The Long and "Winey" Road

After our sojourn to the "big town" of Colmar yesterday, Sunday we drove more of the Alsace wine road.  We started just south of Itterswiller where we had stopped on Friday.  From there we drove the middle section of the route south to Riquewihr - about 40 km.  We stopped in St. Hippolyte to savour one of my favourite views in Alsace.  Not sure why every time I am here, I take the same photo but I do - it is probably because it is such a perfect spot!

Next we drove through Bergheim which is a walled village with the homes on the outside forming part of the old wall.  You drive through a medieval gate to get into it and, while it was recently restored so the year it was built is missing, I think it was around 1200.

Following our "drive through" there, we drove up a hill to a German military cemetery where over 5000 German soldiers are buried from WWII.  What is astonishing is, like the Allied cemeteries here, the ages of so many of the dead are young.  Emmy saw many that were only 17 or 18 years old and many of the ones in their early twenties had already achieved the rank of lieutenant or higher.  There was a German couple there and the woman had a grandfather buried there.  When I was talking to them, we remarked that it doesn't matter which side, it was such a waste of life.  So many hopes and dreams lost!!

Okay, back to the fun stuff.  We continued along the road - undulating through countless vineyards and kitschy villages until we reached Riquewihr, one of the quintessential Alsatian villages.  You have to see it to believe it is real and then you still aren't positive!

A cute store front - when I was here in the fall of 2015 this was decorated
for autumn and now it has a spring theme

With no neon signs permitted, most of the signage is done in metal and some are very clever

After that, the heat was getting to us, so we got back in the car (God bless A/C) and headed back to Rhinau.  Doug had spotted a decorated garden on the way we had to get a photo off.  It seemed to contain all things Alsatian - except perhaps the dog!

Besides, we had a restaurant that we needed to be at by around 6 or 6:30.  Oh, we have quit counting the storks because we have now seen so many - including some flying.  That is all so yesterday's news!