A Sleepy Start and a Chat With Jessie

This morning we were up at 6:30am and quickly got ready to meet our tour guide by the cathedral – just a 15-minute walk from our hotel. We called Jessie, who gave us a delightful update on her day, which mostly revolved around one of her friends getting a bleeding nose. Priorities.

Since we had time, we stopped for breakfast at a pâtisserie. I had a lune flan pastry (flaky, custardy, amazing) and a coffee. It was so good!

When we arrived at the cathedral, we realised it was open (it hadn’t been yesterday afternoon), so we wandered inside. It was dark and beautiful, with stunning leadlight windows casting coloured light across the stone. Magic.

Meeting the Tour Group (and the Impatient Couple)

We waited by the meeting spot, trying to figure out who else might be on our tour. When another group left, only a handful of us remained: two quiet Japanese ladies, an Australian man travelling solo, an Austrian woman (also solo), and an Aussie couple – who quickly outed themselves as those travellers by calling the tour company because the guide was one minute late (that attitude continued throughout from the wife).

He showed up moments later – lovely guy – and apologised if he looked tired. His wife had just had their first baby three weeks ago, and it was his first day back at work. We told him we understood, and I thought back to those days, and being in those trenches, and was grateful to not be him 🤣.

Road-Tripping With Our New Austrian Friend

Craig and I sat in the front row, behind the driver, with the Austrian woman, who was absolutely lovely. She had driven from Lenz, about 600 km away, and was about to turn 69. A solo birthday trip! She was super well-travelled – her husband, who passed away six years ago, had worked for Doctors Without Borders, and she’d lived in Paris, so her French was fluent and her English was pretty excellent too.

We learned she didn’t know much about The Sound of Music – apparently not a big deal in Austria – and after some mispronunciations, we got into a chat about yodelling (which is more like “yoodelling” than “yodelling,” FYI). She could do a little bit of it but didn’t give us a show.

First Stop: Colmar

Our first village was Colmar, famous for its Christmas markets. I would love to come back in December – it’s easy to imagine how magical it must look.

We had a quick intro from our guide, then some free time to explore. I darted off to buy a Christmas decoration (of course), and then we sat down for a local Gewürztraminer and a warm cheese Bretzel. Our Austrian friend joined us with a glass of Crémant, a local sparkling wine. Very civilised.

Colmar has a pretty canal area known as Little Venice, but honestly? I think I still prefer Strasbourg.

Eguisheim – Snail Streets and Storybook Scenes

Next up: Eguisheim – Craig’s favourite, and probably mine too.

This tiny village, founded around 900 AD, is built in a spiral shape (like a snail) to protect the town centre during Protestant attacks. It once had a moat around it, which the homeowners now use as their gardens – charming!

Fun facts from Eguisheim (and surrounding villages):

• Houses on the left were for people; right side was for animals

• The colour of a house showed the owner’s trade (e.g., red = iron-related trades, green = leather and fabric trade, yellow = bread maker)

• Timber was inexpensive, so a house with timber only on the top = wealthy

• Wood shapes by windows reflected specific prayers

• Taxes were based on ground floor footprint, so upper floors are often wider

• Many couldn’t read, so shop signs used pictures

• The most popular “tiny house” for photos? Actually a pigeon coop

• Storks nest on chimneys and are protected – if one builds on yours, you’re stuck with it!

• The whole “stork brings babies” story comes from this region – they leave in March and return 9 months later. Locals would leave a sweet treat in the window for a girl, salty for a boy.

• If there was a single man in the house, they’d hang a wine bottle over the door. A single woman? A heart.

We were absolutely enchanted – it was peaceful, picturesque, and full of hidden quirks.

Riquewihr – Bonjour, Belle!

Next stop: Riquewihr, the medieval town that inspired Beauty and the Beast! You can even see the fountain from the opening scene where Belle strolls through the village with her book.

We had 1 hour 40 minutes to eat and explore. We followed our guide’s recommendation (he went for a well-earned nap) and ate at a traditional spot.

Craig and our Austrian friend both ordered choucroute (the Alsatian version of sauerkraut with meat), and I ordered a sausage salad – which turned out to be finely sliced sausage (you could twirl it like pasta!) with cheese… and it was cold. Not quite what I expected, and there was a lot of cheese.

After lunch, we wandered the town, taking loads of photos – including out the back where the view opens to rows of vineyards. We bumped into two Australian women posing in front of someone’s door and giggling nervously about being caught – so Craig pretended it was our house. They loved the joke and took a sweet photo of us afterwards.

I almost bought a gorgeous etching of the village, but Craig pointed out that it was a bit overpriced at €90, and the artist was laying on the pressure… tourist traps and all.

Final Stop: Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle

Our final destination was Haut-Koenigsbourg, a medieval castle that was partially destroyed, and then rebuilt by the German Kaiser in 1900 (before he started WWI and never actually got to live in it).

Our guide was explaining this coat of arms to us and saying it was some kind of animal on it, but they’re not sure what kind… Craig and I have, for years and years, had bit of a joke between us , because we both took German at high school and Craig’s memory for languages isn’t the best, but the one word he does remember is meerschweinchen, which means Guinea pig, so this was his (probably) one opportunity to use that word in context… hilarious… to us, anyway.

It was seriously impressive – heavy wooden doors, towering walls, and lots of… wardrobes. We figured it was because their clothes were so thick and they needed plenty of space.

The highlight? The bedroom latrine that emptied out the side of the mountain, like the Moon Door in Game of Thrones. Wild.

Laundry, Knacks, and Local Beer

Back in Strasbourg, we decided to do some laundry and headed to a laundromat near a bar we’d been recommended for local beer. It took us a while to figure out how to work the machines (classic tourists), but once we had it going, we popped over to the bar.

We ordered drinks and a plate of knacks – a local sausage that reminded me of cheerios, but juicier and made of actual meat. Delicious.

Back at the laundromat, we were glad our washing was still there – we’d seen a beggar eyeing up someone else’s laundry and sitting nearby. Hopefully she didn’t touch it.

Ready for the Rails

We were pretty tired after such a big day, so we headed back to fold laundry and pack up. Tomorrow is a big travel day:

• 8:50am train to Basel

• Then on to Milan

• And finally, Florence

All up, about 9 hours of travel – though we’re hoping to have a (very) quick look at Basel during our transit there.

Au revoir France – we have loved every minute!

❤ Laus