June 1, 2011

Wow is it really June already?

Today was a travel day with not too much sight seeing.  We departed from our lovely little village of Obernai this morning and I was really sad to say au revoir.  It was our home for the past 7days and we really enjoyed our stay.  We left this morning around 10 A.M. and had a very interesting drive.  Jim sort of "disagreed" with the GPS (to further be referred to only as "nuvi").  So instead of turning right made a left turn so we took the very scenic route to the freeway.  Most of the trip was pretty uneventful after reaching the freeway, where the speed limit was a very nice 130 (81 mph). Regrettably  someone did not notify nuvi that there was a newly opened exit and nuvi decided we were driving in the middle of nowhere and not sure what to do.  I am happy to say we figured it out and made it to Reims.  


Of course once in Reims created its own problem.  We ended up driving on a Bus only street and then ended up driving through a pedestrian only area.  I am happy to report that we didn't run over anyone or get arrested.  The funny thing is, no one seemed disturbed in the least that we were driving through there.  Vive La France!


Reims , pronounced "rance" (yea, I don't get it either) has an incredible cathedral, the Reims Cathedral.  

It was started in 1211 and is one of Europe's greatest churches.


I loved the Gothic architecture, such as the gargoyle drain spouts:

This is also the sight that 26 french kings were crowned.

I also have to throw in a picture of a city train as well.  I love the European public transportation system.

It kind of reminds me of a monorail system, except its on the ground.


Tomorrow we are off to Brussels to get ready to return home on Friday.  It's been a wonderful trip however I am missing my doggies and my own bed.  I also look forward to seeing my friends as well.

bonne nuit!

May 31, 2001

Incredible day today!  I have so many awesome pictures it has been really hard for me to choose.

We made it to the castle ruins today and fortunately the rain held off until we were able to hike up to the ruins, take incredible pictures and then spend a lovely day in Eugisheim "aye-gush-I'm".

The Hussern Les Cinq Château are in the Vosges mountains with the vineyards below and what an incredible view.

However the remains totally captivated me, this is just a small selection of my pictures:

We climbed all over the place and probably a few places that we shouldn't have. I think we all were very happy that it wasn't 86 degrees today, somehow hiking and climbing all over the place would not have been as much fun in the heat.

We then headed back down the mountains to Eugisheim.  It is a really cute little wine village with adorable buildings and flowers everywhere.  This is a place that is truly "Disneyesque" but then you realize that its the real thing and that Disney could have used as a template.  I also turned in the parking lot and realized that we could see the ruins from below, so thought I would add a picture from a distance as well

As we started walking I noticed this very sweet little window with the lace curtain, slightly opened with the cute little flower box filled with Geraniums and had to take a picture

 

Not 2 minutes later did an adorable little grand-mère open the window and remove the dead plants, so of course I had to snap a picture and my daughter was horrified and proceeded to tell me that I was a "creeper".  If grand-mère just wasn't so cute!

We then had a truly divine lunch at Auberge du Rempart.  It was country cooking at its best and really reminded me of my own dear grandmother's cooking.  I had a wonderful chicken (fall of the bone tender) in a Riesling sauce with a terrific spaetzel.  We also had time to enjoy a wonderful walk around the city.  

I think Bailey and Laura are really tired of me asking them to pose for pictures, but they placated me once again.

We then found another Stork nest and one of the stork's arrived and made the most incredible noises (I wish I had audio to share with you) and they both stayed in the nest for a bit

then the most incredible thing happened the other one took flight and I was able to snap a very quick photo, its not the world's best but I was thrilled anyway.

 

After returning to Obernai for our last night while sitting in the hotel lobby a really large group of Mennonite checked into the hotel and we overheard a young couple say they were from Ohio so we talked with them and found out they were from Lancaster which is not to far from us.  It really is a small world.  Even stranger we went to dinner in a very German/Alsatian restaurant and because it was raining they were only seating indoors and were very full so they sent us upstairs where the Mennonites were eating.  At the end of the meal they sang  "How Great thou Art" in beautiful harmony and once again I was reminded of my grandmother since it was her favorite hymn. 

Sorry for prattling on today but it was a great way to end our stay in Obernai.  Off to Reims tomorrow.  I can't believe its almost over.  

bonne nuit!

May 30, 2011

We are back in France this evening after a wonderful trip to Deutschland today.

I must say having the European countries combine into the European Union definitely makes it easy for a touring many different countries.  There are no borders or need to show your passport after arriving in your original country, it is no different from traveling state to state in the U.S. We have now been in 5 different countries with no hassles.


I was quite charmed by Germany, after crossing the Rhine and arriving in Germany we first saw people picking Strawberries on incredible contraptions while shaded from the sun.  They were on wheels and they scooted using their feet.  Of course the crazy American tourists took pictures!

We then had to find a petro station before heading into the Black Forest.  We stopped at a Shell station (for some crazy reason they have been all over Belgium, France & Germany) and I went in to buy some bottled water and ask where the bathroom was.  The cashier didn't speak English and I don't speak German but luckily we were able to converse in French (and no I didn't take a picture of the Shell station).


We then headed up the mountains and into the Black Forest.  I did take a lot of pictures but some of them are not so great.  At the peak of the mountain we were over 3,000 feet above sea level.  It was really impressive!

There were also wild daises growing all over the place and I had to take pictures as well

After the Black Forest we headed back down the mountain to Baden-Baden.  A little about Baden-Baden, it is a spa town and the German word Baden translates to "baths".  After being separated from Tom & Sheree in a tunnel through the mountain and being thoroughly lost without a working GPS or a map of Germany we were able to find them with the use of our global cell phones (a really great idea, if I may say so myself).  We enjoyed a late lunch in a Bier Garten and yes a couple of biers too.  I don't have a lot of pictures of Baden-Baden as I was exhausted after being lost in a strange country and kind of forgot about the touristy things.

 

I did mange to snap this picture of a beautiful church with double spires that was close to the garage as well as this beautiful fountain

Today was the warmest day of our trip at a very balmy (hot) 86 degrees.  Tomorrow is suppose to be in the 60's with an eighty percent chance of rain.  We are hoping to tour the castle ruins that me missed out on yesterday but it depends on the weather.

Happy Memorial Day, until tomorrow.....

May 29, 2011

Bonne fête des mères!

                                         

Today was Mother's Day in France.  It was lovely seeing all of the mère and la grand-mère petite being taken to lunch and given flowers.  It was fun seeing another culture celebrate Mother's Day in their own way.

Today we took a road trip down the Route du Vin (wine road), which is a 90 mile ribbon of vineyards, villages and feudal fortresses.  This sunny area gets less rain than southern France which makes for good wine and happy tourists since the Roman days. There are also stork nests (which can weigh up to 1,000 pounds) on church spires and City Halls.  I did take some pictures, however I don't have the worlds best camera so I don't know if the detail is there.  We did see storks in the nests.

                                                         

We stopped in Ribeauville for a nice lunch and a little walking.  It was a really cute village and we were able to also do quite a bit of people watching, especially the families celebrating their mothers.

                    

After our long lunch (it is impossible to eat a quick meal in France) we tried to head to Eugishiem to visit the Chateau du Haut-Konigsbourg/ruin but got lost on the way and were too late to tour the ruins.  Weather permitting on Tuesday (a chance of rain) we will try again. 

 

Tomorrow we head into Germany for a visit to the black forest.  I have never been to Germany before and am really looking forward to our visit.


I am adding some of Bailey's pictures as well today, some incredible produce from a stand as well as a hot air balloon.

            bonne nuit, jusqu'à demain........                                                                                                      

May 28, 2011

Wonderful day in Strasbourg! Some of us didn't make it to the market today, however Sheree did and it looks like she found some real treasurers.  Sheree & Tom shopped in the market as the rest of us headed over to the Strasbourg Cathedral which is stunning.  They began building the Cathedral in 1176 and it wasn't finished until 1429..  It is Gothic style an somehow managed to survive the French Revolution, Franco-Prussian War as well as WWI & II.  We took in a concert of Swiss Apline Horns (I'm not sure why they were playing in front of the church) and I must admit it was really amazing, I only wish I would have had my flip to share video and music:

 


Jim, Bailey, Laura and I climbed the 332 steps to the top of the narthex of Strasbourg Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg) for an incredible view of the city:

It was really quite amazing but exhausting as well as you can see from the next photo where we rested after the descent:

We then headed over to very charming  La Petite France (this was the area that the tanners, millners and fisherman lived) for a wonderful lunch next to a canal

While heading back to the Cathedral area we decided it was time for a little caffeine and we stopped at a cafe. As Jim & I were drinking our coffee's (you don't get a paper cup to go here, when you want coffee you stop and have a real cup of coffee) the girl's decided to order dessert.  Laura had a chocolate ice cream thing (not sure what it was) but as you see the picture you will understand why I was compelled to share.

 

 Tomorrow the Route du Vin (wine road).  Bonne nuit, doux rêves

May 27, 2011

Today was a busy touring today, we started at LeMont Sainte Odile a former Monastery in the 7th century and later a convent in 14th century which was plunder in 1521 during the peasant wars then burned in 1546. Much of it is no longer left but as couple of incredible little chapels with beautiful mosaic walls and ceilings.  I have included some pictures, which do not capture the beauty of the mosaics as well as Bailey and Laura in a burned out tree that still is amazingly alive.

We then headed into Colmar and by this time it had started raining and a cold front moved in following the rain.  Colmar is a beautiful city that luckily was spared the bombing in WWII as the  American and British military were careful not to bomb the buildings (very thoughtful of them).  Colmar is also the birthplace of Frédéric Bartholdi, designer of the Statue of Liberty.  The city has an incredible museum, the Underlinden Museum which will spent several hours exploring collections of Roman Colmar to medieval wine-making exhibits  to paintings of the High Middle Ages.  Sorry no pictures are allowed in the museum, but you are allowed very up close and personal looks at the objects you could actually touch them, however that is not allowed.

Tomorrow we head to Strasbourg for an early morning market and then a day of sightseeing.  Weather is suppose to be sunny and 71, a perfect day for sight seeing.

jusqu'à demain

May, 26, 2011

We made it we are in Obernai, France and I love it!  It is a very quaint little town with a lot of German influences.  




Luxembourg, ok  I can say I have been there and glad we only stayed one night.  It totally reminds me of a small Paris but not in a good way.  The place seemed to be very populated and difficult to maneuver in.  I would NEVER drive in Paris and that is exactly what we had to to.  It was very confusing and frustrating.  We had to park in a garage several blocks from our hotel and drag our luggage on foot to the hotel.  Jim and I were lucky enough to get a room at the back of the hotel and it was quite and nice except for the extremely small shower and one very tiny trashcan in the bathroom. Tom & Sheree and the girls were not so lucky, their rooms were in the front of the hotel which faced an open area with lots of bars and restaurants, so they had to deal with noise most of the night and then the recycling truck at 5:20 in the morning and right after that some construction work began for the day.

Now on to more pleasant things, Jim, the girls and I arrived in Obernai after a lovely drive through many quaint little villages.  Tom & Sheree took the long way, they were following us and somehow passed us and missed the turn and took a very long way here.

The hotel is awesome and the rooms are enormous by French standards.  We have an entry way a sitting area, and a bedroom with a king size bed (almost unheard of in France) and a large bathroom as well.

We had a lovely dinner with 2 very charming French waiters and now are going to try to go to bed early.

We are looking forward to some sightseeing tomorrow and a market in Strasbourg on Saturday morning.  Hopefully tomorrow I will have a more exciting post for you.

I am posting some pictures from the Netherlands, our stroopwafels (thanks Sheree), Brugge and the view from our hotel window.

bonne nuit!  Until tomorrow.......