Blogs from Colmar, Alsace, France, Europe - page 2

Alsace?...where…and why? This was the question after, “Where are you off to next?”- not only from fellow Kiwis but those we met during our travels. Alsace is a region in France where the River Rhine forms the eastern boundary with Germany. It has been disputed and fought over by the two countries for centuries, sometimes being part of Germany, sometimes ‘taken back’ by France. This makes it interesting in several ways – cuisine and customs reflect the heritage of both countries and the hundreds of little villages which have in varying degrees survived the ravages of many conflicts including two world wars are like living museums of medieval Franco-Bavarian architecture. But our main reason for visiting was to sample the magical wine of Alsace. It’s no mystery why gewürztraminer, the most famous wine of the region, ... read more

It was only a hop, step and a jump from the ecomuseum to Colmar. We had picked the campsite near the river due to its location within walking distance of the city and the public transport which stopped outside the camp. We also wanted to use it as a base for two days in which we could go to Strasburg. The journey into Colmar was lovely with the hillsides covered in vines. Every village was pristine. A lovely church, storks nests on top of the Mairie or the church. Flowers everywhere, in gardens and in public flower beds. There was certainly a sense of pride about this region and everyone played their part keeping it clean,neat and tidy. When we arrived at our camping site the young receptionist was just leaving for lunch. We had arrived ... read more

Yesterday evening after a long day at school, I had the English lessons over in Colmar, which Daniele had asked me to come along to. I hadn't hesitated in saying yes when she asked me - as much as I don't really like speaking in front of lots of people, somehow when I'm in a teaching situation, it's different and I feel more confident. However, as the time drew nearer I did start to get very nervous especially when the students started arriving. They were all very curious about who I was and what I was doing there, dressed what must have seemed a bit strangely - I was wearing a white shirt and black skirt with a Welsh shawl pinned around my shoulders with a daffodil (the lesson was evidently Wales-based) - I chose to ... read more

Geo: 48.0807, 7.35997 GUN 15 GUNLERDEN CUMA Eguisheim da anıları canlandırdıktan sonra, Dünyanın en romantik kenti seçilen Colmar'a yöneldik. Eski bilgilerimize dayanarak ,merkeze yakın bir park yeri bulduk. Almanya 'ya oranla hayat var. Sokaklarda insanlar dolaşıyor ve restaurantlar açık. Aslında Ayşe ile Schwendi de yemeyi kafamıza koymuştuk. Havanın serinliği nedeniyle içeri girdik. İlk kez içine girdiğim Schwendi, çok güzelmiş yahu... Flambe lerimizi ve şaraplarımızı ısmarladık. Millet içeride eğleniyor şarkılar söylüyor... Çok keyifli bir yemek oldu . Bu gece Fransa'daki son gecemiz ... Aracımıza atladık ve Rouffah'ta otelimize döndük. Colmar hakkında daha önce verdiğim bilgiyi tekrarlıyacağım: Şehrin girişinde tanıdık bir heykel . New York taki Özgürlük anıtı... read more

We spent the last three days in the Alsace region of France near the German border in a town called Colmar. This region is known for its white wines, German style food and architecture style. Our first stop was the Unterlinden Museum. Rick Steves, the travel book writer, says that this is one of the best museums in France and it is certainly very interesting. An audioguide comes with the entry fee and is very well done. The museum itself is at least 150 years old; some of the audioguide entries mention that a particular painting was donated in 1850. It is also a very eclectic collection…everything from medieval paintings to furniture to suits of armour to modern art. They even moved the interiors of a couple of buildings into the museum. The centerpiece is a ... read more