Blogs from Alsace, France, Europe - page 43

Luxembourg Ab - After the dangers of kamikaze cyclists in the Netherlands, and the Dutch propensity for wrapping entire buildings (and themselves) in orange, we were looking forward to a different pace in Luxembourg and France. A touch of class even... Monday 19th was our first opportunity to use our interrail tickets. So we went long haul and headed to Luxembourg. It's a lovely city, perched on huge spars of rock between two rivers. And it is partly the fairytail city I had expected. However speaking to Sheena (my friend who lives in Paris) I should actually have been expecting debauchery and a great party scene... After the Amsterdam hovel, the Luxembourg City Auberge de Jeunesse felt like 5 star luxury. They have a bar, and a restaurant, and windows in the bedrooms. We were ... read more

We spent 5 wonderful days with Tony’s aunt and uncle (his mother’s sister). Again we were spoilt with wonderful food and wines, all French of course. We met cousins and his mother’s brother and another sister who all made a fuss of us. We toured the Vosges mountains, France´s equivalent to the Black Forest in Germany. Had a day trip to Strasbourg, saw an amazing cathedral with an astronomical clock that included moving statues - it dates back 6 centuries. We drove through many vineyards along the Rhine valley with quaint little villages. Took a trip to Chateau Haut Koenigsbourg high on the top of a mountain overlooking the Rhine river valley from where we could see into Germany and the Swiss alps. Next we are off to Koblenz where Germany´s Mosel and Rhine rivers meet. ... read more

Remember When We Uberrheigd to Germany? I'm a bit behind, but only by a few days - a good record for me! While many of my fellow students were heading to Ireland for St. Patrick's Day weekend, and while this was my initial intention while in Europe at this time, I opted out. Why you ask? Firstly, I've already done the Dublin thing. 2. IT WOULD BE CRAZY! I've been told of just how wonderful the trip was, but that still doesn't make me regret my decision!! So, Allison, Alison and I decided to head to Strasbourg (France) for the weekend. We had no particular reason for going there for that particular weekend, but went anyways! Strasbourg is a city on the border to Germany. It's in the Alsace region, making it a region that was ... read more

My second last evening in Niedermorschwihr was an enjoyable occasion. Bernard (Jean & Beatrice’s friend), his wife Eliane, daughter Miriam (plus her boyfriend, who’s name escapes me - could be Franz?), joined Jean, Beatrice, Ella-Pauline, Nellie and myself for dinner. It was good to share a meal and drinks with them before I departed Niedermorschwihr as they have all been so friendly to Lorenza and me on our two visits to Alsace. Miriam is the president of the local organization responsible for raising funds to maintain and restore the church tower. She is very passionate about her role and cause. She spoke for sometime about the different fund raising projects they had and were trying. It is good to see that someone young is interested in maintaining the history of her birthplace. Bernard got scolded a ... read more

4/11/05 - Mulhouse, not far from Colmar, is the home of the Musée National de Automobile. It includes exhibits of about 400 vehicles and the world’s largest collection of Bugatti cars, including the amazing Bugatti Royale. Some other features of this museum include …. A Peugeot 205 which you can sit in and experience how it feels to roll a car, multiple times, at high speed (not something I want to repeat in real life thanks). A German car called a “Trabant” which is made of “Duroplast”. Sounds a bit like Elastoplast bandages and it is; the body of the car is made from cotton, sandwiched between two layers of resin. There is a classic quote from the Citroen 2CV handbook “A car which can carry two farmers in clogs, 50kgs of potatoes, or a barrel, ... read more