Saturday March 29-Friday April 4
France
Note to readers: by popular request, the editor/Paul is again providing commentary. Notes from the editor are in italics.
We put on a lot of miles this week. My favorite hike was the 3 Chateaus in Eguisheim France. The Three Castles of Eguisheim – Visit Alsace.
The 3 towers date back to the 11th and 12th centuries and are now a ruin. All 3 castles were destroyed in 1466. This area is part of a longer hike that includes two other castles. We hope to do that hike a little later in our visit. (I’ve learned it irritates my wife when I run around with a stick for a sword and act like a knight. I think it was the second time I poked her and threatened her with cutting off her head that it began to wear on her.)
On Sunday, we attended the Gregorian mass at St. Anne of Thierenbach. The church is really beautiful, but my favorite part is the ringing bells to start mass. Paul and I know very little French ( I am learning) so we can’t understand the sermon, but we can sing along with the Gregorian chants. My hope is that I can understand a sermon by the end of our trip.
Monday was a really special day. We visited with Cecile again and we had dinner with another cousin, Claude Weinzapflen. Claude is the French cousin responsible for our family reunions in France and the visits of our French family to the reunions in the states. He spends countless hours ensuring the French and American sides of the Weinzapflen/Weinzapfel family stay in touch. I hope he knows how much this is appreciated.
As I mentioned in the post about our first week, week 2 involves train travel. Our cousin Max lives in Lyon and is about to conclude his studies there. We made a quick, two day trip to see his place before he finishes the semester and moves to Paris. We made the trip by train which was absolutely wonderful. I LOVE train travel. It is economical and mostly stress free. Paul and I had to relearn how to navigate the French train system, and we killed it! (The “killed it” part kind of concerned me here. These are high speed trains travelling in excess of 300 kilometers per hour. All I could imagine is Elka the family milk cow standing on the track, and its curtains for the Kerrie and Paul show.)
Max and his college roommate Hugo took us to a great Lyonaisse restaurant called Chez Paul. The first course consists of 7 salads served family style. The salads include:
- mustard potato salad (my favorite),
- black eyed peas
- pickled herring
- green lentils
- beets
- cooked ox muzzle ( Not really an ox muzzle, probably the face of Elka the milk cow after getting hit by a high speed train)
- pickled calf’s foot ( I tried but I couldn’t do it. The texture just didn’t work for me.)
Each person selects their own main course. There are three desserts, again served family style. The meal was delicious but SO MUCH FOOD.
Our second day in Lyon was spent touring the city, mostly in the old town area. We had lunch overlooking the city, toured the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere and rode the steepest subway in Europe.
I know everyone returns from Europe with photos of beautiful churches, and I know that photos don’t really do them justice, but this is absolutely stunning. It always mystifies me that buildings like this could be built without today’s technology and equipment.
We spent Thursday doing a hike around Rouffach. We hiked through vineyards, visiting shrines and a little chapel along the way. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed a picnic at the chapel. The number of religious shrines along pathways in the rural countryside fascinates me. I would love to know the history of each one. Did the person have the shrine built in honor of an answered prayer or as a request for safe passage on a journey?
Shrine near Rouffach
Friday was spent touring the Chateau de Haut-Koenigsbourg. I am not going to bore you with a million photos of a castle, but…
The scope of buildings like this is just incredible. The castle was originally built in the 12th century and restored at the beginning of the 20th century by German Emperor Wilhelm II. I love walking around buildings like this and imaging what life was like for the original inhabitants. Was it miserably cold in the winter and hot in the summer? How many servants did it take to keep the kitchen running and the residents fed? How many attacks on the village were thwarted by the safety provided by this castle? (apparently the grounds keepers pick up all the sticks at this castle)
That wraps up week 2 of “My 52 To Do.”
New adventures this week
- 3 Chateaus hike in Eguisheim
- Visited Lyon
- Tried new foods like pickled calf’s foot and oz muzzle
Paul and I found ourselves with a few unscheduled days so Week 3 includes visiting a new country. I hope you enjoy following along.
My52ToDo.com 