The Vances spent the week of Memorial Day (or the week of Ascension Day, depending on which country you’re in) visiting the lovely part of eastern France known as Alsace. This region has changed hands between France and Germany several times over the years, which explains why so many towns have German names, why the Alsatians bake such good pretzels, and why you find old, half-timber houses like these:
This picture is from Riquewihr, a medieval town wedged into an area of hilly vineyards. Like Germany’s Rothenburg ob der Tauber or Switzerland’s Stein am Rhein, Riquewihr is famous for being a prosperous old town that was seemingly frozen in time. The Vances spent a week in Riquewihr, living in a vacation apartment in a house built in the late 17th century (fortunately, the house had been remodeled a few times since then).
The old houses of this area are awash in color, not just pastels, but vibrant blues, red, pinks and oranges. 1 Alsace is loaded with such eye candy.
But there’s more to see in Alsace than just little old towns. There are also medium-sized old towns, like Strasbourg, which has a beautiful Gothic cathedral.
Alsace’s wildlife star is the stork — and it turns out that storks really do build their nests on top of chimneys, which probably makes it hard for them to get fire insurance. No sign that the storks are still delivering babies, though.
Thanks to its history, Alsace has been the scene of a battle or two. The mountain range there is dotted with military cemeteries, and you can still see some of the trenches that formed the front lines in World War I.
Thankfully, Alsace is again a place where little girls can have fun.
More pictures here.
_______________________________________- Compare, for example, the houses of one of Jenelle and Jonathan’s favorite towns in Germany, Heppenheim.
The box on the front can carry packages, groceries or (preferably with seat belts) your kids. Some appear more comfortable than others:
