We are headed from Strassbourg to Colmar, France on Saturday, September 10, 2011.
Day 2 of our 3 day weekend in Alsace region of France.
We take the scenic route per the GPS in the car, thank you very much! And, every little town we pass through is just so pretty, clean, neat, and brimming with half-timbered buildings and overflowing flower boxes on the windows and balconies. I think I could live here...
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| Look at the top left of the picture on top of the roof of the building--that is a place for local storks to nest! And the "mascot" of Alsace is the stork, which we saw everywhere in shops as stuffed animals in all sizes, sewn onto napkins and kitchen towels, painted onto nice handmade pottery, woven into lace |
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| Driving into each little town in France and Germany, if you find the church, you've found the town center. We see a big castle on the mountain and decide to detour and check it out by following the signs for Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg |
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| Colin chillin in the backseat watching his movies...Ratatouille was playing, I think...very apropos since we are in France. |
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| Scott enjoying driving the Passat diesel. I haven't driven once since we've been here. I don't really mind. I actually hate driving! |
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| A bad picture from the car, but Scott was envious when he saw this cyclist |
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| View going up the mountain to see Chateau du Haut-Koenigsburg |
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| There's person flying in the air above us with a hanglider attached to a lawnmower engine. I don't really know what it's called, that's the best description I can conjure up. |
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| View as we walk the rest of the way up to the castle from parking the car |
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| Windmill on top of castle |
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| I'd build my castle up here too if I were Queen or Konig! View lookin down on the Alsatian plain. |
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| Colin thinks every surface is a track to run his train or car, or in this case, a McDonald's Happy Meal toy...whatever gets him to the top of the mountain! |
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| Scott is loving it--a kid, maybe 12 yrs old?--riding his bike up the mountain with his dad, pictured below. |
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| Always contort/twist your body and chin to make the double chin go away... |
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| Colin next to the model of the entire castle and grounds |
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| OK, keepin' it real: we didn't pay 12 Euros each and 4 Euros for Colin because of the money and we'd have to wait a couple of hours for an English tour...been there, took some good pictures, movin' on! |
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| Prince Colin at the castle entrance...he was in a posing mood! He told Scott, "take my picture Daddy!" |
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| Then we got this one. Wow, a family picture with all three of us, and Colin is smiling! Great job Scott! |
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Back down the mountain and I stop to take some pictures of the almost ripe vinyards. I want to come back and just vineyard hop...I'm sure I could get Scott to do a cycling-wine tour here! It's so beautiful!
OK, for all your oenophiles, I don't know the vineyard or the type of grapes I'm photographing, but the main types of grapes grown in the region here are: Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Muscat, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinto Noir, and Gewurtzraminer.
For more detailed info: http://www.alsace-wine-route.com/en/the-alsace-grape-varieties/ |
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| Vineyards, Haut-Koenigsbourg on the crest |
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| Just a gorgeous house on a vineyard...wonder if they'd rent me a room for cheap next summer? |
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| Crucifix and flowers in bloom next to entrance to this vineyard |
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| Domaine...something...had a degustation room but we kept on movin' down the road to Colmar... |
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| Driving through another picturesque little Alsatian town, didn't catch the name... |
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| Scott slowed down and I was hanging out the window like a crazy person taking pictures as we drove through debating if we should stop or not...no, we gotta get to Colmar... |
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| I guess garage doors used to be more pleasing to the eye than they are now since you had to drive your carriage through them... |
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| Au revoir, cute petit town! Maybe I will see you again one day! |
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| They were also growing lots of corn, and cabbage--wow, the cabbage! But I couldn't snap a picture fast enough of the cabbage--it takes a lot to make enough sauerkraut for an entire town for a year I guess! |
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| HUGE corn field next to vineyards |
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| This is the hometown of Frédéric Bartholdi, sculptor of our gift from France, The Statue of Liberty, so here is a replica as we enter into Colmar. Pictures from moving car not the best. |
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| We've been calling Colin, the little chef, like Remy, in Ratatouille that he's been watching. Little Chef is ready to see Colmar and taste some new treats! |
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| And as soon as we walk through the parking garage into the first main square, a Petit Train Turistique (the little tourist train)! Really, right there, made this boy SOOO HAPPY! But we had to wait a bit for it to run again and us take a ride. |
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| There were little canals with small fish in them. And, we will head to part of town called Petit Venise, where more canals run right next to homes and business, just like Venice, Italy (only not stinky!) |
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| We come across this memorial to the WWII resistance fighters of the town. |
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| Colin actually sat down and asked politely for us to take his picture! Whoa... |
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| Gorgeous Colmar |
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| There's one of the stork's I meantioned earlier, and the pottery on the balcony--those are traditional kugelhof (cake) molds, sort of like a ceramic "Bundt" pan! They sell them in all sizes and are typically handpainted and glazed in beautiful colors and patterns. If I could afford to ship it home, I'd buy so many dishes and potter and wine and.... There are many Scott-ism's I could fit in right here, but I won't |
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| Time for lunch. We find a cafe, sit, order.... small puzzle to keep him busy until we get food. Ahhh...loves the real Coca Cola, and that's in a cold glass bottle too, so it makes it taste even better! |
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| He had just said, "I can do it MYSELF!" |
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| Sillyness. We are the loud Americans right now...oh well, I really don't care, Colin is happy... |
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| He thinks it's funny because he's trying to take off his shoes, and not only is it disgusting to touch his feet and shoes before he eats, his feet REEK! They smell like corn-chippy-vinegar-feet! It's gross! |
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| And, our food comes. Scott gets a regional specialty called a Tarte Flambee (like a wood-grilled, super-duper-thin crust pizza) or in German, a Flammekuche. YUM! His has creme fraiche as the sauce base, then lardon of bacon with onions and Munster (also a regional specialty--a soft, creamy cheese from cows milk, definitely NOT what we think of Muenster in the USA!). I have a Croque Monsieur with a salade. Mmmm! Colin ate 2 Oreos I brought from home, and an apple and applesauce that I packed from our hotel breakfast. |
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| We ate lunch right next to this church. Look at the top--another stork nest! |
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| Colmar, France |
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| Colmar, France |
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| Check out the tile work on the roof of this building. |
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| Colmar |
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| A Biscuiterie, right next to a Creperie, which I think is right next to a Boulangerie....but we just ate lunch, so I restrain myself! |
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| And we find a playground....which we definitely needed for Colin to burn off some energy. He was getting pretty cranky! |
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| All the local vins for sale in this shop |
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| Les Halle, the central market hall selling just about everything...like cheese, glorious fromage |
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| Spices, mustards, salads, olives |
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| Fresh baked breads and pastries in le halle |
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| In Alsace, you can find your German soft bretze too! |
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| Quiche, tarts savory and sweet, flammkuchen, meats and pate' baked in pastry.... |
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| Le Halle in Colmar |
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| Le Halle in Colmar |
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| Display of beautiful veggies on the way inside Le Halle |
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| Dem' some big cabbage heads! |
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| There were sheep in a pen next to Le Halle |
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| Colin wasn't so sure about petting them...they were pretty matted and yucky feeling animals! |
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| Looking down a canal next to Le Halle on the right, as we head into Petit Venise in Colmar, France |
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| Dipping our toesies to cool off in the shade |
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| This looks awful but was actually funny. Yes, I'm laughing at my child... There was a balloon animal floating down the canal and it kept coming closer, so I told Colin I'd get it if I could reach it. As soon as he got it in his hot little hands out of the cool water, it popped and scared him so bad and then he was sad because it was gone all at once. And he was in need of a nap at this time too, so all Scott and I could do was burst into laughter. Guess you had to be there?!? |
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| The heart motif is everywhere in Alsace...much better than a stork, I think |
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Petit Venise
Colmar, France |
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| An Italian shop with fresh pasta and gnocchi in the window in Colmar, France |
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| OK, we did a double take--a FOOTBALL team and cheerleaders, walking down the street! WHAT??! |
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| Framboise Glace--it was SOOO GOOD! Colin tried to hijack mine but I made him give it back after a few licks! The boy has good taste too... Then I turned around and went into the patisserie.... |
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Macarons!
No, not like the American macaroon with coconut. These are confections that are like little meringue-y, airy, crunchy, chewy bites of deliciousness. I had to explain to Scott exactly why they cost 1.10 Euro each, but then he ate a couple and understood. Splurge. Worthy. The purple ones were Cassis. And. They. Were. Amazing.
I have read on Pioneer Woman's blog where she made macarons and I will be trying to replicate them as soon as I'm back home in my fully equipped USA kitchen! |
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I think I should have been a pastry chef. This appeals to me so much and makes me want to temper chocolate and do amazing things with sugar, flour, egg whites, cream, fruit, liqueur, nuts. Yes, that's what I should have done...or maybe I should be a food writer, because maybe I'd end up hating it if making all the yummy things was my job?
http://www.patisserie-gilg.com/ |
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| My purchase of 4 macarons! |
Watch as I eat about 10 Euros worth of macarons....
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| Whoever owned this building on the corner back in the 1500's had a LOT of money... |
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| A naughty t-shirt in a beer shop...later saw that this Alsatian girl was their beer logo on the bottles! We are in France...reminds me a lot of the dirty t-shirts in the shops in the French Quarter in New Orleans. |
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| In the courtyard of the Musee Bartholdi |
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| No, we didn't actually go into the musee...that's for another trip when we don't have any preschoolers with us! |
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| just drivin' down the "street" |
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| A random courtyard we peeked into. See the old iron and wooden equipment and the wooden shoes above the barn door. We, along with other Asian tourists, were taking pictures. |
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| And another sweet car just rollin' down the cobbled street. |
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| And finally we are back to the Petit Train Turistique...someone is VERY. HAPPY. |
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| These are recycling containers in Colmar, France. I think EVERY town and city in the USA can do better on recycling. Dontcha think? |
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| These recycling "trash cans" are even in a pretty park in front of a very old town hall. Yes, I think every town in America can do better with encouraging and facilitating recycling. |
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| Modern art chess pieces in another green space. |
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| Yes, another Gothic Church, Colmar |
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| With a funky fun green, yellow, and red tiled roof on this part |
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| Tiled roof and stork nest on the Gothic church |
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| You can never have too much art or beauty around you...check out the intricate carvings on the under side of this balcony. I'd hate to have been that artist though.... |
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| Half-timbered building with cheesy souvenir shop below...a common sight. |
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| looks like it's about to fall down or in...cool iron sign for the restaurant below |
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| See how each level is built out further and higher than the one below it...all about avoiding the taxman! |
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| Catching a door on the move...kinda cool pic! |
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| Another shot of the canals of Petit Venise |
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| And another shot of the Petit Train Turistique in action...we kept walking around feeding Colin stuff we grabbed at a local grocery store back where we parked. He ate 6 tubes of squeeze yogurt and some all natural dried strawberries, some crunchy pretzels, 2 more Oreos--it's what your kid eats for dinner when they are picky and you are in a foreign country! That's sort of all the food groups, right? Don't judge me unless you have traveled abroad with a child. |
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| Colin is asleep in the "Gladiator"...finally! It's about 7 pm. And we get to rest and eat and drink. I have a salade vert, a tarte flambee with mushrooms, cheese, bacon and ham. Scott got a Roestie (I think was the name?)--another specialty of Alsace--shredded potatoes in a cream sauce with chicken, lardon (bacon), cheese, tomato, and mushrooms, baked in his personal iron casserole. It was GOOD. Very heart and filling. He got a beer and I had a glass of the Cremant d'Alsace--their version of champagne...yum! It was HOT and we were TIRED and THIRSTY! |
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| Colin is laid out sleeping, we are full and tired, and now time to GEAUX back to our hotel in Strassbourg. Day 3 tomorrow and we need some rest! |
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