Belgium being Belgium, we had a nice 4 day weekend in August due to a National Holiday. (Feast of the Assumption of Mary) 4 Day weekends mean finding someplace new to visit, so this time it was Alsace. From Brussels it is a four hour drive to Strasbourg so we decided to break it up by planning for lunch in Metz, which is in the Lorraine region just south of Luxembourg. Metz is a really lovely little town sitting literally in the middle of the Moselle River with beautiful Cathedral and a very scenic square, where we had lunch. It was a really good choice by SWMBO given the fact that we she had not researched it at all before choosing our destination. We spent a couple of hours sightseeing, eating and sightseeing some more before heading off for Strasbourg.
If I have to be honest, we were a little disappointed in our first impression of Strasbourg. The main square around the Cathedral is pretty touristy. In fairness, it is the high season, so the shear volumes of tourists contributed to that feel. Like most cities with a big tourist draw, it is possible to go a little off the beaten path and get away from the trinkets and trash. While we were there we found a couple of really nice places to eat and spent our Thursday evening and Friday wandering around taking in the sights. Unlike a lot of cities we have been to, there were not that many Americans. There were some, but Strasbourg must be far enough down most people’s lists that numbers are limited. There were plenty of Germans and Italians though.
One of the things that we enjoy most about trips like this is having our car. A car gives you the freedom to go and see places that you otherwise would not be able to or if you did as part of a tour, would need to adhere to someone else’s schedule. Most of all, it opens you up to random possibilities. Saturday was like that. SWMBO had suggested that we go visit Colmar which is a historic little city with a medieval old town. As we headed down the highway en route to Colmar, the GPS noted construction and offered us a bypass. The bypass put us on the Route des vins de Alsace (Asatian wine route). OK twist our arms. The rural route was a much better alternative to the freeway. The countryside in Alsace is spectacular and the wineries are really fun to visit as well. Probably our favorite experience, if not favorite wine, was at a little winery stand on the side of the road. When we stopped the Vintner was entertaining some Portuguese tourists. The stand was similar to a fruit stand you might see in the countryside except he was pouring wine tastings. Liberally pouring tastings. It was like a wine lemonade stand.
Driving through the countryside in France is really a nice experience. The small towns are very scenic and we have almost without exception, found the people to be warm and friendly. Mon francais c’est la merde. And yet, it is enough to break the ice. Usually that means that they use their impeccable english, but sometimes I have to man up and attempt to communicate. Results are mixed but we always seem to have a good time.
Today we drove home. All freeway this time. We had to get back because we leave for the US tomorrow and need to pack. It was a good day for driving home. A little rain and cooler temps made it not so hard to leave. It is interesting that driving habits seem to segregate by national origin. The Germans are all channeling Sebastian Vettel. The Dutch speed until they see a speed limit sign in which case they drive precisely the speed limit. The Brits drive like they own the place. The French do what they want. The Belgians are just bad drivers.
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