EUROPE & DC '23 • Day 11: Strasbourg, France
- Bob Aron
- Sep 9, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 17, 2023
TRAVEL DAY - WITH STOPS
With only a 3 hour drive to Strasbourg, we had some time for sightseeing along the way, even with a late start to our drive so we could visit with Toña and Stephane a little longer. Don't ask me why, 30 seconds into our drive, I thought to myself, "Did I grab my camera bag, which also has my passport". But as luck would have it, I had left it in the kitchen, and turning around 'just to be sure' saved us some hours of extra driving. I can't tell you how many times I have turned around at home to make sure I had actually closed the garage door, only to find it closed.
RIQUEWIHR
So as we drive north from Besançon, we enter the Alsace region of France. We're seeing lots of Vin de Alsace signs along the way. Lots of Riesling in this area. Lucky for us our friend in Strasbourg had some business to attend to, so we had time to take an extra stop for lunch in Riquewihr, the village that Disney supposedly used as a basis for the Beauty and the Beast film. It was only a short detour from Koenigsberg, so no problem.
The one historic street is crowded with tourists and souvenir shops but is very quaint all the same. Perfect for a lunch stop and ice cream, or a hard core Beauty and the Beast fan, maybe too touristy to go out of your way to visit.
CHATEAU HAUTE KOENIGSBERG
OK, another hilltop fortress! Unlike so many others we've been to, this one is constructed from a sandstone that gives it a pinkish hue. It's pretty warm today and it is nice that most of the walk through is inside and fairly cool. We weren't quite as rushed as our visit to the Citadelle in Besancon, but we also didn't have too much time to dally either. Even so, we still took the better part of an hour just to walk through the fortress. Like many in Europe, it had fallen into disrepair, but has been restored. I believe I read that Wilhem II from Germany started this work at the end of the 19th century and accomplished a lot of the restoration in just a few years. It seems in good shape now. A testament to that organized German spirit I guess!
STRASBOURG
We arrived into Strasbourg around 5:30, just in time for a home cooked meal. Such a relief to not eat out every night on a month long trip. Thanks Sharon! We are staying a couple nights with another SJSU I-Center friend Sharon, and will be joined tomorrow by Cliff. Cliff lived at the house a few years later than Yvette and I, but we met many years ago at the 25th I-Center reunion and have been meeting each other around the world ever since. He is from the Netherlands, so not too far a of trip to Strasbourg. Like Toña, Sharon (American) also married a Frenchman, and has lived in France for many years. No photos for Strasbourg today. We'll visit the town tomorrow with Cliff.
LEAVING THE CHATEAU
Once again, it was so nice to see Toña and Stephane. And though we didnt want to leave, we did manage one more nice meal outside for breakfast!
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