Month: May 2025

By 52 To Do Week 5

by kerrie52todoLeave a Comment on By 52 To Do Week 5

Sunday April 20-Saturday April 26

France and Lichtenstein

Week 5 of our trip includes a special guest appearance by Paul’s cousin and my friend Jeanna.  The three of us stayed in the charming town of Eguisheim, France this week.  In the post about week 4, I mentioned that fans of musical theatre would be interested in this week’s post.  Eguisheim is the inspiration for the town in the Disney Classic Beauty and the Beast.

The village fountain in Beauty and the Beast is modeled after this fountain in Eguisheim.

This was Jeanna’s first trip to France, so we revisited some of our favorite spots such as Schoenberg, Colmar, and Kayserbserg. We got 23,000+ steps the day we visited Schoenberg, a new record for the trip.   We also had some new experiences.  Hohlandsbourg Castle was a new stop for us.  From the Castle, you have a fantastic view of the Vosges mountains and all the villages in the surrounding area.  The museum is very informative.  We visit castles often, but I learn something new with each new castle.  (Since I am no longer allowed to pick up sticks to use as swords, I have taken to using the parapets of these castles to make proclamations. These proclamations are generally ignored by Kerrie.)

The view from Hohlandsbourg

https://www.chateau-hohlandsbourg.com/accueilEN.html

One of our typical picnic lunches while hiking, Please note the improvised wine glass,

Claude arranged a very special treat for us.  Thursday began with a visit to a textile museum in Husseren-Wesserling.  Claude, who knows everyone, arranged to have our tour guided by the museum curator before the museum opened for the day. I was so enthralled by the vibrant fabrics and the design process that I forgot to take photos. We then had lunch at Ferme Auberge du TREH.  A meal in the French countryside, high in the Vosges mountains, never disappoints. 

Alessandro was excited about our adventures this day.
This was just the first course!

Another French Weinzapfel cousin, Jean-Luc, is the president of a hiking club in France.  Claude knows how much we enjoy the outdoors and hiking, so he arranged for us to meet Jean-Luc to visit the camping chalet managed by his hiking club.  The chalet includes rustic sleeping quarters, a full kitchen and showers for hikers to use as the traverse the gorgeous hiking trails in the area. (There are miles of trails through the mountains. They take you from village to village while passing WW1 trenches, dark forests and beautiful mountain views of the valleys below.) For any fellow backpackers out there, you know how precious a shower is after days on the trail   We got to ride to the chalet in Jean Luc’s vintage Land Rover Defender 110.

Funny story…There was another man from the camping club there passing out egg cartons filled with eggs.  The week before, his wife sent him to the store to get eggs. She said we need 24 packages.  So, as any good husband would do, he brought back 24 dozen eggs.  She meant 24 chocolate eggs for Easter for the kids and grandkids.  Too funny!!

I got a wild hair and decided the three of us needed to head to the country of Liechtenstein. ( It’s fun to say if you use the same accent Sgt. Schultz used in “Hogan’s Heros”! Jeanna and Kerrie may disagree.) Liechtenstein is bordered by Switzerland to the south and the west and Austria on the north and the east. It is only about 62 square miles and is the 6th smallest country in the world. We visited the capital, Vaduz and Vaduz Castle.  

Vaduz Castle

Startseite

 And that ends another fantastic week. Thanks to Jeanna for joining us. It was absolutely wonderful to share this time and place with someone we love and to get a hug from someone from home.

New To Do’s

  • Hohlandsbourg Castle
  • Liechtenstein, another new country for me

My 52 To Do Special Edition

by kerrie52todoLeave a Comment on My 52 To Do Special Edition

Monday May 26, Memorial Day

For the most part, I am posting the blogs in date order.  But today, I am going to go out of order with a special edition of My 52 To Do.  Monday May 26th was Memorial Day in the United States.  It is the holiday when we honor and mourn the U.S. military veterans who died while serving in the US Armed Forces.

In advance of our trip, Paul researched my Grandfather and his service in World War II.  We have been deliberate on this trip to visit some of the places my grandfather was stationed during the war.  We visited the city of Metz, France a town my grandfather’s unit helped liberate.  Metz has been strategically important for centuries.  Before World War II, the town of Metz had never fallen to invaders.  German soldiers occupied Metz as part of the German occupation of France. The battle of Metz began In the fall of 1944, and for the first time in history, Metz fell.  The men of the 95th Infantry Division were given the name “The Iron Men of Metz” in recognition of their courage and resolve during this ferocious battle.  The American victory at Metz gave the Allies a path to the German western wall and ultimately, a route into Germany.

We also visited the beaches of Normandy.  My Grandfather’s Division arrived in Omaha Beach shortly after the D Day invasion.  Seeing the defenses the American, British and Canadian armies faced on D Day is awe inspiring. 

Touring places my grandfather walked was a really moving experience for me.  While I always knew he fought in the war, I never really thought about the many countries in which he was stationed, the cities he lived in, the battles in which he fought, the things he saw. 

My grandfather survived the war.  During our travels, we have visited several American cemeteries in Europe.  We spent time at the cemetery where soldiers from the Battle of Metz are buried.  The American Battle Monuments Commission does a beautiful job of maintaining the burial grounds.  At all three cemeteries, we happened to be there late in the day when taps was played.  If you can stand in a war cemetery, seeing the thousands of graves, while listening to taps and not cry, you are a tougher person than I am.

We visited the American battle sites in Normandy with a guide and six other travelers.  Two of those travelers had come from the States to visit the grave of their great uncle, who died during the D Day invasion.  I believe it was the first time any of the family had been able to come to France to visit the grave.  While I know I will never see this family again, the look on their faces as they prepared to visit the grave is forever seared in my brain.

So this Memorial Day feels different to me.  Paul and I have both had and have family members and friends who served/serve in the military.  I like to think I am always mindful of their service, but I am not sure I have ever really told them thank you.  To all who have served or who are serving, thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I don’t have the words to thank you for your courage and sacrifice.  To those who paid the ultimate price, in the words of  General George Patton “It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived” ( Not much to say here …..and so much to say here. After researching Kerrie’s grandfather I had a better understanding of where her toughness and resolve comes from. He was forced to be a hard man because of hard times. God bless him)

My 52 To Do Week 4B

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Sunday April 13-Saturday April 19

France, Germany and Austria

As I am late in posting, today’s blog may leave you feeling that you have gone back in time…. back to Easter.  Sunday April 13th is Palm Sunday.  We attended church in Rouffach.  I always think it is interesting to see how other countries/cultures celebrate familiar events. At our churches in the United States, worshipers receive palm leaves on Palm Sunday. In Rouffach, we carried various types of greenery decorated with colored ribbons.  The pinks, purples and blues add a really festive look. 

After Sunday lunch, we headed with Alessandro, Max and Lise to Colmar.  The city is so beautifully decorated for Easter.  Most of the towns and villages in Alsace have very elaborate Easter displays with flowers, eggs, bunnies and chickens. (…..and more eggs, bunnies and chickens. Then you walk another block and guess what? More eggs bunnies and chickens. I’m still a bit confused about the whole bunnies and chickens laying eggs together but who am I to question the life styles of small French animals. I’m also a bit perplexed as to where the egg trees come into the equation? It was just a confusing time for me.)

Monday was a real treat.  We travelled to Germany to visit the thermal pools at Bad Bellingen. The spa includes one inside pool and two outside pools with thermal mineral water.  The pools have various features like massaging jets along the walls, a lazy riveresque area that floats you along, lounge chairs in the water with massaging jets, and a thermal water shower.  There is also a cold pool, which is supposed to be very good for you but felt like torture to me.  The mineral water does wonders for your skin. We spent the entire evening at the spa.  Floating in the thermal water while looking at the stars was so relaxing. 

https://www.bad-bellingen.de/therme

We spent a rainy Tuesday at the Eco Museum.  For readers from Southern Indiana, think about the Lincoln Boyhood Memorial, on steroids.  The Eco Museum is France’s largest outdoor museum.  The museum consists of 80 buildings, set up like an Alsacienne village.  The buildings are old buildings that have been moved to the museum from other locations.  It is a fantastic way to learn about history and preserve these beautiful structures.  We first visited the museum in 1991, and it has really been expanded since that time. ( Warning: to any of you that visit the museum, the billy goat is an asshole and doesn’t like it when you pet him. I had a similar experience with a potbellied pig,  once but I don’t like to talk about it.)

https://www.ecomusee.alsace

Water feature at Eco Museum

Paul and I again found ourselves with a few unscheduled days, so we decided to venture to another new country…Austria.  Salzburg was a 6-hour drive from our home base.  Salzburg is an amazingly beautiful city.  Paul is a master at finding interesting places to stay and we stayed at a fantastic boutique hotel the Bloberger Hof.  For a very reasonable price, we had a two-story room.  The first floor was a living room with a balcony overlooking the mountains.  Up a spiral staircase, you enter the bedroom and bathroom.  It was so spacious, and the views were outstanding. The hotel was conveniently located near a bus station, for easy and stress-free access to the center of town. While in Salzburg we visited the Salzburg Cathedral, including an organ concert, the gardens at Mirabell Palace, Hohensalzburg Fortress and did a bus tour to nearby Hallstatt.

https://www.blobergerhof.at/de/

The gardens at Mirabell Palace
There are 4 organs of this size in the church. The music was amazing.

Hallstatt

I am not one who normally wants to do hokey touristy stuff, but we had to do the Sound of Music Tour. (There is nothing hokey about singing show tunes with a bus full of strangers!) We visited sites from the movie such as the location for the scenes filmed as the backyard of the Von Trap house, the gazebo for the famous 16 Going on 17 song, the church used in the wedding scene, and the fountains and arbor for Do Re Mi. (The best part of this was Kerrie reenacting the Von Trapp kids running through the arbor. I can only assume that none of them had a knee replacement.)

This house is was used for the backyard of the house in the movie.
This is the church used for the wedding scene in the movie
Anyone want to dance to I am 16 Going on 17!

While Salzburg had not been on my radar in advance of the trip, I highly recommend it.  The city is absolutely beautiful with activities that would appeal to almost anyone.  Music lovers will enjoy it as it is the home of Mozart.  Musical theatre lovers can appreciate the Sound of Music sights.  There is beautiful architecture, historical sites and great shopping.

That is a wrap on week 4.

New To Do’s

  • Relaxed in the thermal pools at Bad Bellingen
  • Visited the country of Austria, in particular the city of Salzburg.

Coming up in week 5, another site of interest for fans of musicals, another new country, and a new castle

My 52 To Do Week 4A

by kerrie52todoLeave a Comment on My 52 To Do Week 4A

Saturday April 12

Rouffach, France

IT’S BIRTHDAY TIME

I love birthday parties.  It doesn’t even have to be my birthday. (It especially doesn’t have to be your birthday since you haven’t had a birthday, according to you, in almost 20 years.)  I love the anticipation in advance of the party.  I love hosting parties and all the preparation.  I enjoy seeing the delight on the birthday person’s face as they are surrounded by people they love.  Today is a VERY special birthday. Cecile Weinzapflen turns 105.  You read that correctly, one hundred and five! (The story of her life is amazing. Living through one of the worst times in history in a place that saw more than its share of death and   destruction, you could expect her to be a very bitter lady. But not Cecile, she is the epitome of love and kindness. Just being around her makes one a better person).

The celebration began with lunch and continued with cake and crémant (Alsacienne champagne).( Is anyone else catching this theme of Kerrie and wine?)   A representative from the Mayor’s office stopped by to wish Cecile a happy birthday (She has been after the Mayor to replace the cobblestone street between her home and her favorite restaurant. Apparently the ride in her wheelchair is a bit bumpy.)  She was surrounded by her daughter, granddaughter, great grandsons, other family members and friends. 

Her smile was contagious as she enjoyed the delicious cake and the visits from so many who love her.  It was a very special day, and Paul and I feel very honored to be included in the celebration.

At 105, Cecile spends every day with a smile on her face, especially when eating chocolate.  We have been able to spend time talking about her trip to visit the United States and our previous visits to her.  She is a delight!

New To Do this week:

  • Attend a 105th birthday party,

Paul, Kerrie, Cecile and Max

Cecile, Stephanie and Alessandro

Of course you have Domaine Weinzaepfel wine at a Weinzapflen birthday party

My 52 To Do Week 3

by kerrie52todoLeave a Comment on My 52 To Do Week 3

Saturday April 5-Friday April 11

France/Italy

Saturday was an easy day around the house and then out to dinner for tarte flambe.  Tarte flambe’ is an Alsacienne specialty.  It is kind of like a flat bread pizza with ham and a white cheese sauce.  You can make additions such as other kinds of cheese, onions and mushrooms. I am not a real cheese fan (basically a crime against humanity in France).          (That also explains why you don’t think my jokes are funny) but I do enjoy a good goat cheese (chevre in French) so that was my selection.  Delicious.  I can’t believe I have been to Alsace 3 times before and have never had this??

Paul and I made our first trip to France in 1991.  On that trip, we met our cousins Jean Jacque and Marie-Laure Weinzapflen and became instant friends. ( zay are zee best) We have stayed in touch over the years and have visited back and forth several times.  They invited us for lunch on Sunday. Their friends Tonio and Rachel, who have become our friends, joined us.   Marie-Laure sets a beautiful table and is an amazing cook.  Jean Jacque always keeps the aperitifs and wine flowing.  I often end up with the giggles after spending a day enjoying JJ’s drink selections! (I could tell you stories, as could anyone else who was trying to sleep in the same house) We had a fantastic afternoon catching up in person. 

an aperitif

We mentioned to them that we had a few unscheduled days in the next week and were tossing around some ideas. Marie-Laure is Italian, and she jumped right in when we threw out the idea of visiting Italy. We were a little nervous at first.  We speak zero Italian.  Marie-Laure assured us we would be fine and helped plan the driving route and made a suggestion on cities to visit.  So….after our very enjoyable Sunday lunch, we headed back “home” to pack for a three-night visit to Milan.

We (by “we” I mostly mean I) ( as conveyed by the numerous gasps and stifled screams as well as the finger nail marks in the dash and the worn out carpet where the car manufacturer apparently forgot to install a brake for the passenger) wasnervous about driving into a large city like Milan so we made reservations at a hotel in a town just outside Milan and planned to use public transportation for our travels into the city.  Our first challenge was to figure out how to acquire the necessary permit to drive through Switzerland (one must pay approximately $50 dollars each year to drive a car in Switzerland).  Challenge Two was figuring out road signs first in Switzerland and then in Italy.  Driving challenge three was that at this point in our trip, our car was still speaking French to us.  We had not yet figured out how to change the language on the driving assist.  Imagine driving 80 miles an hour in New York City with your car occasionally yelling at you in a language you don’t speak. (The car was just telling me that I might want to pull over and rest because I had been driving for so long. It just sounded so much more important in French. “ATTENTION!”)  By the time we completed the five hour drive and arrived at the hotel, I needed a serious nap to reset my stress level. (apparently the word “nap” can be used in place of “large glass of Chanti”?)

We spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday exploring the beauty of Milan.  We spent almost a full day visiting the Milan Cathedral.  We went all the way to the roof top for some amazing views of the city, visited the crypt of St Charles and explored the archeological dig under the church.  Another highlight of the trip was seeing Leonardo Di Vinci’s The Last Supper painting.  Most of the other paintings in this church were destroyed in World War II (On a serious note, we all know that Hitler and Mussolini were frggen idiots, with over 65,000,000+ dead because of their actions, but I continue to be amazed at the amount of destruction they caused. Some of the most beautiful cities and villages in Europe completely decimated! Thousands of years of beauty destroyed in the matter of a few years. War is so stupid….) but they were able to preserve this painting by surrounding it with sandbags.  We walked to many other monuments and sites in the city.  On the drive home, we spent part of the day driving around Lake Como.  Lake Como is a beautiful lake surrounded by picturesque Italian villages.  It is so charming. 

Model of the Cathedral in Milan

Look at the amazing architectural detail

Lake Como

After three weeks away, Friday was laundry day.  It is also the day that Christianne, Stephanie, Stephanie’s sons Max and Alessandro, and Max’s girlfriend Lise all arrive at the Rouffach house to prepare for a very special event on Saturday.  There will be more about that in my next post.

I had not seen Stephanie in person in 23 years.  Being able to hug her and see her smile in real life was a really special feeling.  Stephanie prepared a delicious meal Friday night, and we all stayed up past midnight reminiscing about our past times together and catching up on life.   It was the perfect end to the week.

As usual, comments from Paul/The Editor are in bold

New things this week:
Visited a new country -Italy and the cities of Milan and Lake Como

Tried a new food Tarte Flambe

Coming up- a very special birthday celebration