Frankly My Dear Sarlat…

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

I went with Hokie and Wildcat on a road trip to Bordeaux. I’d always dreamed of going to the Dordogne region of France so we made a couple of stops there too. We heard that Sarlat-la-Canéda (commonly referred to as Sarlat) is considered one of the five prettiest towns in France. While we have, perhaps, overdosed on cute French towns (Saint-Rémy de Provence, Eguisheim, St. Paul-de-Vence, Vence, Les Baux-de-Provence, Eze, Avignon, Kayersburg, Colmar, how could we not give this one a go?

It has a traffic-free old town with cobblestone lanes and renaissance buildings with elaborate stonework. Sarlat lives in its streets. Cafes abounded. With wonderful weather and backdrops why wouldn’t you want to sit outside? Walking Sarlat’s streets we saw mimes “warming up,” artists working “en plein air,” and countless street vendors. This mime’s warmup looked surprisingly like the warmups we did in my belly dancing class. I wish I’d gotten it on video for you.

Foodies will be happy to learn that Sarlat is located in the Perigord area of Dordogne, an area almost 50% of the French believe has the best food in France. Sarlat is known for its foie gras, while not my thing, they clearly do a big business it. There are shops everywhere, a statute of geese next to the church and souvenir shops that sell goose themed paraphernalia. Foie Gras (goose liver pate) is controversial. We saw a flock of geese while in Dordogne on a farm. In this area it is an age-old tradition called la garage. The only thing we ate there was gelato.

Sarlat has such nice buildings because it was loyal. Huh? What does loyalty have to do with pretty stone buildings?

During the Hundred Years’ War, Sarlat remained loyal to the French. The French king rewarded its loyalty with money to rebuild the damaged town in luxurious stone. Beautiful, long-lasting and fire-resistant… Oh la la.

We enjoyed strolling its streets and people watching. It might be a bit touristy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a really interesting place to spend an afternoon. I’m sure it’s even more beautiful in the evening when tourists like me have left for the day.

Car-Free Towns (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)

O-Kayersberg

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

Kayersburg has experienced countless conflicts. Kayersberg (in Alsace, France near Colmar) was badly damaged during the second world war. Wandering through the streets today, you’d never suspect the previous damage and turmoil. Like Eguisheim, it is one of the prettiest towns in France (Les Plus Beau Villages de la France).

Located on the famous wine route, this beautifully preserved village is packed with history and traditions. Kaysersberg‘s half-timbered buildings, rivers (the Sambach and the Bogenbach) and wonderful flowers make it one of the prettiest towns in France. It’s location in a valley surrounded by vineyards doesn’t hurt either.

We strolled through the streets. After eating our 600th pretzel of the trip, he checked out the church Saint-Croix ( and the neighboring Chapelle Saint-Michel). I walked around the exterior, admiring the architecture. I saw a sign that said “Ossuarie” (ossuary in English, a chest, building, well, or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains) and was intrigued. Although it was locked, you could clearly see inside. For us, it was a foreign, unfamiliar sight. Bones were piled meters high all around the building.

The quote translates from German to “that’s it because the master is enslaving by his 1463.” The rest has been lost.

The ossuary was built in 1514. The bones are from the old cemetery which was moved outside the town walls in 1511. The full German inscription on the ossuary has been lost. It is believed to say someone about the master resting next to the servant.

We climbed up to ruins of a medieval castle. Our eyes were immediately drawn down to the town and the tower of its 12th century church. The surrounding countryside and vineyards were stunning.

Like the rest of Alsace, Kayersberg has a Christmas Market. Theirs is reputed to be one of the most traditional and authentically Alsatian. In a setting like this, would you expect anything less?

Too Much Can Get You Alsauced, Alsace’s Wine Route (Route du Vin) (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)
Colorful Colmar (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)
Streaking Through Strasbourg (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)
Euguisheim, The Cutest Town In The World? (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)

Too Much Can Get You Alsauced, Alsace’s Wine Route (Route du Vin)

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

When we traveled to Burgundy, we learned that hundreds of thousands of years ago it was seaside. The limestone deposited during that time (and complex soil from subsequent fracturing from land shifts) make their wines unique.

Like Burgundy, Alsace sits on a geological fault line and its soil varies extensively. Also like Burgundy, it is one of the most prominent wine regions of France. The best vineyards of Alsace are along a geological fault zone that stretches from south to north along the Voges granitic mountain range. It is 120 km (74.5 miles) long but only a few kilometres wide. This is the Alsace Wine Route/Route du Vin, a scenic journey to enjoy the French wines, countryside, architecture and food.

The vineyards are located in the foothills of Les Voges mountain range around villages from the middle ages. Ruined hilltop castles from the middle ages overlook the towns. Many of the towns have fortified ramparts and cobblestoned streets. They are postcard pretty with flower-decked streets, historic churches, timbered buildings and gurgling fountains. In addition to the usual assortment of delightful shops, cafes, restaurants, wine tasting rooms (winstubs) which serve wine from many local vineyards fill the towns. Ooh la la.

Turckheim, Ribeauville, Riquewihr and Kayersberg are the most popular towns on the Alsace Wine Road and are regularly visited by tour busses and the crowds they bring. Other nice towns include: Obernai, Barr, Mittelberghein, Andlau, Dambach-la-Ville, Selestat, Berghein, Hunawihr and Eguisheim (which we visited). Alsace is a popular destination for vacations/holidays. While we saw other tourists, we were lucky (and surprised) we didn’t see any crowds.

Alsace wine tasting at Paul Schneider

Alsace is well-known for its crisp white wines. Alsation wines use seven varieties of grapes: Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. It has Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) designation. There are countless opportunities to taste these in roadside wine cellars (caves in French). Everyone recommends advance appointments (particularly during busy times like harvest). Not all wines are created equal and not all wineries are created equal. The quality can vary drastically from winery to winery. As a result, if you want to taste the best, research them in advance.

Eichberg and Pfersigberg are two of the other well-respected Grand Crus

One of the best surprises was the Cremant D’ Alsace, a lively and delicate sparkling wine made by the traditional method of fermentation in the bottle. It’s kind of like Champagne. What’s not to love?