Sunday-Thursday July 17-22. Arrival in Riquewihr, our new home.

Sunday morning we had our final breakfast with our bicycle tour friends, and left Strasbourg by cab to pick up our rental car at the nearby airport.  The first car we were given had a dead battery and would not start, leaving us down in the garage frustrated and unsure if this was an omen.  Finally the sole Hertz employee was able to put us in a car that worked, and off we went to find our new apartment in Riquewihr, AND to meet Mark and Lisa (Chris') sister. In addition we were to meet with Chris's cousin Antonella (from Liege, Belgium), who drove by car with her fiance' Leeon and his tow sons Antoine and Maxime.

The drive from Strasbourg went smoothly, and we hooked up with the rest of the family at the Best Western (LOL) just outside the gates of Riquewihr.

Sunday through Thursday were spent walking and biking through the neighboring villages and their vineyards, shopping, eating flammenkuchen, drinking wine, and getting accustomed to our new surrounds.  We will try to let the following pictures tell the story!

Here are some views of our place of residence until August 2nd:

             

Three cousins- Lisa, Chris (Tantine) and Antonella: 

Walking in the Vineyards above Riquewihr:

The view from the Schoenenbourg vineyards, overlooking Riquewihr:

Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle, from atop the Vosges Mountain range, with view of Plain of Alsace and Black Forest in the distance:

Lower level entrance to the Castle:

The main Dining Room in the Keep:

Official Knight of the Realm, sans armour.

Chris was Queen for A Day, as she celebrated her 60th Birthday with dinner at Restaurant La Grenouille and later with cake in our apartment:

Family after lunch in Kayersbourg:

Alan and Chris collage of biking, Koeningsbourg Castle in the background:

Alan, Chris, and Lisa deciding which way to go:

Flowers growing at edge of grape vines:

Surprise on the Route des Vins:

The only shady place we could find to have our "bag lunch" in Kintzheim, France: