A Festive Alsatian Morning
27 May 2018
Today was the day we had to say goodbye to Eguisheim and drive back to Switzerland. Of course, we were going to drag out our departure for one last morning in town! It was Sunday and there was quite a bustle about town, being the busiest I’ve seen it to date. As we approached the center fountain by the Chateau Saint-Leon, there were tourists around taking pictures, there was a group of musicians from the church set up about to play, there were people setting up tables with glasses of wine, and there was a cycling group just arriving into town. It was a busy day in Eguisheim for sure!
A couple of the cyclists just started chatting with me. They always think we are German. Always. The one guy I was talking with ran the group, and that’s what he does in Alsace is arrange cycle trips through the vineyards and towns. Sounds like something I need to look into for next time! I was introduced to a few people, including one who was apparently the mayor of Kaysersberg or something. If only we had more time, I’d join them on the ride and talk with that guy the whole way! Get in good with a mayor, maybe we wouldn’t have to leave after all! After talking with them a bit they wanted me to get their group picture before they moved on to the next stop. I did get their info, maybe a future edition of FNH in Eguisheim will feature a cycle trip where I convince the mayor to help me move to Kaysersberg!
We dropped back in to Patisserie Marx where we had another amazing Petit Dejeuner. This time we couldn’t resist the temptation as the baguette just looked and smelled simply amazing! When bread is done just right, you don’t often need much else. We took one to go.
As we left the café and made our way back to the fountain, the musicians were going strong and the large crowd that assembled were filling their wine glasses. Ah, life in wine country! The pastor was out mingling with the crowd, the musicians were playing, the parents were taking pictures of their children in traditional outfits, and people were just enjoying the pleasant sunny day as a community. Have I mentioned that I really like it here? If not, you should know… I really love it here!
We took the long way back to the car, going once more around the ring and stopping into Le Café. We had a quick ice cream and coffee, and we also had the opportunity to tell the owner how much we appreciated his suit of armor yesterday. He wasn’t wearing it today, but he did take us back into the café where he had it set up on a display stand. So very cool! He explained the armor was made in Italy, the wool undercoat from Germany, and the shield from France. He was currently awaiting the sword which was on the way from Spain. This was his personal passion, he was doing it for no other reason than the fact that he loved to do it. I love it so much when people are passionate about things they love, and we were so very happy to have gotten the chance for him to share it with us!
We followed the Rue du Remparts around back toward the hotel, Beth strolling down the streets in a pretty dress with a baguette under her arm like she was plucked from a French travel brochure. Au revoir, Eguisheim!
We pulled out of town and our curiosity took us over a bit. Instead of the quick way down through Basel, we decided to take the highway out into Franche Comte. The region is home to one of our favorite cheeses, as well as being the birthplace of chef Raymond Blanc. We had to at least go through. As we got over a panic at an automated toll booth (it’s ok if you don’t have cash, it takes cards!), we got off the highway and drove through the countryside on the outskirts of Belfort.
It was a subtle reminder of how much there is to see in France. We have barely scratched the surface!
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