The weather has been beautiful---sunny and warm, no harsh wind, no clouds...perfect.
I don't travel by train much, and have only done it twice by myself. There are little tricks to it, like buying flexible tickets intead of tickets good only for specific times and dates, figuring out which car you're supposed to be on if you have reserved seats (there's a chart by the tracks showing the composition of the train----so if you're in car 17, seat 20, you look at the chart and it shows 1) your train 2) which car is #17 [they are not in numerical order], and where approximately you should stand on the platform to be by that car when the train stops), not using the restroom when the train is at the station, etc.
The trip took about 30 minutes. In Colmar, I started looking around / asking around to see which bus would get me to Riquewihr. This took about fifteen minutes. Finally I got the info from----where else?---the information counter. The schedule showed I had a couple of hours to wait before the bus arrived, so I decided to walk to the center of town, maybe a mile or so from the station.
One of the picturesque streets in the old part of Colmar.
I stumbled upon this wonderful indoor farmer's market.
Bought some fruit and a small baguette to have for lunch later.
I'm kicking myself because I didn't buy cheese...
Bought some fruit and a small baguette to have for lunch later.
I'm kicking myself because I didn't buy cheese...
A real man would gladly eat any of these quiches.
Buildings along Colmar's canal.
These musicians were part of a group of about 50 people
who were occupying (?) the stairs of an old building.
They sang spirited songs with lots of energy.
Later I learned they were protesting genetically modified grapes:
this is a wine-producing region and they don't want that shit here.
who were occupying (?) the stairs of an old building.
They sang spirited songs with lots of energy.
Later I learned they were protesting genetically modified grapes:
this is a wine-producing region and they don't want that shit here.
This is a restored carousel from 1900!
Outside they have a few old carousel pieces.
Flowers in the park by the carousel.
One of the newer old buildings in Colmar.
Wait---newer old buildings?
Wait---newer old buildings?
There's a certain charm to these French towns. Sure, the city centers are often touristy and dolled up, but if you find yourself in such a place, watch the locals----grandmothers with their grandkids, old people riding their bicycles, clerks dealing with customers in the store...everyday life. Try to take side streets where the tourists aren't present. Ask a local where the locals like to eat, and avoid the tourist restaurants.
Before walking back to the train station to catch my bus (?) I came to a tiny shop where a guy had all kinds of hard sausages on display. They looked like hard salami. The signs on each basket of sausages were printed in French and German, this region having formerly been part of Germany. That helped me pick the sausage I wanted: spicy. But they also had garlic, sausage with herbs, with cheese, etc. A sausage about 8 inches long and about 1.5 inches in diameter cost 5.50 Euro. And that's all I'm going to say about my hard, delicious sausage.
Back at the train station, a fun conversation with the friendly bus driver. I got on the bus and said "Riquewihr?" while miming a steering wheel being turned. "Oui, oui, Riquewihr!" the driver said. There were about ten other people on the bus, mostly tourists. I pulled out my money. The guy asked in French: "There and back?" but I didn't understand so I stared at him looking stupid. He said in English: "Ah! You will go there, then come back to Colmar, monsieur?"
"Yes, please." He took out a piece of paper and filled in the blank with the amount (5.60 Euro)---my ticket---and made change, digging the coins out of his ultra-well organized plastic money box. While all this was going on he engaged me in conversation: "You are English?" "I am American." "Ah! Barack Obama--yes, we can!" I caught the other tourists smiling at this exchange. I almost said "Barack Obama, maybe he can but instead he lets the Republicans beat the shit out of him," then I said fuck it---I'm on vacation. Bus driver: "You are from Ohio? Alabama?"
"Oklahoma." The guy looked at me like I mentioned an unknown crater on Pluto. I stuck one hand out and pointed at it. "Texas." Then I stuck my other hand on top of the Texas hand. "Oklahoma." He smiled sympathetically.
The trip through the wine country took about 30 minutes. Along the way the bus stopped to pick people up, mostly locals. I loved watching the scenery outside the huge bus windows.
In Riquewihr a few of us tumbled out of the bus to the friendly "Au revoir!" of the charming bus driver. I walked a few hundred meters and I was in the center of a beautiful old village...
I got to Riquewihr before all the other tourists,
and so was able to shoot this nice little restaurant devoid of people.
and so was able to shoot this nice little restaurant devoid of people.
Another of the many dining establishments in Riquewihr.
Le dog bad-ass.
One of the streets before it got too full of touristas.
This third floor window echoed the decor of all the other windows in the building.
This guy put a Dayglo orange crate in front of his house
so nobody would park there.
so nobody would park there.
One of the tiny houses of Riquewihr.
I like shutters with little hearts.
This is for B.
There's a story attached to this store I shan't repeat here...
There's a story attached to this store I shan't repeat here...
Fuckin' FRANCE, y'all!
