Fairy-Tale Villages in Alsace
Alsace (France) Stage 4 – Thurs 8th Sept 2016 – Strasbourg to Obernai (38 Km)
Weather: 16⁰C min – 30⁰C max, fine, clear blue sky
“When you’re turning the crankset, you’re riding the bike. When you’re coasting, you’re just along for the ride” ~ Ned Overend
Glorious warm sunny autumn weather, smooth bike paths, picturesque countryside, immaculate communes featuring half-timbered houses joyously coloured in lurid pastels … what more could an ageing bike tourer from Australia wish for!
Some days you never want the ride to end. The riding paths were perfect (as they have been ever since leaving Nancy) and the countryside was pleasant enough, mainly cornfields plus hectare upon hectare of cabbage and lettuce crops. One town, Krautergersheim, even had a sign claiming to be Capitale de la Choucroute (Capital of Sauerkraut). Am I in France or Germany?
But the feature of today’s 35 Km ride from Strasbourg to Obernai was the string of gorgeous communes (Geispolsheim, Blaesheim, Innenheim, Krautergersheim, Meistratzheim, and Niedernai). Superlatives like stunning, amazing, picturesque, immaculate, etc are inadequate to describe just how beautiful these little villages are, with their colourful houses decorated with massive window boxes full of pink and red geraniums. It is as if the towns are straight out of a fairy-tale book.
With less than 40 Km to pedal today I took my time, winding through the back streets of each town. As I neared my destination of Obernai it was still only 12:30 pm, so I stopped beside a rippling stream and ate my simple but sufficient lunch … a banana, cashew nuts, dried apricots, and dried figs.
When I rode through the east gate of the Obernai city walls I found myself inside a village even more indescribable than the others I passed through along the way. Zum Schnogaloch where I am staying is an attractive half-timbered building from the outside, but I think its 2-star rating flatters it because the wi-fi does not even work. So I am off to McDonalds now to find wi-fi hopefully good enough to upload some photos to my website (videos will have to follow later).
Tomorrow’s ride to Sélestat promises to be even more special because it is the start of the Route du Vin d’Alsace (Alsace Wine Route) which meanders for some 120 Km along the eastern foothills of the Vosges, passing through villages guarded by ruined hilltop castles, surrounded by vine-clad slopes, and of course lots more of those half-timbered houses.
Once again it seem that you had a good and satisfied ride. I am sure I spite of your humble lunch it was filling and enjoyable. Some people don’t even have a nut let alone a banana etc.Love the photos. safe ride to your next destination??