge. Tour highlight was Isenheim Altarpiece from early 1500’s at Musee d’Unterlinden.Wed 11 May
Pickup car at Colmar Hertz office with Untour voucher. We extended the two week rental an extra week and upgraded one level for drive north to Amsterdam. B&B host took us to the office and came inside to assist with translation to get car. (We have learned from past trips to NEVER leave the rental office until you learn how to turn on lights & windshield wipers, know where and how to open gas/diesel compartment, and can get the car shift into Reverse.) Other driving tips at http://goeurope.about.com/cs/france/a/drivefrance.htm11-17 May
Pleasant drive north with overnight in Liege, Belgium. Park car in Olympic Stadium P&R lot for 2 days and travel in Amsterdam by tram. South for 1 night in Delft, Netherlands and 2 nights in Ghent, Belgium. Spent last night just outside city of Luxembourg. Then back to France to begin our first Untour experience.Wed 18 May
arriive Bergheim 3:45 PM. Hosts Jeanne & Albert Schneider give a tour of the apartment. The Alsacian dialect presents a challenge, but their knowledge of English is sufficient for a nice exchange. We find two other couples from Maine have already arrived with Vivianne and are in the two units at the end of the hall. Unpack and settle into the Muscat unit which exceeds our expectations. Modern kitchen and bath; Comfortable queen bed; Futon type couch. Ample towels & a hair dryer. Discover TV has 3 German and 3 French stations. Should have packed the shortwave radio as we always enjoy exposure to another perspective on world events when out of USA.Thur 19 May
Albert takes us all for a tour of Bergheim and a trip to the grocery E. Leclerc in Ribeauville (http://www.ribeauville-riquewihr.com/EN/index.php) at 9 AM. We add a few items to the nice supplies the Schneiders have provided for us. Next is orientation meeting at Cheval Noir in Ribeauville. Meet Vivianne and Marguerite to receive instructions and more literature. Good session followed by interesting lunch. Still not sure what all was on that plate! Nice to meet the other Untourists who will be in the area. Keep your eyes open for stork nest atop a tower as you enter Ribeauville from Bergheim. End the day with a delightful concert by a touring choir from the University of Utah at the Catholic church in Riquewihr.Fri 20 May
Beautiful drive across the Vosges mountains to Nancy. Lunch at street café. Shop and tour downtown. (http://www.otnancy.fr/anglais/decouverte/index.htm). Purchase an Edith Piaf CD which serenaded us each time we got in the car for the remainder of our Alsacian tour! Stop at the Hypermarche Cora (picture Wal-Mart x 3) outside town. Young lady on rollerskates helps locate a stovetop espresso maker. Enjoy wine and visit with Maine Untourists on their balcony.Sat 21 May
Off to market in Selestat (http://www.selestat-tourisme.com/) . Came home with roasted chicken & fresh veggies. Went to Châtenois for lunch of Tarte Flambe and wine at Restaurant Beysang (http://www.hr-beysang.com/) . Delicious but rich. Should have shared. Stop to taste and purchase local wine in Bergheim at Marcel Deiss based on an article in France magazine prior to trip discussing winemakers returning to Biodynamics (an extension of organic principles and working the vineyard in harmony with nature). Further research now reveals this vintner is somewhat controversial due to his belief interrior over variety. (http://www.thewinedoctor.com/alsace/deiss.shtml" target="newwindow">http://www.thewinedoctor.com/alsace/deiss.shtml)Sun 22 May
Stay out of car today. Walk all around Bergheim savoring another stroll around the rue des Remparts and views into lush gardens. Wonderful 3 hour lunch at Winstub du Sommilier (http:// www.wistub-du-sommelier.com) topped off with rhubarb tarte.Mon 23 May
Have done lots of sink washing but decide it is time for one load of laundry at Ribeauville. Off to Kaysersburg for the afternoon. Tour town and Schweitzer museum. Purchase bottle of Crème de Cerise liqueur to treat friends at home to a cherry version of Kir.Tue 24 May
Nice morning walk. Successfully purchase stamps at La Poste for cards home. Drive to Munster via the most indirect route. Picnic lunch with beautiful view of valley. Stop at Rond Point near Ingersheim for more supplies. Special memory as Albert brings salad greens from his garden and shares a bottle of his own Gewurztraminer (1989 Schneider-Fonne ,Vendange Tardive). Another nice evening visit as Maine friends invite us to share their balcony for one last time. They depart for Paris tomorrow.Wed 25 May
Get new linens and put out one small load of personal laundry for Jeanne. Went to Selestat to Mediatheque for internet access to get family messages and check the debit account balance. Those Euros are going fast. Free internet use but limited to 20 min. Spend the warm afternoon touring the cool restored castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg located at 2500 feet. Beautiful views from many vantage points. Headphone rental gives more detail than English brochure. (http://www.casteland.com/puk/castle/alsace/brhin/h_koeni/haut_koenigsbourg.htm). Met new Untourists arriving from Maryland to start their week in Alsace. We feel their pain as we know the jetlag is in full force. Untours wine tasting event goes awry but dinner at Cheval Noir in Ribeauville is a delightful evening as we exchange tales of our first week. The white asparagus first course was wonderful. Vivianne schedules another wine tasting for Tues night.Thur 26 May
Fellow Untourists Dale & Shirley invite us to go with them to Freiburg, Germany for the day (http://www.spotlightgermany.com/articles/freiburg.htm). Stop in Marckolsheim at Maginot Line memorial where an esplanade surrounds a bunker which was defended against enemy attacks by 30 men for 3 days in June 1940. http://thetunnel.free.fr/maginot-e.html). Arrive Freiburg to find a celebration outside the Münster, a gothic Minster Cathedral constructed of red sandstone, built between 1200 and 1530. All shops were closed but we enjoyed a nice lunch in the Münsterplatz. The city has an unusual system of gutters (called Bächle) that run throughout its centre. These Bächle, once used to provide water to fight fires and refresh livestock, are constantly flowing with water diverted from the Dreisam. On Albert’s advice we drive to Titisee, the largest natural lake in the Black Forest. (We don’t brave all the tour buses and people filling the streets in search of the Black Forest clocks.). Return to Mulhouse, France from Schönwau im Schwarzwald, along a beautiful winding drive thru the forest.Fri 27 May
Hotter weather has arrived in Alsace. Late evenings and mornings remain a delight. We would have loved a floor fan to encourage the heat to leave the apartment prior to the evening breezes. Back across the Rhine today to visit Breisach (http://littlepeople.net/~heather/cathedral/breisach.htm) and the Münster St. Stephan's, a Romanesque style church constructed beginning in the early twelfth century & completed in 1485. Murals adorn the rear walls, painted by Martin Schongauer from 1488 to 1491. Nice views of the Rhine from the church courtyard. Lunch after the hot climb and did that dark German beer taste good! Tip: Do not assume a “Gyro” is a sandwich.Sat 28 May
Weekend supplies from the grocery E. Leclerc. We decide to visit Strasbourg (http://www.ot-strasbourg.fr/). We had been there on a previous trip and thought it deserved a second look. Left the car at the Elsau P&R and took the tram. The day proves too hot to take the open boat ride. Did enjoy the street market and added an unusual liqueur glass to our collection. Shared an order of wonderful “la choucroute aux poisons” at Maison Kammerzell near the Notre-Dame Cathedral (http://www.maison-kammerzell.com/uk/french_cooking.html). Cool off in the afternoon with rhubarb ice cream. Yes, that’s right! Retrieved our car at the P&R mid-afternoon and return home via a visit to Barr and Mont Ste Odile (a convent is perched on the edge of a high mountain founded during the eight century by Odile, the patron saint of Alsace. http://www.explore-biography.com/religious_figures/O/Odile.html). Nice salad with more greens courtesy of Albert. Sat outside to enjoy the breeze. Apartment did cool in the evening for sleeping.Sun 29 May
Did a trial run to determine easier route to Colmar Hertz office during light traffic in prep for return on Wed morning. Visit delightful Equisheim on our way to Thann, the southern end of the Route des Vins d'Alsace. From Thann continued up the Thur valley to Willer sur Thur, over Goldbach, back toward Cernay when dark clouds loomed over the Grand Ballon. Stop for a late lunch at a ferme auberge. It is Mother’s Day in France & it is quite busy. The first course of tourte & salade was so filling we have no room when the platter of sliced ham & potatoes arrive. A fun experience but go hungry. Today we wished the French observed the good old tradition of “doggie bags”.Mon 30 May
Day of departure is growing close. Rain has brought cooler weather and off we go to shop for a few gifts to take home. Lunch in Hunawhir at Winstub Suzel. Delicious meal of baked lapin and trout in Reisling sauce. After lunch, we park at the free bus lot in Colmar and trek into the Monoprix. Internet access available nearby for 3 Euros for one hour. Check out French voting on EU constitution and weather for our return to Zurich. Had a nice walk trying to locate English edition of a paper wanting to learn more about the vote.Tue 31 May
Day to pack and clean out frig. Weather much more seasonable. Enjoy a nice walk and lunch in Bergheim at Au Sommilier. Wine tasting at Bott Frères is a real treat with tour and history presented by Nicole in a most entertaining manner. Vivianne makes an unexpected appearance and joins our party of 6 for a last toast to Alsace. Share a delightful dinner of scallops and escargot at Pierrot le Fou in Riquewihr with Dale & Shirley. Chef and artist Baron Pierre von Werlhof entertains us with tales of his stay in USA in late ‘60s and warm hospitality as we are the only guests in the small establishment. A votre sante! with excellent Calvados compliments of the chef. (No Debit cards accepted so thanks to Dale for floating us a small loan until we could get to ATM.)Wed 1 Jun
All too soon our day of departure has come. Quick goodbyes as Albert is in a rush to leave with Jeanne for hospital in Colmar (something about a hernia). Turn in car at Hertz and off to train station for return to Zurich. We were very pleased with our Opal Astra 5-door. The air conditioning was a blessing on the warm days. It was easy to park and had good acceleration for the Autoroutes. Haven’t driven a standard lately, you can review at http://www.standardshift.com/faq.htmlThur 2 Jun
Convenient & reasonable Zurich accommodations at iPR Guesthouse within easy stroll of train station. http://www.sleepinzurich.ch/index2.html Tour Zurich & take train to Lucerne.Fri 3 Jun
AA flight back to USA.Now morning walks in our subdivision are filled with memories of strolling Bergheim’s rue des Remparts, imagining the smell of the damp air from the vineyards, yearning for one more trip to the Patisserie shop for a fresh baguette, hoping Jeanne or Albert appear with smiling faces, wishing to linger over another glass of wine with all our new friends, and wondering how much longer we will suffer withdrawal symptoms from all the luscious yogurt ...We have left Alsace but it will not soon leave us! THANKS UNTOURS!
A short slideshow of photos is available at: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rsham/album?.dir=/e985&.src=ph&.tok=phnaKJDBIBjnqGaT
Learn about Alsace wines at the fun website: http://www.alsacewine.com