Alsace Trip Report
Nov 24th, 2007, 05:56 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Alsace Trip Report
My husband and I went to Burgundy and Alsace from October 14-21. I have posted a logistics report and the Burgundy report. Finally, I am getting to Alsace!
We picked up a car at the Dijon train station and drove to Colmar. (We were in Dijon for 3 days, 4 nights) In the morning, we looked at the Museum of Burgundy life in Dijon. It was interesting but I think we would have been better off spending time at the car museum near Mulhouse. (DH loves cars) Colmar was enchanting. We took the walking tour on the tourist map and enjoyed looking at things. We went through the Musee d’Unterlinden and the Issenheim Altarpiece was worth the price of admission alone! Then came the adventure of trying to get to Kientzheim from Colmar with the maps we bought in France. Yet again, I cannot emphasize enough using Mapquest or Mappy or whatever you like to get exact directions!! I was quite surprised that the tourist office did not have maps of the Route deVin. I was able to pick up very detailed maps in Dijon for the Cote d’Or so this seemed odd to me.
We got to the hotel at around 8:00. We stayed at Hotel Schwendi in Kientzheim. Ira from this board recommended it—thanks. We stayed in an annex that was fairly newly built—it was very nice. We went to the hotel for dinner because it was so late. Were we ever pleasantly surprised!! It had the traditional Alsatian dishes but also many others. The food was great and the wine was certainly good. There was a table of French folks there vacationing with the in-laws. They had an 18 mo old and a new born. The toddler was walking around and everybody was flirting with her. Then she showed interest in the chair next to me and I pulled it out so she could climb up. She had fun dismantling what was left of our breadbasket. Of course, the father was right there but we just said “ce bon” (I apologize for whatever misspelling just occurred there!). She kept pointing out “mammi” and “poppi”. I eventually danced her to her table. We had breakfast there the next day and that was also very good. We went to the Alsatian wine museum (just stumbled on it) there. It was VERY interesting. That was a really enjoyable and educational part of the trip. We walked around the old walls of the town as well.
Then off to Riqueweir and Ribeauville (again, sorry for the misspellings—don’t have the map in front of me). We took the “bike route” through the vineyards that Stu had recommended and it was fun. Obviously these are very touristy places but it was fun to walk around them. I the best chocolate macaroons I have ever had in my life at one bakery. I also had the worst lunch of the trip—a ham and cheese “paninni” from a street vendor. Oh well, what do you expect? We got stuffed storks for the kids. We had a wonderful wine tasting at the Hugel and fills store in Riquewihr. The person working there was very knowledgeable and understood English very well. We had fun talking to 2 young women who were from Quebec but working in Germany who had come to France for a weekend get away and to speak French for a while. There were some horrid places to taste wine and this place was a gem. We got to the Haut Koenigsbourg castle at about 4pm. Just enough time to see it. It was absolutely fantastic. We got some cool books for the kids (even if they are in German and French!) and my husband was just enamored with the place!
By then, it was getting late so we skipped Obernai (I know, that was unfortunate) and we returned the car to the airport and got a taxi into Strasbourg. I would HIGHLY recommend this approach. It was rush hour getting into Strasbourg and then you get into the city with a maze of one way streets and by the end the cab driver was driving down the cobblestones of the pedestrian zone. My husband and I just kept repeating how happy we were that we were not driving.
We stayed at the Hotel Cathedral. Absolutely wonderful. We stayed in an annex building and had a little “kitchenette”. We looked right out at the cathedral. That night we went to Chez Yvonne. It was just a couple of blocks from the hotel and it was a FABULOUS meal.
The next day we walked around Strasbourg and had lunch at a café on a square—onion tarts which were quite good. Then we had afternoon tea at a VERY crowded tea place. I would not recommend it—it was on one of the main tourist drags. We went to the Cathedral—but, it closes at 11:30 so that people get in line for the clock. So first we went to the Cathedral Museum, which was really quite amazing. I just loved looking at the statues close up. Then back to the Cathedral. We walked through Little France and looked at churches as we went. It was interesting to see all the “reformed” and Protestant churches—sort of like real evidence of what we learn/read/hear about. After dragging around all day, I was exhausted and we just went to a grocery store and got cheese and bread etc. I have to admit, I really liked the small villages better than Strasbourg. It was such a big city with hordes of tourists. The shopping was pretty impressive but I actually like clothing in colors other than black So not many opportunities for me.
We got the same taxi driver who drove us to the hotel to pick up at 6:00 am on Sunday so we could make our flight to France. The tickets were only about $48 (or Euros, I forget) but it was a much better deal than the train. They were even able to book our luggage all the way through to home (even after we switched from Air France to Delta in the states) It was the Sunday after the World Cup Rugby Championship on Saturday. The CDG airport was filled with South African fans. I had to laugh. I was in line for coffee and these guys still reeked of alcohol from their pores---oh they must have been sooo hung-over.
I really enjoyed the Alsace villages but I prefer the Burgundy wines. I did taste some of the best Comte and Tomme cheeses I have ever had. We brought back a kilo of cheese that may be the best of any cheese ever!!
We picked up a car at the Dijon train station and drove to Colmar. (We were in Dijon for 3 days, 4 nights) In the morning, we looked at the Museum of Burgundy life in Dijon. It was interesting but I think we would have been better off spending time at the car museum near Mulhouse. (DH loves cars) Colmar was enchanting. We took the walking tour on the tourist map and enjoyed looking at things. We went through the Musee d’Unterlinden and the Issenheim Altarpiece was worth the price of admission alone! Then came the adventure of trying to get to Kientzheim from Colmar with the maps we bought in France. Yet again, I cannot emphasize enough using Mapquest or Mappy or whatever you like to get exact directions!! I was quite surprised that the tourist office did not have maps of the Route deVin. I was able to pick up very detailed maps in Dijon for the Cote d’Or so this seemed odd to me.
We got to the hotel at around 8:00. We stayed at Hotel Schwendi in Kientzheim. Ira from this board recommended it—thanks. We stayed in an annex that was fairly newly built—it was very nice. We went to the hotel for dinner because it was so late. Were we ever pleasantly surprised!! It had the traditional Alsatian dishes but also many others. The food was great and the wine was certainly good. There was a table of French folks there vacationing with the in-laws. They had an 18 mo old and a new born. The toddler was walking around and everybody was flirting with her. Then she showed interest in the chair next to me and I pulled it out so she could climb up. She had fun dismantling what was left of our breadbasket. Of course, the father was right there but we just said “ce bon” (I apologize for whatever misspelling just occurred there!). She kept pointing out “mammi” and “poppi”. I eventually danced her to her table. We had breakfast there the next day and that was also very good. We went to the Alsatian wine museum (just stumbled on it) there. It was VERY interesting. That was a really enjoyable and educational part of the trip. We walked around the old walls of the town as well.
Then off to Riqueweir and Ribeauville (again, sorry for the misspellings—don’t have the map in front of me). We took the “bike route” through the vineyards that Stu had recommended and it was fun. Obviously these are very touristy places but it was fun to walk around them. I the best chocolate macaroons I have ever had in my life at one bakery. I also had the worst lunch of the trip—a ham and cheese “paninni” from a street vendor. Oh well, what do you expect? We got stuffed storks for the kids. We had a wonderful wine tasting at the Hugel and fills store in Riquewihr. The person working there was very knowledgeable and understood English very well. We had fun talking to 2 young women who were from Quebec but working in Germany who had come to France for a weekend get away and to speak French for a while. There were some horrid places to taste wine and this place was a gem. We got to the Haut Koenigsbourg castle at about 4pm. Just enough time to see it. It was absolutely fantastic. We got some cool books for the kids (even if they are in German and French!) and my husband was just enamored with the place!
By then, it was getting late so we skipped Obernai (I know, that was unfortunate) and we returned the car to the airport and got a taxi into Strasbourg. I would HIGHLY recommend this approach. It was rush hour getting into Strasbourg and then you get into the city with a maze of one way streets and by the end the cab driver was driving down the cobblestones of the pedestrian zone. My husband and I just kept repeating how happy we were that we were not driving.
We stayed at the Hotel Cathedral. Absolutely wonderful. We stayed in an annex building and had a little “kitchenette”. We looked right out at the cathedral. That night we went to Chez Yvonne. It was just a couple of blocks from the hotel and it was a FABULOUS meal.
The next day we walked around Strasbourg and had lunch at a café on a square—onion tarts which were quite good. Then we had afternoon tea at a VERY crowded tea place. I would not recommend it—it was on one of the main tourist drags. We went to the Cathedral—but, it closes at 11:30 so that people get in line for the clock. So first we went to the Cathedral Museum, which was really quite amazing. I just loved looking at the statues close up. Then back to the Cathedral. We walked through Little France and looked at churches as we went. It was interesting to see all the “reformed” and Protestant churches—sort of like real evidence of what we learn/read/hear about. After dragging around all day, I was exhausted and we just went to a grocery store and got cheese and bread etc. I have to admit, I really liked the small villages better than Strasbourg. It was such a big city with hordes of tourists. The shopping was pretty impressive but I actually like clothing in colors other than black So not many opportunities for me.
We got the same taxi driver who drove us to the hotel to pick up at 6:00 am on Sunday so we could make our flight to France. The tickets were only about $48 (or Euros, I forget) but it was a much better deal than the train. They were even able to book our luggage all the way through to home (even after we switched from Air France to Delta in the states) It was the Sunday after the World Cup Rugby Championship on Saturday. The CDG airport was filled with South African fans. I had to laugh. I was in line for coffee and these guys still reeked of alcohol from their pores---oh they must have been sooo hung-over.
I really enjoyed the Alsace villages but I prefer the Burgundy wines. I did taste some of the best Comte and Tomme cheeses I have ever had. We brought back a kilo of cheese that may be the best of any cheese ever!!
Nov 25th, 2007, 01:02 PM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,519
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, I know--my husband LOVES Alsace wines. He had little patience with me. 
I must admit I did become a fan of the dryer ones and I even a good Munster cheese! Let's just say that travel definitely broadens the taste buds, which also broadens the behind!!
I must admit I did become a fan of the dryer ones and I even a good Munster cheese! Let's just say that travel definitely broadens the taste buds, which also broadens the behind!!
