Monday 25th September 2023

Strasbourg to Eguisheim in the Alsace

Today we started to get ready to move into walking mode. Headed off for the Laundromat duties early and then off to the Cathedral for one last effort.

Despite some 100 people beating us to the punch we finally got in to view the interior. Not quite as ornate as many others it was huge and beautifully decorated. The local priests would have kept fit just walking up the stairs to the altar.

The three notable features are the enormous stained glass window , organ and the astrological clock.

Whilst the first two are beautiful in their own right calling the other one a clock does it a total injustice. It is one of the times where the word unique is appropriate.

It is an invention that has to be seen to understand how many things other than the time it calculates. The clock part itself has an array of features that operate on the 15 30 45 and 60 minute marks, ranging from bell ringing figures to a full parade of 12 deciples on the hour. It also calculates , days , months, years, lunar and solar events , seasons and religious days such as Easter Sunday. To be honest there were so many features we had to buy a book to get the full gamut.

As fable has it they were so intent on preserving its uniqueness they poked out the eyes of the designer so he could not replicate it. That might a little fact checking.

Being a place of worship there is a consciousness about silence and several times when the crowd got a bit raucous they played an automated SHOOSH – which did the trick.

So all that waiting and trying was worth the effort and we happily set off to the hotel to collect the luggage and head for the train to Colmar and bade farewell to Strasbourg.

Arrived at station about 10 minutes before train departed and another swift ride in a very comfortable fast train had us there in about 25 minutes.

Into an immaculate Mercedes cab, whose driver was particularly helpful , and we soon arrived in Eguisheim. I had to pinch myself that it was not a dream and we were in some fairy tale – it was a town straight from a Grimm Brothers book.

Our hotel was able to house us immediately in a room 3 times the size of Strasbourg , but with lots of beams and a sloping ceilings. One in the bathroom was particularly challenging and required gymnastics to undertake ablutions.

The ceiling had a nice piece of artwork above the bed depicting birds and their nests. It was in stark contrast to the mural in our previous converted convent hotel depicting drunken , slobbering Monks leering at and touching up maidens. Obviously an owner with a quirky sense of humour.

We headed out into the streets to take in the wonderland in a town stuck in the middle of vineyards, with many cellars and wineries plonked in the middle of town. Again the architecture was amazing with houses dating back to the 13th century. The area is famous for storks and lots of nests were on chimneys- some so big houseowners had reinforced them in preparation for the storks annual pilgrimage to the same nest.

The town square’s bars and restaurants were filled with a mix of day trippers, bikers and walkers – all doing a great trade.

We slipped into a winery for a wine degustation sampling a few, but unable to get a glassful, as none are licenced and they rely on bottle sales.

After a bit more wandering around it was back home to prepare our walking kit for tomorrow to tackle the hills behind the town where we will visit 3 castles on route to our next village.

Ended up in a nearby bar for pre dinner drinks sampling beer, wine and cheeses before heading back to the hotel for our dinner which is part of the trip package.

Sat down to dinner with a few others in an intimate environment, until two things changed the ambiance of the room. Firstly, it seemed someone was having pre dinner coffee only to find someone had lent against the coffee machine and had coffee cascading all over the place. A bit non-plussed the offender skulked off to their table. Jane remarked ‘ I thought only you would do something like that’ .

Next it was a band of aging Swiss on a bus tour who marched in- all 40 of them.They occupied every spare seat in the place.

Dinner was an entree similar to a Caesar salad, followed by sauerkraut, portk, Frankfurt, with a couple of potatoes. The size of the serving would have fed several. Left a lot to save room for the lovely fruit pie. Hydrated with a small beer, served in a glass the size of a vase.

That ended a very eventful day in the Alsace.