Saturday July 30th- Team USA in the Alsace- Who needs LeTour de France?

This was supposed to be a slow day- no strenuous exercise.  All that was planned was a little trip to Ribeauville, 5 minutes away, to watch the professional bike race known as the Tour Alsace have their Grande Depart.  Little did we know what a big event this is for the international riders (who are pros, but one step below the Tour de France riders).

At the starting point, a large parking lot was filled with tents where you could get info on the race. Here we discovered that several Americans were competing, 6 of whom were riding for the Team USA Cycling contingent.  After a bit more nosing around, we found a large side parking area where all of the bicycle team buses, vans and RV’s, riders, trainers, and coaches were stationed.  Naturally we felt compelled to seek out the American lads, and give them some encouragement!

The official Alsace "pace car" complete with stork nest and kugelhopf on the roof:

The team's pre-race staging area:

Chris and the Team USA boys had a long pre-race conversation, while Alan was off finding a strategic spot to film from.  Her motherly words no doubt helped them feel a little bit closer to home.  It appeared that we were the only Americans on the scene, and it was only right that we acted in loco parentis to these U23 riders. Felt good to meet those young men.  They were so warm and friendly and talked to us right up to when the start siren sounded.  One of the young men- a New York lad- had even won the first stage of the competition and was wearing the blue and white checkered jersey. It wasn’t the Tour de France, but it kind of felt like it to us!

Members of Team USA Under 23 squad:

Team USA being introduced to the crowd at the Depart:

The riders left Ribeauville in a big rush of color and pageantry, complete with escort from a full team of Gendamerie motorscycle police, support vehicles, and countless other important looking vehicles and vintage cars.

The Gendarmerie fleet of motorbikes ready to take off:

Two minutes before "go time":

Check out this video of the Depart:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bge3K7XdBqQ

With all the excitement of seeing “our boys” off, we decided to grab lunch in a nearby village and realized during eating a healthy salad that the Tour would go right through the streets of Kientzheim, where we were eating.  So, we extended our visit for a few hours longer to cheer on our team USA as they came through the cobblestone gated streets. 

Here is a short video of some of the riders zipping through the cobblestone streets of Keysersburg after four hours and many tough mountain miles from the start: 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tDPV0G4yVo

It felt very much like what you see on TV for the Tour de France.  Spectators were waving flags and yelling, “Allez Allez!”  Of course, we joined in, but added USA whenever we spotted our Red, White and Blue USA jerseys coming through.  Alan told them to “kick ass” and Chris was feeling motherly making sure each of our boys came through the village, before she was willing to leave.  It was a wonderfully slow but American proud kind of day.

Friday July 29- Market Day and Surprise Festival

Our village was host to the Farmer’s Market this day.  It rotates from village to village, depending on the day of the week.  And so, we patronized the cheese stand, the vegetable stand, and picked up an assortment of local spices.

Fresh veggies at the Riquewihr market:

The meat wagon:

The Spice Girl of Riquewihr:

A vigorous 7-8 mile hike through the vineyards to Kientzheim and back got us good and tired, but gave us the excuse to buy a boule of glace at our neighborhood “dealer.”  He now knows us! Does this mean we are almost like locals?

Crucifix in vineyard on walk to Kientzheim:

Monument in vineyard to local man. Real artillery damage or fake?

Nicely painted wine house in Kientzheim:

The essentials:

French bicyclist, complete with beret:

In the evening we got bored, and so decided to drive a few km to the nearby village of Hunawihr, which was supposed to be hosting a festival from 6:00 till 1AM.  It sounded interesting- nothing ventured nothing gained, right?

We parked the car on the edge of the village and walked up a long lighted path to a little community park, where a bandstand had been erected. There was a concession stand like you would find at a high school football game, selling beer, and wine by the glass or bottle. People were lining up to pay for flammenkuchen and BBQ sausages wrapped in a fresh baguette.  There was excitement and anticipation everywhere, as the crowds of families streamed in.

The band stand with the town musicians ready to entertain with "oompah" style music:

Traditional Alsatian dancers preparing to perform:

Soon the band began to play, and after an hour the Alsatian dancers entertained us with authentic local folk dances. 

The men show off their strength;  holding the women high off the ground. The team that holds up the women longest wins:

Check out this short video of the dancers:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiT2rLorYZY

Cute little village kids dancing around the light pole:

We sat down at a nice picnic table, with a closeup view of the dancing area and band. No one sat near us, because we were obviously “strangers”- until a man and woman about our age joined us.  To our surprise they spoke English to each other. This was all the opening we needed to engage them, in order to keep our language alive!

Turns out Bruce and his wife were Aussies on a 3 month European tour, and happened to be renting an apartment in the same block as ours.  Two of the nicest people, and fun!  Bruce was drafted to compete in the “hat dance,” and did quite well for himself.

Here's a link to the hat dance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwzV0_ALCdo

Thursday July 28- Pilgrimage to Muenster (Must-see Video)

Who doesn’t like Muenster cheese?  Well, did you know that Muenster cheese comes originally from the Muenster Valley, and a village called Muenster, located about 30 minutes from our apartment here in France?  The cheese was originally developed by monks in the 800’s as a way to preserve milk!

Part of our 5 mile morning walk:

 After a morning of hiking around our home village, we decided to hop in the car and search for the famous Muenster cheese farms AND the special Vosgian Vache (cows) that produce the milk used in the production of Alan’s favorite type of cheese.

We found our way to the village of Muenster, which is tucked in a charming valley not a far drive into the Vosges Mountains.  Chris was happy to discover some very unique shops and scored a few items, trying her best to use her French. Now for the best part of the adventure:

It took a little bit of effort to find the road that led up the mountain to the high country meadows, where Le Fromage Fermier (cheese farms) can be found.  But it was SO worth the time spent navigating the steep, winding, narrow road!

However, after a long drive up through the narrow Vosges forest road, we finally arrived at the Auberge du Ried- a very rustic working farm with a small restaurant and outdoor picnic tables.  Believe it or not, the Restaurant though very isolated, is well known locally for their home grown, fresh ingredients.

The Auberge Ried/Cheese Farm

Inside the Ried's dining room. (Check out the local dude in the corner):

Our curiosity got the best of us, and we decided to ask the young waiter to suggest a dessert for us to try. (Alan was hoping for pie or ice cream). The young man suggested a local favorite dessert called siesskas, which when described in his broken English sounded like a whipped cream treat that Alan would enjoy. 

It turned out, that siesskas is an extravaganza of calories!  The center of the dish is one-day-old Muenster cheese, surrounded by a creamy, milky liquid, with curdled cream floating about.  The whole concoction was laden with copious amounts of sugar, and then doused in Kirsch (brandy-like) liquor!  Chris loved it.  Alan could barely get it past his nose! We had some chuckles later about this experience, because Chris could barely breathe from fullness on the way home.  Alan never wants to see it again!

Judge for yourself- would you eat this?

Notice above that Alan's spoon has retired.

The BIG reward of the day was a close up encounter with a meadow full of the uniquely colored Vosgian dairy cows.  Click on the link for a special 60 second video of the cows, and wait to the end to see the delight in Chris’ eyes at being so close to these incredible creatures!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7L6HPyoWhE

The whole experience -standing on the hill with pastures all around and being serenaded by the bells-well, it will remain a favorite of the trip.  If more time and proper hiking shoes were available, we would definitely spend more time here hiking among our Munster cheese animal friends and beautiful flowered paths.

The day ended with dinner at our favorite bistro:

Against Their Will- A World War II Story

For those interested in World War II history, there is a little known chapter related to the Alsace-Lorraine, that I will try to briefly explain.  The situation that existed here during World War II was particularly tragic, and the stories have touched us.  Local folks speak very solemnly about this time period, and there are monuments and memorials everywhere, so as to quietly remind all in the present day of the sacrifices made by so many in the years during Nazi occupation between 1940-1944.

For context, it is important to know that the regions of Alsace and Lorraine lie on the border area between France and Germany.  After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, these regions became part of Germany.  Following World War I, in 1918, the area reverted to French authority.  Then in 1940, Hitler and the Third Reich annexed Alsace-Lorraine as part of Germany.  So, there has been a split personality among the residents (especially the older ones) in Alsace-Lorraine.  Often you can find that German is spoken among the older members of a family, and the French language is predominate with the younger generations.

After the 1940 invasion, and subsequent occupation by Nazi overseers in Alsace, the young men of the region were expected to volunteer for the German war effort, and willingly join the German Army.  But the youth had been Francophiles since their birth, and were not interested in assisting the Nazis (although 2000 Alsatians did actually volunteer).  These numbers were not satisfactory to the regional military governor and Nazi war planners.

Thus began the forced conscription in 1942 of 140,000 young men from Alsace-Lorraine- who were ordered to join the German Waffen SS, and other Nazi military units.  Most of these men were sent to the Eastern Front to fight against the Russians in extremely harsh conditions.  Many who survived the brutal combat were taken prisoner by the Russians and died of starvation and exhaustion as POW’s. 

If a young Alsatian man resisted the draft, he and his entire family were deported and sent to labor or concentration camps by the Germans. 

Approximately 40,000 of these forced combatants were killed, and their bodies never returned to their homeland. 10,500 are still unaccounted for. There were 40,000 more who became invalids and returned home not only wounded, but scorned by some in their hometowns.  Many Alsatians felt that these men who went against their will were traitors to France and their families. 

So it is with sadness and reverence that these men, the “Magre Nous,” (“Against Our Will”) are honored throughout the Alsace.  In December 1944, this region was liberated by American forces, and was returned to French sovereignty.

A monument to the "Magre Nous" in Ribeauville, Alsace, France:

Wednesday July 27th- Chris takes to the road. French drivers on high alert!

This was the long awaited day that Chris got behind the wheel and drove the rental car for the first time!  More on this later.

After spending about 4 hours riding rented bicycles throughout the countryside, it was time to head to the French supermarket.

Stopping for a picnic lunch in a shady spot:

View of a nearby castle ruin from a rest stop on today's ride:

We came upon a camp ground, and a friendly stork being fed by a brave German girl:

 Trying to find certain items in a foreign language can be quite a challenge- although the streetside, wall mounted condom dispenser was evident in any language.  This machine was attached to the wall of a building, for anyone to walk up to purchase their needs:

Back to the driving- Chris did quite well as she navigated the crazy traffic circles in the villages on our way back to the apartment, and then.... there was this innocent looking metal pole on the shoulder of the road, which she managed to clip with the side mirror of the car. Please don't tell Hertz!

This brush with disaster, caused me to nearly jump out of my seat. Fortunately we made it back without further incident.

All right-now for my side (Chris) of the story. I never heard anything that resembled a car hitting a pole. Swear I didn't hit anything. However, because of Alan's sudden behavior, (thrashing about the car and hiding his face in his hands),  I actually thought that I had hit a pedestrian and they were lying in the street behind us. Had me scared to death. Of course, then, I had to listen to him complain about my driving and give me directions the rest of the way back to Riquewihr.  Honestly, you'd think I had never driven a car before!

Monday- Tuesday July 25- 26: Lost in the Black Forest

Monday morning we took a 6 mile roundtrip hike through the vineyards to nearby villages of Hunawihr and Zellenberg, which was excellent exercise.  While relaxing in the shade of the church courtyard in Zellenberg we met a young couple from Washington DC, spotted by Chris because of the baseball cap and "Columbia" T-shirt that the guy was wearing.  It's important to note, that Europeans are not big ball cap wearers. This is mostly an American accessory!

Later in the day, Alan was able to get free access into the nature park outside of Hunawihr for the sole purpose of securing a valuable (not really) stork feather.  He scored 2 feathers, which are now his most prized posessions!

About 30 storks roaming freely in the nature park:

Our evening adventure took us to the Kintzheim area, in the foothills of the Vosges, where an old castle ruin had been converted to an "aviary" for raising and training large birds of prey and vultures. Several times a day these birds were paraded out of their cages and forced to do tricks for the spectators.  While it was kind of cool being in such close proximity to these amazing birds, it was also rather disturbing to see them when they had to be put back in their cages.  They had their legs literally tethered to a chain, and they could only move a few feet to their water bowls. That was it. No ability to fly around at all- except for during the show. And that was only for a few of the lucky, well trained birds. The others were doomed to sit propped on display for the endless stream of onlookers. Well, judge for yourself the educational value versus the animal rights considerations.

A live American Bald Eagle- restrained:

Tuesday was a fantastic day from start to finish.  Our goal was to drive back across the Rhine value to  Germany, and enter the Black Forest.  Think of these as kind of like the Smoky Mountains, only way better.  The forests and high meadows were stunning, and the multitudes of farms and farm houses were all immaculate.  No junky, run down farms with rusted pickup trucks here!

Typical Black Forest Valley:

Gorgeous Farm House:

Front View:

Although we knew the basic direction of travel, with a few villages in mind, we decided to consult with the first Rathaus (town information office).  The attendant, fortunately, spoke some English, and provided us with maps and we were on our way.

Our first stop was a Benedictine Monastery,  Saint Trudpert in Munstertal in the Black Forest. Unbelievable in size and quite ornate! Today it is still in operation, but is now the home to the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Marc. St. Trudpert brought Christianity to this area in the year 607AD.  In the year 815AD, the Monks built the Monastery in his honor and lived there from 815AD to 1806.  It is an exceptional property with beautiful gardens, spotlessly clean and well preserved.

Inside the chapel of St. Trudpert:

Our next stop was the Belchen overlook, a 4000 foot summit accessible only by gondola. Our expectations were high, hoping for a truly memorable experience within the Black Forest.  The driving was tough at times, with roads that continually twisted and turned, and occasionally allowed for only one car width.  We got disoriented (some would say lost) at several points, but eventually found our way to the gondola stop and the peak, which was worth the ordeal of an hour long drive climbing higher and higher.  The pictures might capture the majesty of the location, but to be there and feel the hot sun, and crisp breezes is hard to capture in a photo.  Our high expectations were met at the top, with an incredible 360 degree view of 3 different countries.

The House at the top of Belchen:

View from Belchen to the West. Vosges Mountains (France) in distance:

Beautiful flowers at the top:

Serious German at the top:

Lastly we found our way to Triberg, the Cuckoo Clock capital of the world.  This was a special place for a Cuckoo Clock Geek like Alan- it resembled Disney World in some ways. A bit touristy, but one of a kind, and still pretty cool.  We went in several shops, and received a lesson from an authentic Cuckoo Clock maker on the differences in craftsmanship that exist between different products.

Downtown Triberg: