We were now traveling blind not knowing where we were going and no information about places. So we set off for a place called Baccarat, and I might add that on the way there we had the worst coffee ever, an experience that was to be repeated again in other towns in this part of the trip. Baccarret turned out to be an interesting place to visit as it was the Crystal Centre in Alsace Lorraine and had some amazing crystal creations. If I could have carried any extra I would have bought some stuff – some of it was truly amazing. We only went there because there was a sign for industrial tourism on the map but it turned out to be an interesting diversion.
We then headed for the town of Sarrebourg looking for the Ascenseur a Peniches – a device to take canal boats up hills. At Sarrebourg we were told it was a further 20mins drive away at St Louis. We eat lunch on the river side that had these amazing water falls created to enhance the path of the river through the town. One of our tasks has been to make a stop at the local pattissiere to buy bread for each day so that lunch is a new experience even if the fillings are the same amazing “chacuterie and fromages locale”.
The diversion to the Plan incline (as it turns out our Ascenseur was called) was well worth the effort. We watched this hydraulic mechanism lift and then descend boats through a 50m vertical climb so that they could carry on the canal journey.
Then it was off to the home of the European Parliament, Strassbourg. This is a beautiful clean city operating at a slower pace than other bigger cities we had visited. A lot of young people, people on bikes and families out biking were happening on this Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, everything except restaurants and tourist places were closed allowing people to kick back around the city, riding bikes, playing sport or lounging by the river side.
We then headed for the town of Sarrebourg looking for the Ascenseur a Peniches – a device to take canal boats up hills. At Sarrebourg we were told it was a further 20mins drive away at St Louis. We eat lunch on the river side that had these amazing water falls created to enhance the path of the river through the town. One of our tasks has been to make a stop at the local pattissiere to buy bread for each day so that lunch is a new experience even if the fillings are the same amazing “chacuterie and fromages locale”.
The diversion to the Plan incline (as it turns out our Ascenseur was called) was well worth the effort. We watched this hydraulic mechanism lift and then descend boats through a 50m vertical climb so that they could carry on the canal journey.
Then it was off to the home of the European Parliament, Strassbourg. This is a beautiful clean city operating at a slower pace than other bigger cities we had visited. A lot of young people, people on bikes and families out biking were happening on this Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, everything except restaurants and tourist places were closed allowing people to kick back around the city, riding bikes, playing sport or lounging by the river side.
The notable difference here is the Germanic influence in names and architecture. One reason for coming to Alsace was to find houses with flower pots in their windows. However Strassbourg seriously disappointed in this respect.
We went to the museum “d’art Moderne” and then the European Parliament where we were welcomed by a promotion day for the region of Alsace in the forecourt of the Parliament. Here we tried local specialties, Pinos Gris, Tarte Flambe (like a pizza but flatter and crème fraiche sauce rather than tomato) and asperge (funny white asparagus). Also in Strasbourg we did the compulsory Cathedral visit made more interesting than usual by an unusual organ and bizarre astronomical clock.
We left Strasbourg the next day again heading into the unknown regions of “Parc Ballons de Voges” with a couple of ideas – to find Storks and mountain biking trails. We found the storks at the conservatory a Hunawihr. These are amazing birds that we could have watched for hours, They have interesting migratory habits and faced near extinction in France in the 1980’s. We picked the right time to visit as we were greeted by nests full of young chicks (storklets) that were less than two weeks old. They are carnivores and already at that young ages know what food is all about
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By way of finding Hunawihr, we came across a town called Ribeauville that had a strong Germanic influence in the architecture and finally FLOWER BOXES. Ribeauville was a show off touristy type place being one of the major wine tasting centre of Alsace so it was not unexpected that they showed off the place to its best advantage.
From there we headed to find VTT (mountain bike) trails. We forgot that most of France closes on Mondays and at the lunchtime from 12.00 to 2pm. So we were frustrated at our first stop so carried on through the beautiful forested hills to Gerardmer. On our wanderings we did come across “Maison Mathis” an exclusive retreat high in the Parc with views to die for. Do you think I (Jocelyn) am related????
In Gerardmer a helpful tourism lady told us where we could hire bikes and where the tracks were – but as it was Monday all shops were closed. However the town is a Queenstown look alike, set on a lake and used as a base for skiing in the winter and nature activities in the summer. So we were happy to stay the night here. Next morning we enjoyed a run around the lake (approx) 5km to circumnavigate and even though the mornings are brisk (brrrh) the days are opening out into brilliant sunshiny days of 22-25 degrees. Our poor little car has its air conditioning going full bore to keep it cool.
With the prospect of being able to hire VTTs at a mountain pass area (also a ski area) called Le Montagnard some 10km away we set off. We luckily caught the hire man who looked like he wasn’t expecting anyone to turn up and certainly not foreigners. He tried to pass on instructions to us as he was a bit suspicious as to whether we knew what a mountain bike was and how to follow the tracks. We did come unstuck somewhere as we did the first track in reverse but found our way round anyway but we got the next one right. Here we were privy to some of the most fantastic valley views from the peaks and hillsides that we rode around. These mountain areas are quite different to the rest of Alsace/Lorraine. In most areas cropping was the major farming activity and Hamlets/village were dense meetings of houses with narrow streets but in the hills the houses were chalet type and scattered around the hillsides. Farming was a more traditional style with paddocks and cow barns.
From there a three hour drive to St John de Losne was needed as our next stop was to catch up with Mark’s sister Catherine who had a boat in the marina there. Expecting to text them on the way we started off. However the phone number Mark had was incorrect so we had to rely on stealth to track her down. Actually it was easy, we found the tourism information place; they gave us a map of the two marinas, we chose one and went to the marina office and we soon standing in front of their boat, much to their dismay. So it has been great catching up and having conversations in English. Although our French is improving and we know enough to achieve our everyday needs, conversations are out of the question.
And as it happens the marina is full of English speaking couples, with an Australian, three kiwis and a couple of English couples. It is like being in a camp ground with everyone befriending each other and more importantly pooling resources to help each other work on their boats.
WE have spent three days relaxing in St John de Losne. We have been taking in some of the local sights having visited a place called Beaune (pronounced bone) which is an old ramparted town with an amazing building that was built as a hospital for the poor and homeless called Hotel Dieu. The ornateness of the roof was amazing. As usual for most towns there was a church named Notre Dame dating back many hundreds of years.
By way of finding Hunawihr, we came across a town called Ribeauville that had a strong Germanic influence in the architecture and finally FLOWER BOXES. Ribeauville was a show off touristy type place being one of the major wine tasting centre of Alsace so it was not unexpected that they showed off the place to its best advantage.
From there we headed to find VTT (mountain bike) trails. We forgot that most of France closes on Mondays and at the lunchtime from 12.00 to 2pm. So we were frustrated at our first stop so carried on through the beautiful forested hills to Gerardmer. On our wanderings we did come across “Maison Mathis” an exclusive retreat high in the Parc with views to die for. Do you think I (Jocelyn) am related????
In Gerardmer a helpful tourism lady told us where we could hire bikes and where the tracks were – but as it was Monday all shops were closed. However the town is a Queenstown look alike, set on a lake and used as a base for skiing in the winter and nature activities in the summer. So we were happy to stay the night here. Next morning we enjoyed a run around the lake (approx) 5km to circumnavigate and even though the mornings are brisk (brrrh) the days are opening out into brilliant sunshiny days of 22-25 degrees. Our poor little car has its air conditioning going full bore to keep it cool.
With the prospect of being able to hire VTTs at a mountain pass area (also a ski area) called Le Montagnard some 10km away we set off. We luckily caught the hire man who looked like he wasn’t expecting anyone to turn up and certainly not foreigners. He tried to pass on instructions to us as he was a bit suspicious as to whether we knew what a mountain bike was and how to follow the tracks. We did come unstuck somewhere as we did the first track in reverse but found our way round anyway but we got the next one right. Here we were privy to some of the most fantastic valley views from the peaks and hillsides that we rode around. These mountain areas are quite different to the rest of Alsace/Lorraine. In most areas cropping was the major farming activity and Hamlets/village were dense meetings of houses with narrow streets but in the hills the houses were chalet type and scattered around the hillsides. Farming was a more traditional style with paddocks and cow barns.
From there a three hour drive to St John de Losne was needed as our next stop was to catch up with Mark’s sister Catherine who had a boat in the marina there. Expecting to text them on the way we started off. However the phone number Mark had was incorrect so we had to rely on stealth to track her down. Actually it was easy, we found the tourism information place; they gave us a map of the two marinas, we chose one and went to the marina office and we soon standing in front of their boat, much to their dismay. So it has been great catching up and having conversations in English. Although our French is improving and we know enough to achieve our everyday needs, conversations are out of the question.
And as it happens the marina is full of English speaking couples, with an Australian, three kiwis and a couple of English couples. It is like being in a camp ground with everyone befriending each other and more importantly pooling resources to help each other work on their boats.
WE have spent three days relaxing in St John de Losne. We have been taking in some of the local sights having visited a place called Beaune (pronounced bone) which is an old ramparted town with an amazing building that was built as a hospital for the poor and homeless called Hotel Dieu. The ornateness of the roof was amazing. As usual for most towns there was a church named Notre Dame dating back many hundreds of years.
Beaune is also a centre for tasting (degustation) the local Bourgogne wines being Chardonay and Pinot noir. Their Pinot noir have a larger range of flavours and intensity compared to NZ but the chardonnay showed a similar range to NZ but they do not do the heavily oaked generally leaving that for Burgundy areas. We came away with a cheap bubbly and another local product – a black currant liqueur; these two are mixed to make a local drink called Kir Royal. So that night we tried it back on the boat and although not unpleasant was too sweet for Jocelyn.
So here we are, socialising with the locals at the marinas which has seen more bottles of wine disappear in a period of three days than the whole of our trip so far. The wines - well waht can I say. For $5- 10 you can get red and whites that are VERY drinkable - there is no need to spend more for a good drop. We are probably over indulging but to compensate we are trying to do some exercise.
We are impressed with the large amount of outdoor exercise that the french do. Road biking is hugely popular for all ages and we have passed many many cyclists on the roads in the alps tackling ridiculous hills on narrow roads. However the huge difference here is that motoroist RESPECT cyclists and pedestrians. They have right of way and motorist wouldn't dare push them off the road - what a great environment. We would do more road biking in NZ if it was ike this there. They also love walking in the forests and rollerblading.
We drove into Dijon, the home of mustard (they call themselves the mustard centre of the universe). This is yet another beautiful old city but had a nice lively atmosphere to it. Driving in a larger city takes a bit of getting used to - getting stuck on those big round abouts where there are no marked lanes but 3 -4 lanes of traffic was an experience. Generally driving in France has been good as we opt for th smaller roads away from the highways which are dominated by large trucks. Doing this has meant we have passed through some amazing little towns, sometimes only cm from peoples front lounges. Some roads are extremely narrow. I enjoy the 90km/hr open road limit as it gives us time to take in our surroundings and not have to be bothered by other frivers wanting to go faster. The motorways are a different story as you can go up to 130km per hr.
So here we are, socialising with the locals at the marinas which has seen more bottles of wine disappear in a period of three days than the whole of our trip so far. The wines - well waht can I say. For $5- 10 you can get red and whites that are VERY drinkable - there is no need to spend more for a good drop. We are probably over indulging but to compensate we are trying to do some exercise.
We are impressed with the large amount of outdoor exercise that the french do. Road biking is hugely popular for all ages and we have passed many many cyclists on the roads in the alps tackling ridiculous hills on narrow roads. However the huge difference here is that motoroist RESPECT cyclists and pedestrians. They have right of way and motorist wouldn't dare push them off the road - what a great environment. We would do more road biking in NZ if it was ike this there. They also love walking in the forests and rollerblading.
We drove into Dijon, the home of mustard (they call themselves the mustard centre of the universe). This is yet another beautiful old city but had a nice lively atmosphere to it. Driving in a larger city takes a bit of getting used to - getting stuck on those big round abouts where there are no marked lanes but 3 -4 lanes of traffic was an experience. Generally driving in France has been good as we opt for th smaller roads away from the highways which are dominated by large trucks. Doing this has meant we have passed through some amazing little towns, sometimes only cm from peoples front lounges. Some roads are extremely narrow. I enjoy the 90km/hr open road limit as it gives us time to take in our surroundings and not have to be bothered by other frivers wanting to go faster. The motorways are a different story as you can go up to 130km per hr.
1 comment:
Good to see your not getting too lost! Loving the pictures!! Hope you are having lots of fun and not missing me too much :P
Love and kisses
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