2017-10-01

First – Go Astros!  Now that the World Series is over maybe we can bring Debbie and Larry home.

Meanwhile in France, October 1st  was a history day.  The day began with a tour of Colmar.  History Moment:  Colmar is a town in northeastern France, near the border with Germany.  It’s old town (where our four are staying – Yes, they are on it!)  has cobblestone streets lined with medieval and early Renaissance buildings.  The city is on the Alsace Wine Route, and local vineyards specialize in Riesling and Gewürztraminer wines.  (The wine club insisted that wine comment be added – The chocolate club insists this was just a lucky stop for the wine club).

They spent the morning walking through Old Town.  Some of the site in Old Town were the following: Get ready to be culturfied (Made that word up) :

• Maison des Tetes (House of the Heads). A Renaissance building decorated with faces (They look at you when you walk by).
• Maison Pfister (Pfister House). A beautiful 16th-century building, partly wooden, with great wall paintings.  (No one asked us into visit and see the paintings)
• St Martin Church.  A large church entirely made of pink stone with lots of bells.  (The four are staying right next to the church – they can hear the bells during the night and the day not always a good thing… Debbie says that she never noticed it was pink but noticed those ringing bells) 
• Little Venice – Exactly what it sounds like except you have to duck you head to go under a bridge.
• Food Market – Unfortunately, many of the stores were closed but the Bretzel store was open.

After lunch, Debbie and Larry got to visit the parking / storage garage for the first time.  Debbie viewed this more as Alice falling down the rabbit hole.  The garage was several blocks away without consistent numbering.   Once in the garage Debbie is not sure that she could get out alone.

First stop on the afternoon drive was Turckheim.  Cultural moment: Turckheim is most well known for its surrounding medieval wall. The wall has three doors: The Munster Door, which opens into the Munster Valley; The Door of the Brand, which begins the Route des Vins; and the Door of France, through which lies the railway station and the roads to Colmar. These three gates distinguish the village from the majority of Alsatian towns.  (These three gates were also a surprise to the group).    The Turckheim church, Eglise Paroissiale Sainte-Anne, was having a outside dinner with the bands playing.  Lots of wine was being consumed at the party.

Next stop was the Linge Battlefield from World War I.  This was a “war of the trenches”  between the Germans and the French.  The actual trenches are part of the museum and you are allowed to walk the trenches.  The trenches are used from 1915 to 1918.  There are also a French and German cemeteries.  It is a very sobering experience when walking the trenches and seeing the cemetery memorials, Cimetiere des Chasseurs and Les Trois-Epis.