Kaiserstuhl: The German Wine Road

Kaiserstuhl is in the same general area as the famous French Alsace (just across the Rhine River) and thus shares the same micro-climate that supports dozens of wineries. We had a beautiful weekend and decided to take a hike through the vinyards. Each village in the area has serveral wineries, but they are usually only open to the public during the week. We did find one that gave us a personal wine tasting, Gleichenstein - we liked everything we tried, but narrowed it down to two bottles, made our purchase and then headed over to the Oberrotweil Wine Festival (there are TONS of wine festivals in the fall so when the mood strikes it's not too hard to find one =) We also stumbled onto a local specialty: zwiebelkuchen (literally onion cake) which was actually quite good. Check out the pictures here!

France: Yvoire (6/6)

Yvoire France is a beautiful medieval village located on the south banks of Lake Leman (a.k.a. Lake Geneva). We went there to visit their famous Garden of the 5 Senses, but stayed long enough for Robert to photograph the entire town. We had a lovely lunch over-looking the lake. It was a relaxing end to a fantastic vacation.

St. Bernard Switzerland / Aosta Italy (5/6)

Today we wanted to see more of the region and had several things on the agenda. First stop was gorges de la diosaz which was a 1.5 hr hike into a beautiful gorge only 10 minutes from Chamonix. Next we took a bit of a regional driving tour into Switzerland and had a nice lunch in Champex high in the mountains on a lake. Next up, St. Bernard Pass. This pass is famous for three reasons: 1) Saint Bernard and his charitable work, 2) the Grand St. Bernard Pass and the many famous people who have used the route and 3) for the dog breed St. Bernard which is said to be the product of an unknown cross between a mastiff, Great Dane and/or Newfoundland in 1708. The pass has a terrific museum that outlines the history of St. Bernard and the treacherous pass and also sports a kennel full of cute, sleeping, floppy St. Bernard dogs (only 1700 CHF if you want to purchase one). They had one dog out ‘on display’ that you could pet – a true gentle (drooling) giant. Read about ‘Barry’ – the famous sire of the breed. Our last stop was in Italy – Aosta. After reading about the Romans coming over the St. Bernard Pass, it’s not hard to imagine that there are several sights in Aosta where the Romans left some remains including an amphitheatre. The town had a lively festival going on (patron Saint Gratis day) while we were there and we also enjoyed a terrific Italian meal before heading back thru the Mont Blanc tunnel (31.50 Euro or about $44.00!!) back to Chamonix. See some then and now Italy photos as well as Switzerland photos.

France: Annecy (4/6)

Annecy was really a great find. It is located on a beautiful lake and has a wonderful old city center. We were able to stroll through a huge farmer’s market along a picturesque canal and visit the old city castle as well. They have several parks along the lake where the city has planted representative garden plots for different areas of France. The one thing about France that Nancy especially hates are the public toilets – one look, ladies, and you’ll see what I mean. One thing about France that Robert especially hates is the meat as it is usually string, chewy, fatty and generally tasteless. A truly enjoyable day (except for the bio breaks and mystery meat) – check out the pictures!

Nancy Turns 40!!

Well, it finally happened on September 5th – I’m 40. After almost a complete year of Robert razzing me about the big 4 – OH…I can now put it all behind me. We were in Chamonix, but Robert had given me my present before we left – two terrific paintings from a local Swiss painter. He was able to hang them in our dining room after we returned from our trip. I just love them! Now that I’m older and wiser I still wonder whether it’s true that for every grey hair I pluck out if two grow back in its place. Robert reminds me that I will be 41 before he even turns 40…FAB-ulous.

France: Chamonix - Mont Blanc (3/6)

Ski-town xtraordinaire with a fancy price tag to go with it – Chamonix does not disappoint. We stayed at a FANTASTIC chalet with views of the mountains in two directions, 5 minutes walk into town and 5 minutes walk in the other direction to the ski lift. Mont Blanc being the main attraction – the first day we took a hike along the south rim offers unsurpassed views of Europe’s tallest mountain. The second day we rode to the top of Aiguille de Midi, (see video) and took a tramway to a glacier (Mer de Glace), and ate lunch a-top the south balcony. Take a look as Robert’s great photos!

France: The French Alps (2/6)

The French Alps start close to the Canyon of Verdon and wind north east until they spill into Switzerland and Italy. We decided to drive thru the mountains to get from the canyon to Chamonix which took us over 4 passes and into a very beautiful part of France. We didn’t know it until we were passing thru that we were on the route of the 2007 Tour de France (see Briancon) because of all the writing on the road from fans encouraging the riders. We even passed through Albertville (1992 Winter Olympics site) on the way. The trip took a total of 11 hours (compared to 5 hours on the tollway). See the terrific photos!

France: Canyon of Verdon (1/6)

Also known as ‘the petit grand canyon’ the gorge/canyon area is in a remote part of southern France. We stayed in a great little hotel which overlooked Lac St. Croix and were able to participate in several different activities over three days: canoeing, hiking, and white water rafting. The water is incredibly beautiful in both the lake and the gorge (see video) and it was a delight to be in it as well as look at it from the steep hiking trail. The canyon is very large and has a road along a jagged rim which offers lots of different views. A paradise for hikers and anyone who enjoys the out doors. We also visited some nearby towns: Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Castellane. You won’t believe how beautiful it is until you see the pictures!

Another Swiss Road Trip

Today we went on a driving tour from our favorite driving tour book. This one took us to several places: La Chaux de Fonds, the birthplace of Le Corbusier the world famous architect. The ‘maison blanc’ (white house) is located here (although we arrived too late and weren’t able to take a look inside).

St. Ursanne is a sleepy little town in the middle of the Jura mountains. We decided to visit because John Howe, one of two illustrators that came up with the artistic vision for the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, lives there. Throughout the town they have fantasy creatures peeking over roof tops and coiled around the main bridge. They have a ‘treasure’ map you can follow to find all the installations. As an added bonus, there was a road race taking place and we got to see many Ferraris and other cars too. See all of the pictures from our Swiss road trips.

Laufen Switzerland

A short trip today... down the road 15 miles to the town of Laufen. A typical small town with nice things to see. The old city wall, the main shopping street, the river, and the church. While taking a walk in the surrounding hills, we were able to see some of an air show that was going on nearby. A nice small town that was worth the drive. You can see the pictures here!

Driving in Switzerland

Today we drove through Southeast Switzerland near places like Liechtenstein, Andermatt, the Oberalp pass, the Gotthard tunnel, Davos, and finally through Luzern on our way back to Basel. Of course the highlight was to see the beautiful scenery in the area. Snow capped mountains, green valleys, small towns, and lakes. We finished the evening with a yummy dinner over looking the lake and mountains near Luzern. You can see pictures from the day, and also from other driving tours in Switzerland by clicking here.

Yamato – Drummers of Japan

Robert it a HUGE drum fan as evidenced by his constant thumping on tables, doors, steering wheels, etc. Last year we got tickets to see the Basel Tattoo so this year we decided to try Yamato. This group is absolutely fantastic – the entire auditorium shook as the performers beat different sized drums. They also incorporated traditional Japanese guitar, finger cymbals, and gongs. Although the performers don’t talk they get the audience involved and had us laughing a lot of the time. Robert has now decided to be reincarnated as a Japanese DRUMMING tourist ;-)

Basel Gates & One Minute Movie Fest

We had a very eclectic weekend starting with Saturday. Basel used to be a walled city like many other cities in Europe. In order to control ingress and egress they had many gates that could be guarded and closed in case of attack. In 1859 the city decided to remove what was left of the wall and gates, but decided to leave a very small portion of the wall and 3 city gates: Spalentor, St. Alban-Tor and St. Johanns-Tor. Once a year the city opens these gates to the public so we decided to take advantage of their generous offer. Two of the gates house Fastnacht cliques where they can get together to socialize (both gates had eating areas, small kitchens and general purpose rooms). The largest, Spalentor, looked largely unused, but you were able to see how they raised and lowered the spiked gate made up of individual logs. Each gate has a clock and bells which mark the hour and quarter hours. Take a look at the pictures!

Afterwards we drove to Aarau to attend the One Minute movie festival. There were lots of weird, interesting and funny subjects. At the end of each 40 minutes we were asked to vote for our 3 favorites. You can check out previous year winners on the web site. Enjoy!

More Hiking

It was time for another hike in Switzerland. We started in Klewenalp which in near Luzern and also on the Vierwald (Four Forest) Lake. This time, we cheated and used a cable car to get us started. This is something we usually don't do. But don't worry, after that, it was a straight up climb until we were in the clouds. As always, plenty of nice scenery including cows, valleys, paths, mountains, and of course the lake (see video). At the end of the day, we were able to watch people Paragliding. When you come to visit, Nancy would like to try this with you. Have a look at the video! The pictures of the day are here.

Ladenburg, Germany

Ladenburg is the home of Karl Benz, the inventor of the automobile! It is just down the road from Mannheim and offers a terrific restaurant called 'Die Kartoffel' - The Potato. The Potato offers soups, appetizers, main dishes and even desserts all made from potatoes! They serve very large baked potatoes with a huge variety of toppings, but their claim-to-fame is their 'hot stones'. These stones are heated to searing temperatures and brought to your table with your choice of meet. You cook your meal at the table and dip it into three different sauces of your liking (YUMMY!!). Ladenburg was founded by the Romans and has a beautiful downtown with very old half-timbered houses. A great side trip if you're visiting Heidelberg. Robert didn't have his camera, but you can see other pictures of Ladenburg here.

Pinguin Bier-Huus

Pinguin is a beer-lover's PARADISE! Pinguin offers over 100 beers from 25 different countries. The owner provides personalized service, suggestions, an encyclopedia-sized beer menu and will even cater your next party and educate your guests on what they're drinking. Located just outside the old-town, we visited the bar/restaurant with the largest museum-like display of beer posters, advertisements, paraphernalia and glasses you've ever seen (the bathroom displays are of particular note). Every beer ordered is served in its official cooresponding glass and any glass is available for sale. We ordered Heineken, Maisels, Steinlager, Sapporo, Cobra, and Tsingtao (we went with our friend Heiko...). As a side note, Pinguin is in the Guinness Book of World Records as restaurant with the most variety of mustards! The owner (and Tom Reifeis) recommend the beer books by Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter - why don't I have a job that involves beer!?! See the pictures here.

Polterabend

Wednesday, our friend Katja and her husband Andreas celebrated their wedding with a German tradition, Polterabend (literally - rumble evening). This tradition (first mentioned in 1517 in central Germany) usually occurs prior to the wedding, but in this case it was several months afterward. The tradition includes the guests bringing old porcelain, pottery, dishes and sometimes toilets to smash in celebration of the wedding. The clean-up at the end of the evening represents the first collaboration of effort between the new husband and wife. The party at the Platz house had the dish-smashing area outside, but we understood that some people have the festivities inside! We had a great time meeting new people, listening to Katja and her band, Selkie and eating bratwurst and other traditional German food. Here is a list of several German wedding traditions and info about wedding rings. The honeymoon, is rarely referred to as "Honigmond" but rather as "Flitterwochen" with a "Hochzeitsreise" (literally - high time travel). See the pictures here.

Hiking in Switzerland

Today was perfect weather in Switzerland, so we decided to go for a hike. We ended up in Rueeggisberg which is just south of Bern. Although the Alps were several miles away from where we we hiking, they were in clear view for most of the trip. Take a close look at the pictures... Those aren't clouds in the background! We had a good mixture of open fields, valleys, mountains, farm houses, and farm land. Another excellent day! Take a look at all the pictures here, or watch a short video here.

Bike Ride in France

We spent a lot of time in the car last week, so today we decided to leave the car behind and take a bike ride. Across the border, over the hills, through the woods, and into the Alsace region of France! During the ride, we enjoyed beautiful country side and beautiful small towns. Castles, churches, fields, flowers, storks, and many interesting sites filled the day. After four hours of pedaling, it was time to head home. Nothing like the great outdoors. See all of our bike trips, including today by clicking here.

The Hills are Alive - Salzburg

Salzburg and the surrounding area is a mountain paradise. We decided to take a whole day to visit the Hohe Tauern National Park. It is home to Austria's highest mountain, the Grossglockner. We took a beautiful drive on the hoch alpen stasse (high alpine street) and stopped at many places along the way to enjoy the views (see video) and take photos...we were even able to get up-close views of glaciers and a few marmots (we'll let the pictures speak for themselves).

Mozart, Salt Mines and Tort - Salzburg

Salzburg is the home of Mozart and the famous Mozart festival. We decided to get an overview (see video) of the city and took a self-guided walking tour that showed us Mozart's birthplace, several churches, the university, a terrific shopping street, hidden passages and the beautiful Salzburg Castle (the second most visited site in Austria - the first is the Schoenbrunn Castle in Vienna). After a full day of site seeing we visited their local brewery, Stiegl, that was founded in 1492 and stopped by the Sacher Hotel for a piece of famous chocolate tort! No trip to Salzburg would be complete without visiting the salt mine. This salt mine has been here for over 500 years - we got spiffy overalls to wear, got to slide down the miner slides and received free salt samples to boot! Check out the pictures here.

Do Re Mi - Salzburg

The Sound of Music is the best thing that ever happened to Salzburg - it's been a free tourism movie for 42 years. 60% of the people who visit Salzburg do so because of the movie. The interesting thing is that if you try to talk to any European about this movie they have never heard of it. In fact, the movie wasn't translated into German until 2000 when it was broadcast in Austria on December 25th. It's actually based on a true story of the von Trapps. We took a 4 hour tour that shuttled us around to most all of the outdoor scenes from the movie: the houses, the lake, the gazebo, the wedding church, the convent, downtown and the Mirabell Gardens where they filmed Do Re Mi. The only place we weren't able to visit was the area for the opening number "the hills are alive with the sound of music" - it is private property. It's a good thing you can't hear us singing in the photos!

Easy Riders in Austria

I'm not sure exactly what we're doing right, but as good luck has it we were able to accompany our host, Robert Huber, on a motorcycle ride in the Austrian alps. He has a Honda Goldwing motorcycle complete with side car. Robert and I took turns riding either behind Mr. Huber or in the side car. We visited the Kuehtai pass in Austria (2020 meters high) and were able to enjoy all of the scenery. Robert especially liked riding in the side car so he could take pictures.

Knights Festival

Our friends, the Hubers, invited us to visit them in Garmish and attend the knights festival, Ritter Speile. It is the largest in Europe and I can believe it - there were tons of people dressed up in period clothes, there was a huge parade, a jousting tournament (see video), a great market, and traditional food. Nancy even won a sucker for hitting the target 4 out of 6 times using a bow and arrow! The highlight of the day was the battle complete with guns, cannons, arrows and fighting with all types of weapons (including flails and swords). It was a re-enactment of a battle that happen on that very site! It was great fun and we especially enjoyed the company of our hosts: Robert, Gaby, Florian and Daniela. As usual - there are great pictures!