Eastern France
While sitting on the train, I realized how similar the scenery was to the area where I grew up. Since the roots of my last name go back to France, I could see why they felt at home in the southern US. I mentioned it to my wife, and she agreed. The landscape we were traveling through was definitely different than Italy. I can't even compare it to Switzerland. The types of trees, the green fields, and the farmland had a familiar feel. It was interesting to get this kind of reminder of home.
We arrived in Colmar and had the fortune of having the bus stop there at the station, thus only walking a short distance with our bags. The bus ride to our place was rather fun. I expected parts of town to look differently than they did. We passed a neighborhood, one of the first we'd seen, comprised of individual houses, not apartments or townhouses. They were cookie-cutter style, which made them more interesting. We also passed through a portion of town still surrounded by a medieval wall. The only way in or out was through the wall where the gate used to be.
When we arrived at our stop, it was a few blocks away from the apartment we were staying in. We took in our surroundings to remember which way to walk for our explorations the next few days. The building is under renovation, which we knew ahead of time, and it looks like it. We are hoping the noise won't be loud or starting early. Our place is on the top floor, which is only the fourth level. Luckily, the apartment doesn't look like it's unfinished. We put our bags in our rooms and looked around the place. It was evening when we arrived, and it was a bit late to prepare dinner. Thankfully, we had leftovers from the day before, so that was our dinner. Tanya did walk to a nearby market for milk and lunch ingredients since it was the only one open. It was overpriced for many things, so she just got milk. We would go out the next day for the rest.
The next morning, we slept in as a little recovery from our travels. Our apartment was very close to the part of town we wanted to explore, so we had time. After breakfast, we walked only a couple of blocks to the old town. The look of the place was incredible. All of the buildings were different colors and the tops looked like they leaned a little toward the street. This area dates back to medieval times and looked like it. Everything was Alsatian style, which was similar yet different from Switzerland's old Tudor buildings. This region of France was supposedly the inspiration for Beauty and the Beast.
Since this entire part of town was our destination, we walked around and enjoyed the look of everything. We stopped in various shops, whether souvenir stores, bakeries, or candy shops. The street system was random, which added to the charm. Most intersections were at odd angles and too skinny for two-way traffic. The majority of the area was pedestrian, and the only vehicles we saw were vans making deliveries to the shops. The streets varied between asphalt, brick, and stone, or a combination of two of these. The buildings had been kept up very nicely, so we didn't have to deal with any dinginess while appreciating how old things were.
A canal went through part of the old town with several picturesque areas. Wherever a bridge was, we, along with lots of other people, were taking pictures and family photos. Buildings were right up against the canal in some areas, while we could stroll next to the water in others. We made our way over to a bakery that made twice-baked croissants. Tanya loves these, and we've been looking for bakeries that make them. Most don't, so we've only had a few since we started the trip. We got two of them and another with custard. They were delicious. It was around lunchtime, and we still needed to go to the grocery store. We got two authentic French baguettes from the bakery and munched on them while we walked over to get groceries.
The grocery store was surprisingly big. Part of it was a department store with clothes, toiletries, perfumes, and such, while the other part was the groceries. We shopped around and got a few days' worth of groceries. While Tanya and I shopped, the kids got some snacks for themselves and waited outside. A green space was near the store, with a small stream running through it, and people could sit by the water in the shade. This is where the kids went to wait for us. Despite people bustling around, the square was still peaceful. After we found the kids, Tanya and I enjoyed the area before we all went back to the apartment. Being close enough to walk to what we wanted to see was nice. We spent the rest of the day at the apartment, catching up on whatever was needed.
On the following day, we went to the village of Riquewihr. On our way to the bus station, we walked through a large park, which had Colmar spelled out in massive letters in the middle. We don't know why, but it made a wonderful family picture for us. Tanya saved another highly-rated bakery, and we stopped by to get a big cinnamon roll called a hansi bun. We also got a streusel, which looked like a type of fritter with powdered sugar. They tasted different than what we expected but were still very good.
From the bakery, we went to the bus station. The ride is about 45 minutes, and bus is the typical way people would visit the village. Due to this, it was a coach and very comfortable. There were only a few ways to enter when we arrived since it's a walled town. The medieval wall still surrounds Riquewihr, and the interior is completely free of traffic. All vehicles must park outside the wall. Not worrying about traffic was terrific and provided much more freedom to move about the village. The town has been well preserved and wasn't badly damaged by WWII, so it has become famous for its historical architecture. It also has the most stone buildings of any village in the Alsace region of France.
The building designs look very similar to the ones in the old town of Colmar. However, many more of these are original, and something about it showed. We walked to the main entrance through what used to be a gate for the wall. You can see directly up the main street with all the different colored buildings lining the street, shop signs standing out, and various vines and flowers on the fronts. I say "up" because the town goes uphill from the entrance. There are souvenir shops and multiple cafes as you walk in, but it isn't "touristy." You can still tell this place is hundreds of years old.
Gingerbread is supposed to have originated in this area, so we go to a shop catering to this. There were gingerbread cookies and breads throughout, and I didn't know there were so many variations. We got a couple of varieties to try. It's about lunchtime, and we now have some sweets to try. We brought sandwiches and apples for lunch and found a shaded spot just off the main street to sit and eat. It happened to be on a cute street, which was a delight to look at. We tried our gingerbread cookies; while they were good, they weren't great. We may be used to our American version, but these were a bit of a letdown. Not enough to deter the kids from nearly eating all we had, though.
After our stop, we strolled up the street to take in our surroundings. We enjoyed seeing small differences between buildings and window shopping places as we passed. The tall clock tower, called the Dolder Tower, was ahead of us and part of the original wall surrounding the village from the late 1200s. An archway next to it was the gate before the town expanded and extended the wall. The kids wander about and look at different things, and Tanya and I notice a jam shop. The owner had won many awards for having the best jams and preserves. She and I duck inside to check it out. The owner greets us and is a great guy. We start looking at the flavors and discussing what we might want. The owner directs to a rolling cart with several small opened jars. Ooh, we can taste test!
On the cart was a large pitcher with lots of small metal spoons. We tried a couple and talked about what we could taste. I could tell he liked that we were appreciating our little experience. Tanya and I tried nearly all there were and picked a couple. We wouldn't double-dip in the jars and went through several spoons. One was the best strawberry we've ever had, and another was called St. Nicholas. Essentially, the scents you associate with Christmas, a mixture of clove, cinnamon, orange, gingerbread, etc., were made sweet in this jar. He really had a talent.
Tanya and I went outside, gathered the children, and had more gingerbread treats before continuing our exploration. We walked further up the street and saw an exit from the village through the original wall. It was a gate building that looked like it would have had an inner and outer gate. On the other side were two large timbers slanted skyward and chains still attached. These were used to raise and lower a drawbridge. A path followed the wall, so we walked along, admiring a couple of statues and an old machine of some sort for grape harvesting. This walkway led to a pedestrian entrance back into the village, so we went back in and followed the street back down toward where we got off the bus. There was a huge shade tree next to where we arrived, and the kids wanted to wait there while Tanya and I walked around a little longer.
They walked back, and Tanya and I went to a couple of places we had yet to go. One of them was a Christmas shop that was much larger inside than it looked. It must have been comprised of two buildings because it was too much for just one. The layout was such that you snaked one-way through the store. Even the walls and parts of the ceiling were painted and decorated. It was a really neat place. After the store, we walked down some streets to see what was left of the village. We walked by B&Bs, hotels, restaurants, and shops. All had the Alsatian look and fit in with the town. When we were done, we went back to the kids.
The kids were playing "bowls'' or lawn bowling, like bocce ball, with a couple under the tree. This couple was quite gracious in including the kids. They were having a good time teaching the kids what to do. Our kids were having just as much fun trying to be the best. We arrived and sat down to watch the scene. After a little while, they invited my wife and I to join in. We did and enjoyed ourselves. This experience gave another example of how traveling brings people together in small ways. It was almost time to catch our bus, so we said goodbye and went to the bus stop. On the way back, I reflected on the day, and it felt good to know what we experienced.
This was our last full day in Colmar. When we arrived at our apartment, we packed up. We weren't gone all day, so we had enough time for that and cleaning. Nothing felt rushed since we had enough time to recover from walking around. We had an easy pizza dinner, so we would only have a little to clean. It's always best to keep things simple on a packing day. Since we had been here for less than a week, we didn't get much out of our luggage anyway. The next morning, we walked to the train station for the next part of our trip. We were to catch a train to Reims, France. Train travel has been great so far, and we love it.
On our way, the train stopped at the town of Strasbourg, France. There were a few hours until our bus to Reims, and we wanted to see what we could of the town. We found luggage lockers for our bags and went on a brief exploration. The town was very similar to the old town of Colmar, with Alsatian architecture and German influence. There was an area called La Petite Venise, or Little Venice, because of some canals that weaved through a neighborhood. Homes were built right up against the canal, with flowers decorating their window sills. It was a beautiful site. One of the foot bridges that crossed the canal was interesting in how it moved to allow boats through. It was built to swivel on a track and turn parallel to the canal. To control this, a motor powered an iron wheel in a curved, grooved track that turned the bridge when it rolled. It was a slow process but fun to watch.
Strasbourg had a huge Gothic cathedral, which we had to visit. The architecture was similar to Notre Dame but only had one spire. It was still a beautiful church with high, arched ceilings and beautifully ornate stained glass windows. The front of the building had a massive, circular stained-glass window that didn't look like much from the outside. However, seeing it from the inside with light shining through was very different. It looked like an immense kaleidoscope. A large astronomical clock in the rear of the church was quite interesting. It had moving figurines on a couple of levels and three faces. One face was a 12-hour clock, another was a planetary clock, and the largest was a 24-hour clock showing the sunset and sunrise across the Earth. It goes off every half-hour. When it does, a figurine of a skeleton with a black robe draped over its shoulder, signifying death, rings the bell as figures of a boy, teenager, adult, and old man go by, showing the life cycle. We saw it chime at 9:30 am, and only the old man went by. We admired more of the church as we walked back toward the front.
We walked to a large town square after leaving the cathedral. I saw a Starbucks and checked it to see if there were any special cups for a friend back home. The rest of the family sat outside and started on lunch. I found a cup, purchased it, and went outside to join them. We sat at a small table, discussing the day and taking in the scene around us. The buildings surrounding the square were mainly older, using the Tudor style; others were built from stone, and some were more modern. It wasn't busy, so it was quiet for such a large centralized area in the middle of a town. This made it pleasant to relax and enjoy a little downtime. After we were done, we went back to the station and grabbed our bags. Not long after, we boarded the bus bound for Reims.
It was only an hour and forty-five minute ride, and we caught a tram to go into town. The tram station was less than a fifteen-minute walk to our place, so we walked. Our place was in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Nothing fancy or touristy was around, but it didn't matter. A grocery store was less than ten minutes away on foot, which was the most important thing. The apartment was older but charming. It only had three main rooms: the kitchen, the living room, and a bedroom. Of course, it had a bathroom. Since we were here for only a few nights, Tanya and I decided we could deal with sharing two rooms for sleeping. One of those rooms was the living room since it had a pull-out couch. The bedroom had a single and double bed for Tanya, myself, and our daughter. The boys would sleep on the pull-out.
We settled into our new place and relaxed for the rest of the day. However, we walked to the city center just to see what was what. I saw a large, walled cemetery I wanted to explore the next day. It's possible someone with my last name could be somewhere in there, but I don't know. On the way back, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up food for the next few days. Despite the neighborhood being bland, I was glad it was the location was so good. The city center and grocery store, both being so close, were very convenient. When we got back, we had an easy dinner. The kitchen was small, and we only had so much to work with. We watched a movie as a family and went to bed.
The next day, we only had one thing planned. We were going to visit a WWII museum where the surrender of the Germans was signed. It was on the way to the city center, so it was close. The city of Reims was of major importance during the war, and this museum talks about it. When you first enter, the room has several framed, original newspapers with headlines about the war ending. The museum featured a short film about the city during the war and the surrender, which we watched first. Then we went upstairs to see what all they had on display. There were more French and English newspapers about Germany's surrender, along with artifacts from soldiers, war propaganda posters, uniforms, and more. Several original and copies of signed documents with varying military and political significance hung all around.
The main attraction was the room where the very surrender of the Germans took place. This room has been kept in its original state since its signing on May 7, 1945. The room was a logistical center for strategic decisions, and the walls were covered in maps of Western Europe for different reasons. The table and chairs were in the same place. On the backs of the chairs were brass plates with the last names of the leaders who sat in those chairs that day. These plates were used to assign seating when the meeting took place. The walls and about half the room are behind clear plexiglass. This didn't diminish the magnitude of being able to be present in such a historically significant place. There weren't many people there, so we were privileged to briefly have the room to ourselves. It was a profound experience that I won't forget anytime soon.
When we finished the museum, I wanted to go to the cemetery. None of the kids wanted to come, so Tanya took them back to the apartment. It was a short walk away, and I planned on being gone for a short time. The main entrance was small, big enough for one car, at the corner of two walls. I walked in and immediately saw that this was an incredible place. This part of the cemetery was old, with large trees and green moss all over crooked headstones. Walking through old graveyards has always fascinated me, and I was in for a treat. The first thing I saw was a massive mausoleum. It was round with a domed roof. Talk about a great first impression.
I strolled down the road, looking left and right at all the graves. There were so many different headstones and grave designs. Since this was an old section, so many were fallen over or leaning. Stone slabs were broken, and several were so grown over with moss and lichen that I couldn't read the inscriptions. I kept a lookout for any that may have had my name or something close. Occasionally, I walked off the road and meandered through plots. There are lots of mausoleums. Most looked like they hadn't been visited in a long time. I also saw holes in headstones and pieces missing. There were also round chunks of stone missing from the mausoleum's walls. I knew this was from WWII and thought about firefights happening here. That was a very sobering thought, and I realized there was more significance here than in the memories of those buried.
A man drove up next to me and indicated the cemetery was closing soon. I didn't even realize there was a closing time, and I was glad he let me know. Part of my walk on the way back was through a different part of the cemetery. I kept my head on a swivel as I looked at last names, hoping to see either mine or something similar. No luck, unfortunately, but I still had a great time exploring. I hope to bring the rest of the family to experience this tomorrow. When I arrived, we had dinner, and I told them about the cemetery and how much I thought they would enjoy it. We also talked about the museum and how big of a deal it was to be there.
We planned to visit the cemetery and the Reims cathedral and walk around the city center the next day. To make sure we were back in plenty of time to make and have dinner, we packed some food and left before lunch. Our first stop was the graveyard. My family's first impression was the same as mine. As we walked, we talked about all the interesting headstones, gravesites, mausoleums, and other things. The kids had never seen so many mausoleums, and these were the focus of their attention for a while. Some of them had broken windows and were crumbling on the inside, which looked very weathered. I wondered if explosions from munitions during the war caused the damage, and they've been left ever since.
As we wandered, we found a newer part with nice grave sites. I found a section dedicated to fallen soldiers from Reims. They weren't arranged in a particular order that I could tell, so I carefully checked the last names. I didn't see mine, so I continued walking. Tanya and our oldest were deep in conversation about something, and I didn't see the other two at first. They were all taking in this experience in their own ways, and I was glad about it. I walked to Tanya and my oldest, and we made our way over to another section.
Here, we saw more war damage than other parts of the cemetery. It was also a section where more Jewish people were buried. These two factors made for good conversation with the kids for a while. Seeing burial sites and evidence of combat helped the kids better understand the magnitude of war, especially standing where it happened. We continued and tried to interpret old headstones while appreciating the beautiful green trees draping over plots. I was so happy our family was able to be here. We walked back to the entrance, and it felt like time well spent. We spent more time there than I thought we would, and that's a good sign.
Our next stop was the cathedral, which is called Notre Dame of Reims. The cathedral looks similar to Notre Dame but is larger. Before we went there, we needed a bathroom break, and an interesting public bathroom was nearby. It was a large rectangle with rounded edges, and there were two. To enter, you pressed a button, and the door slid open. It was large enough to accommodate a wheelchair to move around inside. When finished, you didn't flush from the inside; you pressed a button on the outside next to the door. The door would slide closed, and you waited a few minutes while the toilet flushed, and it cleaned the inside by spraying cleaner on the toilet and sink. We could hear it cleaning while we waited. Once a green light turned glowed, it was ready. People had to wait longer to use it, but at least it was more sanitary.
The bathrooms were next to the rear of the cathedral. We could tell large portions were rebuilt at this end from WWII bombings. As we walked to the front, we could see exquisite detail on the side of the building. This cathedral holds a world record for having the most statues at over 2,300. There were some large entrances and enclaves on this side, and small statues covered the inside. We go inside to admire the soaring ceilings and huge stained-glass windows. This cathedral has a large round one over the entrance like Gloucester but with a row of more under it. It is so neat to see the colorful contrast against the gray stone. The organ was very tall and built like a spire. It isn't as richly adorned as other churches we've been in, but it's still magnificent. I have yet to tire of experiencing massive cathedrals and churches like this.
We went outside and looked around at the city center's different shops. I'm looking for a new pair of shorts, so we check a few places. Since 80 percent of Reims was destroyed in WWII bombing raids, the city doesn't look and feel like it's as old as it really is. Being rebuilt in the 1940s gave it an old look in some places and, depending on the architecture, a different kind of "charm" in others. I heard there wasn't much consistency or regulations for design when it came to rebuilding. Despite this, the buildings still look like a particular architectural style was followed depending on where we were. We didn't have anything specific to do other than look around. So, after a while, we got our fill and headed back to the apartment.
We have one more full day here and need to get laundry done. Our place doesn't have a washing machine, so we hopped on a bus to a laundromat. We pick this particular one because there is a park nearby. One of us can take the kids there while the other stays with the laundry. We knew washing and drying would take a few hours, and we didn't want to leave the kids alone that long. Plus, having the kids witness this was a good experience, especially while traveling internationally. We've been to laundromats before, but not in another country. Things work pretty much the same, but it's good to understand minor differences.
Our oldest decides he doesn't want to leave when we get there. He just wants to read in the sunny corner of the laundromat. So, I end up taking the younger two to the park. It's a short walk up the road, and we see some nicer neighborhoods than where we were staying. We came to the park and looked around for a playground I saw a picture of on Google Maps. So far, it's a large green space with trees and a walking path. While walking on the path, we came across two ladies talking, and one had a small dog. My youngest loves little dogs, and she asks if she can pet it. The lady obliged, and her dog immediately lays across my daughter's lap when she sat down. It was quite comical, and even the owner was amused. The dog knew it was about to get loads of attention. My kids shower the dog affectionately for a while, then we continue on.
Further up the walk, we find the playground, but it is small. It even has a sign that says it's only for kids up to eight years old. So much for that. We walk over to an area with lots of shade and a large hill in the middle of the park. There is a tunnel going through the hill, but the entrance is closed. I wish a placard was there to explain what this was. Some trails went up the hill, so we followed one. The main view is the trees all over the hill, but neighborhoods and a main street surround the park, so there is little to see. There is a piano under a small covering in the middle of the grass, and it looks like a lesson is taking place. The kids want to play it, so we sit on a bench by the walkway and wait.
After listening for a while, my youngest walks over and stands by them to hear. They give her a turn to sit and play but stay there. I thought their lesson wasn't finished, so I told her to give them another turn. They play for a little while longer and leave. My kids run over and start playing the few tunes they know. We get a reasonable amount of time in before a couple of younger kids come over with their grandfather, I think. After my kids finish their songs, they get up to let the new ones play. I can tell this is a favorite and appreciated part of the park by the locals. It would be nice if any park in America had this for people to play, but I wonder if it would last.
It is time to walk back to the laundromat now. We return the way we came and get back just in time before the dryer stops. I get the clothes out, fold them, and carefully put them back in the bag we brought. We leave and walk back to the bus stop to catch a bus back to our apartment. Since this is our last full day, we organize and pack our bags. We also straightened up the place and cleaned it as much as possible. One benefit to staying somewhere for less than a week is there is less to do when preparing to leave. The next morning, we gathered our things and walked to the train station. The train goes back to the station where we first arrived by bus. This time we are catching a coach bus to Paris!
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