Gobble Up Turkey

Friday 6th October 2023

Basel to Black Forest – Altglashutten

Happy birthday to Mitch Hodgson my grandson back in Sydney.

Today was all about catching the right train at the right time to take us from Basel, through France, to our final destination at Falkau in Germany.

With first train not leaving till lunch time we grabbed a late breakfast and had a wander out through the suburbs circumnavigating the Zoo where we caught a glimpse of some monkeys and then down along a large canal back to home.

Off to the railway station to mingle with what seemed like a crowd going to the Grand Final. When looking at parking station most must have ridden.

We grabbed a bit of sustenance at CoOp where if you wanted mushrooms or a handful of banana’s it was there for your picking.

Found our platform and with no mention of our first point of change on the board . A few exchanges with locals and a guy in a fluoro jacket, who was probably less sure than us, we jumped on another fast train hopefully stopping at Freiburg.

We basically had the carriage to ourself to start with, but it slowly filled with University students , heading for Freiburg- we hoped.

The landscape changed pretty quickly and the plains turned into forested hills and vineyards. We could look in the opposite direction and see some of the peaks we had climbed last week.

Reached our destination and managed a swift transfer to the right platform to catch a slightly smaller Regional train. It was standing room only for the next hour with carriage full of local travellers, cyclists and the usual mutt.

It was certainly a long trip which finished at a small station in Titisee with one platform, smaller train and as many people. Thankfully the ride was only 10 minutes up through cuttings and tunnels to 750 metres to finish n Altglashutten.

What started off a worrisome journey was pretty uncomplicated and the final 500 metre uphill walk rewarded us with a great hotel with a magnificent view of the mountains. Sadly only half the height of what we will scale tomorrow or perhaps cheat a little bit with a short cable car ride.

A cute little babies cot, along with some period furniture was outside our room- thankfully no takers.

The hosts were perfect,like the room and the delicious set menu meal we had for dinner. The restaurant was full with travellers and locals, I don’t think anyone would have walked away disappointed with the fare or service.

Thursday 5th October 2023

Basel

It was a somewhat red faced individual that stepped out of the bathroom this morning. Seems I have had a reaction to the’ Rock Your Body’ liquid soap and I have the face of a sunburned Pom on Bondi beach.

We still had plenty to see of Basel, so could not let a little rudiness  get in the way and we struck off early with the workers to find somewhere for breakfast. 

On the outskirts we found a nice little cafe and dined on both sweet  and savoury offerings and a good cup of coffee. Unlike last year in Turkey a cup of tea has not passed my lips on this trip.

Our main aim was to get to the riverside and do a little cruise on the Rhine. Unfortunately, only 5 hour cruises were available, so we quickly did some Dr Google,  at one of the free Wi-Fi points, and opted for a 2 hour bus tour instead.

Found the bus stop and embarked on a great trip, which despite limited photo opportunities,  gave us a great understanding of Basel’s  history and its evolution to where it is today, along with some stories of its prominent citizens.

We started out adjacent to a crazy looking fountain with sculptures by a local identity Tinguely. His works were also in a Museum dedicated solely to him which we passed later in the day.

The fountain apparently has a very different view in winter, the on-bus video gave me an chance to snatch a view.

Just on fountains every one in Basel has drinkable water,  so it’s hard to go thirsty.

Another favourite son of Basel was adventurer Johann Burckhardt who was an Indiana Jones of his day,  being accredited with finding the lost city of Petra and the Great Temple of Ramses at Abu Simbel. Interestingly he studied Islam then posed as a Muslim and changed his name to Ibrahim so he would be accepted.

We travelled around to the major railway station which apart from its grandness had a great role to play in WW2 when it housed thousands of refugees from Italy.

Next was the covered  market which was a centre of trade in its day, but when we went back later in the day found it was more of a food court for any food other than Swiss.

 On the way to the Jewish Quarter we passed the hotel where UEFA soccer federation was formed in 1954.

The Jewish Quarter over time was home to the likes of Anne Franck and the Coen brothers of movie fame.

Headed through the university precinct where there was a minor protest going on outside the University Hospital over abortion.

Then it was down along the riverside passing Les Trois Roi Hotel which is one of the most exclusive in Europe. It has a 3 Star Michelin restaurant.

With the ridiculous cost of living here I think one might need to sacrifice their first born to eat there.

Next point of interest was  the Town Hall which we walked to after the tour , it was pure opulence.

Headed out of the old town towards the business area, in particular the Novartis Campus, built on the site of an ancient Celtic village , and now home to  some 10000 people in the health science industry work. 

Interestingly it was 75 years ago that LSD was developed in these laboratories. Along the same lines, the Weedy Shop in middle of town satisfied all your modern day hash requirements.

Like Silicon Valley in US it has been nicknamed Bio valley. In total something like 70000 are involved in the industry.

We went down through the St Johannes Gate which led to the area where the Fish Markets previously existed, it is now the entry to the huge Rhine River port.

It’s the only port with direct access to the North Sea and moves about 15% of Switzerland’s trade.

The middle of the river marks the three way border of France, Germany and Switzerland. On land there is a large symbolic three sided pole.

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There is a modern bridge which replaced the old pontoon bridge destroyed by US troops in the 40’s.

Still in the industrial / business area we went to what used to be called the Beer Bottle , which was the area where all the brewery workers lived.

It is now an area noted for its ethnic diversity. Basel has 150 different ethnic groups living in the city.

Back towards the middle of the city we passed the Exhibition Centre which was designed by Hertzog  and Partners who were also responsible for Peking’s Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium.  

Then over the river on which the baths were located. Swimming is very popular and our friends floating downstream yesterday are multiplied 100 fold in Summer.

We saw our little punt from yesterday and found out they have no motor they just use the current and tiller to maker their way across the river.

Maintaining the water theme we passed the old paper mills which use to pollute the river in years gone by.

It was off the bus and into town centre for us to have kramsky and Prosecco, not quite a Bunnings Sausage sizzle.

Having dodged trams, buses, cars and bicycles for the last two days we decided to look from the other side with a twisting tram ride towards home.

Walked the remaining kilometre and had a little siesta before heading out around 630 to finish the visit with a dinner typical of town – good old pork snitzel. Add a wine and a homeward bound gelato and our day was done and we headed home to ponder the next 8-10 days traipsing through the Black Forest.

We passed a great mural of the famous rock stars outside a cafe pumping out music from all era’s.

We will miss this lively town, but credit cards might be smiling.

A few more photos of the day

Wednesday 4th September 2023

Basel

Another no boots transition day, this time from Colmar in France to Basel in Switzerland.

Farewelled Little Miss Happy on reception whose attitude did not change from sign in to sign out – obviously a young lady who needs to rethink her career in a people facing job.

Just 50 steps and we were on the queue to buy our tickets. Train was due in about 30 minutes and there was little change in it’s length for what seemed an eternity.

A sudden spurt of productivity had us ticketed and on the platform ready for another speedy train ride.

Within 10 minutes the landscape changed and vineyards gave way to field of wheat – guess they need something for all that bread.

In no time we were pulling into another ultra modern train station that was not far off an international airport with all of its shopping facilities.

We managed to sort out a problem with a train cancellation on one of the legs to the Black Forest, then headed to our nearby accommodation. Pretty ironic that we left land of storks to end up in an Ibis hotel.

No early access but at least the staff member was ultra pleasant. Interesting that she was French and said that the Swiss don’t take on the menial jobs in hospitality because of the cost of living – we found out a bit about that later in the day.

Armed with the City Map and Map Me App we headed into town , dodging the myriad of trams and buses which we as visitors could use for free with our Basel Card.

No where near as many tourists in the town, it just seemed like a major city getting on with life.

It was surprising how hilly the town was even close down near the Rhine.
We wandered down past the Cathdersl which was closed for prayers. Like many here it had a sundial out front.

We ran into another church with a lovely mural out front. Inside was a full orchestra preparing for a concert. We waited for 15 minutes but no music emanated from any one of the wide selection of instruments.

Out the back of Carhdral was a lovely tree filled park which offered great views up and down the river.

We got down onto the river and crossed to the other side and in one park watched another competitive game of either pétanque or boules.

The river was a passing parade of cruises, barges , small pleasure craft and believe it or not several people floating down the river with flotation devices, dodging bridges and watercraft.

Lots of people wete lining the riverbank lolling back on the stone banks taking in the sun and enjoying lunch. We managed to join the group with a little feast from the local deli.

One surprise boats was a punt who ferried people across the river in a craft tethered to a wire high above the river. For a couple of Euro’s we could not resist the opportunity.

Headed back into the Cathedral area and managed to get a viewing along with 10 little kindergarden kids who were being herded like cats by the teacher.

When you think of how the church espouses peace the sculpture out the front of a soldier spearing a dragon didn’t quite fit the bill.

Headed home, through the main town gate whch still had old wooden gates intact, along with a nasty looking iron grille with cerrated edges.

Also passed a couple of interesting shops, one the weirdly named Ass Bar and the other a toy store where the French and Swiss penchant for cycling showed up with Match Box Toys in the image of a tour De France riders.

Managed to find our way home and book into our postage stamp sized room.

Went out for dinner and Jane talked me into the Cheese Fondue. It was delicious but I reckon they need to serve it with a defibrillator as a side dish.

With a 1/2 bottle of wine and a couple of desserts we needed to mortgage the house to pay the bill.

The area around the railway was a microcosm of society, with first signs of homelessness, buskers, plus a couple of heavily drug affected types.

On the way home I was accosted by two young gypsy looking guys at the railway. They were jostling me and getting very handsy , obviously feeling for wallets etc. I politely told them f… off.

We made it home with no further incident. Oh the joys of big cities!!

Tuesday 3rd October 2023

Colmar

Another day of being a tourist started with a late breakfast and a short walk down a now well beaten track into town, to arrive when the major attractions opened.

After yesterday it was inevitable to start at the Bartholdi Museum. We must have been looking a bit old and haggard because it was the first time we were offered an aged concession ticket – a whole Euro off the price of entry.

The museum rambled over three floors with an array of his paintings and sculptures done in various materials. The premier sculpture was the miniature model of the Statue of Liberty and also a 5 metre version of a horse in battle which had a 30 metre equivalent elsewhere in the country. A couple of pieces from the famous continents fountain decommissioned by Germans were also there.

Another notable piece was the model , life size , for the ear of the Statue of Liberty. There was also a picture of the practice version they assembled in Paris, for which they charged people 50 pence to scale the scaffolding to help finance the project

The museum had also been home to Bartholdi at some stage and displays of his study, music room and studio were represented. There were so many examples of his work it was difficult deciding which ones to capture after sorting the great from the excellent. Interestingly it had a plate display attached to the ceiling.

We left understanding why he had been such an influence in French/USA relations.

Whilst this visit was a sensory delight the next one tested the taste buds. Having come from a long line of confectioners, with a penchant for making chocolate delights, it was a no brainier we visited the Museum of Chocolate.

Not only did it give a great history of how chocolate cultivation and production evolved over time, there were a couple of eat all you want tasting stations. We didn’t gorge ourselves, but suffice to say we didn’t need a big lunch.

Interestingly Ivory Coast is the world greatest producer of cacao beans which are the basis for chocolate production.

Some great works of art including cabaret costumes, Statue of Liberty and a life sized 1927 Bugatti all made from chocolate were on display.

The end of visit culminated with a gingerbread infused hot chocolate.

Followed this up with a visit to the Hanzi Museum. The artist nicknamed Hanzi is famous for taking the piss out of Germans before, during and after both World Wars. The Germans charged him with treason and incarcerated him as well as seriously wounding him in WW2 , which led to his ultimate demise.

He was also known for his rustic paintings of little children which feature on a raft of souvenirs.

Another walk through Little Venice where we picked up a few snacks and a new chapeau for Jane.

Headed home and did some chores before a quick siesta and then back into town, passed the still inoperative carousel , to buy a couple of presents for the tiny tots which will likely delight them and cause the parents some angst, before dinner in the Hansi restaurant.

One last walk home to get ready to farewell France for a while and head to Switzerland .

Monday 2nd October 2023

Bergheim to Colmar

It’s time to pack the boots away and have 4 days seeing the sights of Colmar and then Basel before heading off to the Black Forest.

Trading our country retreat for the big city atmosphere we jumped in a cab , without Jane’s hat, which is probably sitting on the head of a different local cab driver. Soon reached the regional capital of Colmar , it is a city of almost 70k people which is a tad different to the towns with 1-2k we had been staying in recently.

We ended up in an aptly named Grand Hotel which was across the road from the major railway station and only a 10 minute walk to the city centre.

No room was available and Little Miss Pleasant on the desk suggested we come back after 3pm. At least we had a ‘left luggage’ room to drop everything off.

Headed into town with a lot of grand old buildings around the place before reaching the tourist precinct. Tourist was the operative word with the place absolutely packed- just the sort of big town experience I detest.

Looks as though Asia has now discovered Europe along with a healthy smattering of Yanks. The Asians were madly clicking their way through town, with hardly a photo opportunity not being occupied by them taking selfies.

The town has a strong attachment to the US mainly by virtue of one of Colmar’s most famous residents Auguste Bartholdi being responsible for design and construction of the Statue of Liberty New York. As a renowned sculptor he left his mark throughout the town.

His famous statue above ,depicting 4 of the major continents , was dismantled partially by the Germans in WW2 and then reconstructed in 1958.

The Cathedral was again a major stopping point for tourists and like many in France it was under renovation on the outside and had a large queue to visit inside.

The architecture was again the dominant feature of town with the Phister house one of the oldest and grandest. Last time I heard that name was the US tennis player Hank.

The old converted Customs House was as old but nowhere as grand. Being in the wine region the industry was well represented by the La Sommeliere building, where the treats could be sampled and purchased. Bartholdi even had a Museum we hoped to visit tomorrow

The tourists here take their animals everywhere and in different forms of transport . The variety of dogs is particularly amazing.

A lot more kids here around town, than in the wine region and they seemed to be enjoying the city as much as Mum and Dad. I found one little fellow calmly washing his bike in a fountain, under the distant but watchful eye of his parents.

Our major port of call was the renowned Little Venice which was similar to the area in Strasbourg .

The tanneries and fish merchants plied their trade through history and then their buildings were converted into picturesque canal side residences. The local school playground even abutted the canal.

Quasi Gondoliers motored tourists up and down the canals in punts. One was full of an Islamic group who all ducked into the praying position to miss hitting heads on the low level bridge.

Another ran right up next to where we chose to have lunch where Jane had the meal of the trip – a tasty seafood stew.

After lunch we took in more of the town, including an obligatory visit to the Xmas Shop where Jane got a photo opportunity with a local identity.

We stopped and listened to a couple of talented street musicians and on crossing one of the bridges in town came across the tradition of lovers attaching locks to them.

Also took in some more Bartholdi sculptures including two wine inspired ones. One depicting a soldier who vanquished the Hungarians and supposedly introduced the Tokay grape variety back here and another of one enjoying his wine.

The last part of the day was simply taking in the beautiful buildings around town before wandering back through large parks, one with a huge water tower, to the hotel to book in and have a rest.

We headed back out in the evening in search of a light meal and to see the city in a different light. We were also keen to see if the 1900 carousel might have been working so Jane could have a ride and overcome a childhood fear. Sadly it didn’t open on Monday like many other places.

The city outskirts were almost deserted with the majority of restaurants and shops closed. It was different in the middle of the city with the minimal bars and restaurants that were open overflowing and people being turned away. We managed to make a booking for tomorrow night before finding an outside cafe to have a dinner comprising an Aperol and some ice cream dessert. Light but not particularly healthy.

Seems our day was centred around Bartholdi and there is more to see of him tomorrow.

Sunday 1st October 2023

Not much of a sleep for either of us with Jane aggravating a sore back with a slip in the bath. My cracked ribs making for uncomfortable laying down and also impossible to use my poles when walking.

Despite all that we woke to another cracking day with 26 degrees and sunny weather predicted.

Fabulous breakfast where WW3 nearly started during discussions with a French lady who taught English. Jane made some innocuous comment about the local food and her response was along the lines “ visitors need to be careful about having opinions on local food as it may not be well accepted .

That sort of ended breakfast table conversation.

It was probably a good segue into our uphill trip to visit a German War Cemetery.

We passed loads of walkers, runners and dog walkers heading both ways on the hill – could not look at the rear end of a dog after yesterday.

A campervan parked in front of a directional sign had us off in the wrong direction for a while, but finally worked it out and headed back to take the right path and head further upward.

After about 30 minutes we reached a doorway that led into the cemetery. It was a bit daunting to be confronted by more than 1500 white markers where 5300 German soldiers remains had been placed. No matter which country a fallen soldier represented it’s pretty sobering to see men aged between 17 and 58 lost to war.

This is a resting place for many soldiers who were killed in the late 1944 push by French and US troops to take back the Rhine Valley.

When you look back down the valley now full of vineyards, it’s difficult to imagine it as a theatre of war.

We quietly sat and took in the view then set off downhill, again across vieyard roads towards St Hippolyte.

We now seemed to have abandoned the forests and most of the walking is on gravel or tarmac. Another little geographical misadventures was cured with the help of a Ukrainian woman- ironic someone whose country is currently war torn to now be here in an old war zone.

We gradually found the town , again dominated by winemaking and tourism. The town was smaller and as Jane put it ‘ with a lot less lipstick’.

It was however one of the towns Pilgrims walk through on the Way of St James and his scallop shell direction shell was sprinkled along the way.

Being Sunday the locals were out and about with a group of 4 playing pétanque or boules in the local park near where we took lunch.

It was a burger lunch for us. Mine was a medium rare piece of beef served on two potato cakes (not bread) with Munster cheese and side salad- can’t imagine the Macca’s Cheeseburger would match it. It also had hand crafted chips.
It was interesting that our beer bottle and the glasses in which it was served had matching labels – seems it is a bit of a trait over here. As photo showed the restaurant had a real orange feel about it.

Again the passing parade was cycles and a throng of motor cycles. Our restaurant seemed to readily accept walkers and cyclists but not bikers.

We decided against the walk up to the castle and also a bus ride back to Bergheim and decided on a vineyard route of 4 Kms. The walk allowed us to pass the famous red, white and blue cock statue. The French maintained it in parochial colours as a sign of defiance to the German during annexation .

We also chanced to gaze the 20 Kms or so over to the hazy Black Forest mountains which we will tread next week.

As we walked out of town into more modern estates we realised fairytale towns don’t last forever and architectural wank’s are an inevitability.

We soon found our way back to our home town, passing the ramparts and moat before winding our way through the streets to the hotel.

We dropped the backpacks off, freshened up and headed off for a walk around the ramparts which circled town, but not before another visit to the famous lime tree and it’s slightly less number of oracles sitting beneath it.

Some magnificent old homes sat inside the ramparts with a former moat as their backyard. Several were undergoing major restorations and retaining their heritage.

We wound our way through town where locals were out in the street using mini public squares as a backyard. There were again some quaint houses and fountains in these backstreets.

We finished the stroll with a visit to a winery owned by the hotel, where we tasted and bought a couple of bottles of wine for later consumption.

It was then back to the hotel for a spa and a swim.

We ate in and watched an abysmal Aussie Rugby team beat minnows Portugal pretty unconvincingly.

That end this walk and now it’s to Colmar and Basel for 4 days before the next walk in The Black Forest.

Kayserberg to Bergheim

Saturday 30th September 2023

What a difference a day makes with people. Went to breakfast and the Lady of the House ended up our best friend engaging us in conversation about yesterday and our plans for today. Well at least it lasted till we were due to leave , when 3 times she questioned our mini bar usage- a whole 2 bottles of beer- and even sent the cleaning lady in to do another audit.

Today was a taxi transfer from Kaysersbrrg to our stating point in Riquewihr, about 15 minutes away.

Dropped off outside the gates to the City and guess what another fairytale town which was already bustling with tourists. Again the patisseries , ice cream stores, wine tasting dens and bar /restaurants were flanking the cobblestone road. Many of the buildings had floral displays hanging from the window sills , all with vibrant colour displays. Of course there was the fountain or five.

As we worked our way up through town we came across a patisserie with an enormous array of macaroons and decided to fill up the treats jar for the day with a 100g assortment.

A not so alert watch dog stood guard over the shops fare and this mutt was a precursor to what turned out to be a day about animals, as well as castles.

Jane is forever on the lookout for Christmas decorations and midway through town she found a shop with a reasonably small facade which evolved into IKEA once she got inside. Me the bull in the China shop was consigned to bag minding out the front.

After an eternity she returned with a booty which will test our packing skills and the care factor of airport baggage handlers.

Whilst waiting I read the directions and was not surprised that our next stretch was uphill on a road for a kilometre. Unlike the Italians the French love to build their villages at the bottom of the hill.

I waited by a town fountain whose water was previously used as a quality control device for the size of wine casks.

The next 300 hundred metres up the hill, behind a local walking his dog. set us a conundrum we are yet to solve. Fido had a bag of marbles tied at the very top of his tail which with every step rattled and banged on his bum and own marble bag.

Would welcome advice from any Dr Harry on what it’s for. Could not get too close so one might need to zoom in on the photo . I will never look at dogs the same again.

At the top of the hill we caught our first glimpse of the 3 castles we had an option to visit, it was still a decision to consider having seen 3 ruins before.

A bit of huffing and puffing along roads that wound through the vineyards we soon arrived at Humawir.

Another small pretty town but not as popular with the tourists, best demonstrated by minimal shops and no open bars or restaurants. The church , with a cemetery inside a rampart, was beautiful and enjoyed a great view north up the valley.

Out of town and on our Dr Doolittle visit to the nature park where they are enjoying great success increasing the stork population, which had almost vanished back in the 80’s. Numbers are now closer to 1500.

They migrate to Africa annually and this year left 3 weeks early due to the dry weather – even the birds are acknowledging climate change.

The sanctuary is also trying to increase otter numbers. Not too much evidence of that other than one who was very adept at backward somersaults of a rock – he had all the kids wide eyed and giggling.

The rest of the park was very kids orientated so we headed for the next animsl or more correct insect sanctuary, where there was 100’s of beautiful butterflies flitting all around the plants in a heat controlled room – emphasising the heat – it was like a Christmas Day in Darwin.

They were difficult to catch in all their splendour so I left that to Jane to capture and she gratefully shared her photos.

Then it was off to Ribeauville, with its kilometre Main Street which we walked both ways to make sure we took it all in. Bigger and as bright as the other towns we had visited it obviously attracted more tourists, especially on a weekend.

Having been on the road for 5 days and gradually working our way through the clean clothes eagle-eyed Jane remembered reading about a laundry in this town. We soon found it, but unfortunately it was an open air one which had not worked for centuries.

There were some quaint shops including the smallest book store I had ever seen, along with an assortment of fountains. In one was a display of the local products of the field.

We stopped in the middle of town next to an intetesting musician statue in a bar to feast on a charcuterie board , beer and a wine.

The diversity of tourists is amazing French, German, Alscience , Yanks, English, Irish, Japanese and a sprinkling of Aussies.

Whilst there were a few walkers we were outnumbered 10 to 1 by the cyclists and bike riders decked out in Lycra and leathers. Most of the cyclists had electric versions and unlike us made easy work of the uphills.

Attire on the others ranged from high end fashion to tee shirts and thongs. One guy must have been a shopkeepers nightmare – he was probably 32 short from the bum down and 48 short from the belly button. It’s not a critique just an observation from someone who has endured fat jokes all his life.

We still had 4-5 Kms to go before reaching Bergheim , our resting place. But two interesting things caught our eye heading out – an automated bear blowing bubbles and a wine tasting room with a very appropriate name.

The next part of the journey traversed the hillsides through the vines and if the annual crop is lower than expected I think I know the culprits – they will remain unnamed. It was interesting that most of the absolute roadside vines were devoid of grapes which migh indicate we were not the first to taste the crop.

The 20th century Haut Koenigsbourg castle, which has apparently been magnificently restored , was constantly in our eye on the way. Still undecided whether we visit tomorrow when we are about 5 Kms away, up some very steep trails or catch a shuttle when we move to Colmar.

We finally got a downhill run into town and walked past the famous 13th century lime tree under which sat 8 old souls and a couple of younger advisors solving the problems of the world .

Then it was through the grand main gate of the town which has an almost complete ancient rampart around its perimeter. For the observant, Jane was hatless all day long after leaving her hat in the taxi- an unintended gift.

Our hotel was magnificent, an old converted winery and we had a lovely first floor suite including lounge kitchen and bedroom. The mine host was the antithesis of the previous day , explaining everything you wanted to know, including the fact they had a laundry service and a pool and spa.

By the time we settled in and changed it was time for another great dinner and a little tipple.

Friday 29th September 2023

Kayserberg and Detour to Beblenheim

A weird experience, it’s 800 and not even out of bed – this must be what a proper tourist feels like.

A good hotel, but pretty measly breakfast offering , which was of no concern today when the rest of day was to be a culinary experience. Met a few Aussies in dining room who were doing a similar walk to ours in reverse, but with a few less hills.

First part of day was a general walk around town followed by a tour of the Albert Schweitzer Museum. He was born and lived in this town as a young man.

What an amazing human being, with degrees in Theology, Philosophy and Medicine and a survivor of two World Wars, including incarceration in prison camps, plus his Nobel Peace Prize.

His life story was well depicted in the Museum, his humanitarian work in Gabon where he set up a hospital for the underprivileged was amazing.

It is a shame his general philosophy on peace , kindness and selflessness was not embraced more in todays society.

These statements below from Martin Luther King and Barrack Obama says it all.

We wandered around a bit more and it was interesting that the very limited parking was on a PAYG basis- seems they try to preserve the cultural image of villages by keeping cars on the outskirts of town.

After a little bit of shopping we took the ‘surge price’ taxi to our luncheon engagement at the Restaurant a l’Agneau Blanc (The White Lamb) about 8kms away in Beblenheim.

It was recommended by our mate Tony Simon. When I mention his name to the owner and showed her a picture of when he ate here recently, she rolled her head back and said ‘ ahh I do remember them and the thoughts of talking about my crazy time in Australia as a young woman”.

We ate out in a garden terrace and enjoyed a game based menu of wild boar pate and deer stew. Both dishes were absolutely delicious, which belied their rustic appearance. A very different chocolate Vermicelli dessert finished off the food. On the liquid side we enjoyed a cherry aperitif , local Pinot Noir and a coffee sans whisky and cream – aka an Irish.

Sat and chatted with owner for a while taking in a few sightseeing tips and explicit instructions to deliver hugs and kisses to Tony- not sure if it was his boyish charm or extravagance that won her over.

A bit more of a wander around town before being picked up by our taxi driver and her co driver, a little Bichon cross Maltese, who was very reminiscent of Anna and James mutt at home.

The noticeable thing up until today, was a lack of kids, this changed when we passed several schools and also in Beblenheim where a few parents were pushing little tackers around in prams. Later back in Kaysersburg there were kids everywhere , you had to admire the two ‘little soldiets’ battling imaginary enemies from behind the war memorial.

Even more were two little girls outside the hospital playing dead on the road. Ironically a car whizzed around the corner not long after they sprung back to life.

The ride home was no less expensive , but after that eating experience the care factor was zero and she even got a tip.

A bit ‘tired and emotional’ or maybe slightly inebriated we slumped on the bed and dozed for a while before heading off around town for another expedition to parts not visited before.

The town was almost empty after all of the day trippers had left. The restsurants seem to have a roster for when they open – perhaps a way to share the revenue amongst the community- which might be a little bit of the Schweitzer philosophy rubbing off.

No dinner for us after that lunchtime soirée so we had an ice cream and a stroll out in the burbs before heading home.

Thursday 28th September 2023

Turkheim to Kayserberg

Beat the church bell to be out of bed before 700am and get prepared for our 7km uphill walk to the high point in today’s walk. It’s almost a miniature of Christ The Redeemer in Rio.

Packed then soaked up the atmosphere, and most things on the breakfast menu, before bading farewell to a hotel which was deservedly rated as an historical monument.

The first thing we checked was whether the table napkin I inadvertently stole the other night was still tied to the door, as the restaurant was closed yesterday. Voila still there in all its glory and my clean criminal record retained.

The first 200 metres out to the town gate and over the old moat were the only flat bits we walked before 1130am.

We were immediately on a stone pathway winding up through the vineyards, slowly gaining height to give a view of city and surrounds.

As usual the hillsides were covered in vineyards and lots of handpickeers removing grapes or trimming the vines.

Towards the top we met a guy in the vines trimming and had a Franglish discussion about grape growing. He went to great lengths to explain the lot we were in housed the Grand Crus crop, which is top of the crop.

Topped the rise and then tested the thighs a bit more with a meander through more vines- cursing that last croissant I had, remembering that every extra kilo on hips multiplies 7 times in the pounding of the feet.

We struck the first instance of roses being planted at the end of vineyard rows to monitor the mildew- something much more common at home. The trellises were also planted much closer together ensuring no mechanical picking up in these hills.

Reached a semi flat spot on which another 20 person chapel was built back in the 16th century. It was one of many we would pass today. Again it was locked but you could see it’s simplicity through the window grilles.

it was onwards and upwards as we ducked into the forests where filtered sunlight was the order of the day and making an uphill walk s little less taxing, especially on stone covered tracks.

The track started to steepen and we knew we were getting higher when hot air balloons were visible in the distance. The track started to follow the outskirts of a small mountain village, it’s houses all with their own neatly stacked wood piles, probably courtesy of the guys we ran into later in the day doing a spot of log splitting.

There were some pretty impressive estates in the hillside township. Interestingly on the outskirts we sighted our first animals- a herd of well looked after angora goats which made a bit of sense when you saw the woolen products in the souvenir shops.

Once out of the town it was more pushing up hills into the forests where the local kids had built a rough shelter for either humans or the yet to be sighted ‘recently introduced fauna’.

We finally reached a bit of flat land in Galz where there was a botanical garden and picnic area and the first walkers we had encountered all day .

After navigating around them and trying to pick the right trail out of 5 on offer, we started on our zig zag route for the final kilometre of the climb.

We popped off the zig zag about half way up and we’re struck by a clinking sound behind us courtesy of 20 or so Nordic Walkers with their long poles rushing up the hill. Most of them left us in their wake but we all ended up in the same spot eventually – the high point of our walk Monument du Galz.

It was pretty impressive as was the panoramic view, which was enhanced with a winding stair climb inside to the top of the observation tower.

We stopped and took in the view, had a little snack and a chat with the ‘clinkers’ while the shirts dried out.

So after 3 or so hours of uphill and in a time just ahead of expectations we started the downhill decscent. It was on slightly rockier paths to start with, which transitioned slowly into softer forest paths as we headed downward. Passed a few more walkers who were headed up the hill and ended up at a war memorial – shrapnel included- which reflected on the losses in the 42-45 period of war as US and French turned the German forces back.

The spot was also a designated ‘view point’ with a lovely chair providing s spot for lunch, but believe it or not a well positioned tree that completely obscured the view. Planting tree was probably a good idea 10 years ago.

The seat provided a little more significance than we initially realised. After restarting our walk and making about 300 metres down the track, a plaintive call of ‘ I lost my phone’ came from Jane.

First thoughts were it was left at the monument a good hours walk back up the hill. As we returned towards the top Jane remember some squatting exercises she did to relieve the tension in her body and the phone may have popped out then. Much to our delight there it was intact sitting in the rocks.

A much relieved pair struck off down the hill and after about an hour we popped out of the forest onto a concrete path between the vines which took us into another pretty little village called Ammerschwihr. We did a little detour but found little open other than the public toilet.

Got our way back on track and followed our track signs, as well as some for the Way of St James, which goes from Canterbury to Spain. Ironically part of that walk was where we first met.

To our surprise we got a winding kilometre walk back up into the forest and then steeply into the township of Kayserberg, the birthplace of Albert Schweitzer.

The township was much bigger than the others we have visited, but just as beautiful with the different architecture, a myriad of shops, bars and restaurants and it’s own Moulin tapping into the Weiss River. There wasn’t much from a food perspective you could not buy.

Having a strong history of stork nesting, it was no surprise to find them dominant in signage etc

Wandered through to the other end of town to a hotel which was the opposite of last night – a very modern building with great facilities and no sloping roof.

The supposedly helpful mother and daughter owners were not quite up to the mark when it came to arranging dinner and a taxi for tomorrow, for a trip to an off route lunch spot recommended by our Francophile friend Tony Simon.

Got there in the end and then traversed the town before the usual routine of pre dinner drinks and another nice dinner. You could hardly jump over Jane’s serving of ham knuckle my chicken paled into insignificance.

After that meal we waddled back home, knowing tomorrow was a no walk day and a little sleep in possible.

Wednesday 27th September 2023

Turkheim Loop

Today we had the luxury of not having to pack our bags and run, as we have a couple of nights here.

The grandness of the building was ever present in the Breakfast Room with the quality of surroundings emulated in the breakfast menus. It would have suited people from most parts of the world.

We both managed to embrace a few cultures and enjoyed the best machine coffee so far.

Grazing over, we packed the bags and popped into the patisserie to get some lunch. I managed to break a few rules at the supermarket, with where you entered and not understanding the spend limit before you could use a card. Spent up a bit more and all was good. Also managed to return the napkin.

Todays loop walk had is up amongst the hillside vineyards and lots of forest walking.

We could have had a little feast on the way by picking from the locals vegetables gardens- one guy had tomato plants about 6 foot high, one with a lone fruit waiting to be plucked ,but temptation was resisted .

We passed the beginning of vineyards that climbed the hillside with vines reading for picking.

Navigation was a bit easier today with the notes not being so complicated. We were soon up into the forest where the only sound you could here was the buzzing of chainsaw and crashing trees.

Needless to say this is an area with a rich forestry history dating back centuries. Up until as late as 2009 timber was still being used in the paper making industry in the area.

There were plenty of stacks of hewn logs and plenty of neatly stacked locals caches along the trail.

The forests were a mix of various tree types and plenty had dropped their leaves for Autumn to provide a soft carpet on which to walk.

Jane and I were still looking for wildlife but the only thing we found was a hunters lair – perhaps that is why fauna is so scarce. It got to the stage where we were making phantom sightings,which were mainly fallen logs.

Jane saw a lynx which was the size of a Sphinx so that didnt count and my fossilized pig received similar acknowledgement.

We decided it was time to take a break in case it was dehydration delerium.

We marched on and soon reached our first official landmark. Le Chappel de Frere’s. It was as big as the average double garage and had been built for a hermit, then destroyed and rebuilt by a rich landowner. A huge crucifix stood high on the hill behind it.

The doors were locked but you could peek through the grille and see the altar and seats for about 10 people. If the Visitors Book was any indication it was a week since anybody else had visited and signed, which might indicate it’s remoteness.

After lunching here we had our first navigational error and slogged our way up a steep timber trail before deferring to the app and realising we were headed in the wrong direction.

Reset the bearings and headed off towards our destination of Zimmerbach,which other than being known as s small hamlet, had a Michelin Star restaurant – unfortunately closed on Wednesday.

This seems to be the trend here with many places closing Monday and Tuesday and or Wednesday. Being towards end of season probably doesn’t help.

Thought we had our first lynx sighting , but it turned out to be a white cat who was either feral or stayed a long way from home.

The gentle downward path was covered in boar rooting patches – they were one animal we didn’t want to encounter.

We soon reached the outskirts of Zimmerbach and it was exactly as described small with a closed restaurant. They must still be doing a great job as the Michelin status was awarded again in 2023. The menu looked amazing, but expensive.

It was quaint , in particular the school and several traditional buildings.

We were soon out of town on narrow tracks winding through the vineyards where there was plenty of hand picking going on high up the hillside. 6 or 7 pickers all in a line were filling bins which a little tractor would carry down and dump in the huge bins ready to go to the winery.

The huge spire in the distance signalled we were getting closer to home, but there was still more vineyards to cross. They must have great faith in God helping the harvest as there were crossed and crucifixes regularly through the vineyards.

We ended up on the same track for the last leg of the journey and my lone tomato had disappeared – ah the missed opportunity.

Finally reached town after 4 and a bit hours a lot fresher than when we arrived yesterday. Unlike yesterday we saw no other walkers, but did cross paths with lots of cyclists.

Booked our restaurant for dinner and checked into Tourist Office to see if the old tradition of the Night Watchman walking the streets at 1000 pm was still happening.

It was a late , long and lingering dinner to keep us up that late. The food – chicken as a main and dessert starting with a K was the best on your to date The Gouverts Traminer was equally delicious. Jane raved over her beef cheeks and Crème Brulee.

After 45 minutes of doing little we joined the French speaking Night Watchman with about 60 others for part of his rounds in cold conditions , listening to his patter all in French. Based on crowd reaction it was funny.

One street was enough, before heading to bed before facing a long and steep walk in 26 degree heat tomorrow.