France Day Two

There's nothing better than getting a good night's sleep after spending the last day curled up in a tiny airplane seat while crossing the Atlantic. I woke up this morning feeling ready to go!  Nancy, John and I had breakfast in the hotel, and then took off on foot to explore more of Strasbourg. We wandered along the canals of the Petite France area, visited the Strasbourg Cathedral, and just took in the sights. Afterwards, we stopped for lunch, and since we continued to have good luck with the weather, we ate outside.  People were walking their dogs, enjoying the day, and at that moment, all was right with the world.

After lunch, we returned to the train station to pick up our rental car. They upgraded us to a Citroen, and with the help of a somewhat lag-timed GPS, we found the freeway and headed south to Riquewihr, where we'll be staying until next Monday. It's a less than an hour drive, and the countryside looks like a postcard. There were a few trucks on the smaller roads, hauling grapes in from the fields, as harvest started. We stopped in Dambach at a favorite winery, and did a tasting, as well as a quick drive through of the town.

There was more to see, but we had to meet Valerie at 5pm to pick up the house keys and be shown around. Valerie works with Jean Paul, keeping everything organized and up to date. It was good to see her again! The house is stunning.  Called the "Marco Polo," we are staying in a winemaker's renaissance house which was built in 1613.  It is designated as a National Heritage house. Riquewihr is a walled town which looks very much as it did in the sixteenth century. With a population of 1,600, it is a tourist destination.  I love it early in the morning and late at night, when the tourists are gone!  Here are a few photos of the house.

The house is very spacious, and I'm comfortably settled in upstairs here for the night. Sweet dreams, everyone. See you tomorrow!