France,Germany 2019: 3 - Mulhouse to Eguisheim, France

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

We packed up in the morning and drove to the City of Trains, a huge set of buildings with dozens of engines, different passenger carriages, and much more, dating from the first French train in 1844. There were specialty carriages such as the one built for Napoleon's Aide. A very enthusiastic guide was there, and when he found we liked trains spent a lot of time with us explaining exactly how steam engines worked, and actually firing one up that had the wheels suspended so they could turn. It made for a very interesting morning. Lunch was in the train museum, which had a surprisingly good gourmet menu.

We then drove to the Town of Eguisheim where we found our hotel on the main street of the old city. The Brit Hotel Confort is the buy of the trip, $66 Canadian per night on Expedia with full amenities including safe, fridge, desk, free parking, a bathroom with a separate toilet room and a restaurant with breakfast. The city has a stunningly beautiful old town. Most restaurants were closed on Wednesday for some reason, however we got the last two seats in Caveiau le Heuhau that provided a superb dinner. There was a full moon out for the walk home.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

I had the hotel breakfast, which was a quite good buffet, Marilynn snacked in the room. We drove about 25 km to a place in the hills above the town of Kientzheim where there is a fenced forest area full of Barbary macaques called Montagne de Singes, or Monkey Mountain. The monkeys are completely free to roam in the large reserve, while visitors are restricted to pathways through the forest. Most of the monkeys were born and raised there, so look upon visitors as a friendly source of food – everyone is issued a handful of popcorn at the entrance. Monkeys who want to be fed sit on the low log fence which defines the permitted walking trails, and will take popcorn one kernel at a time from anyone's hand.

It was a short drive to there to a show of trained raptors at La Volerie des Aigles. The walk to the location was half a kilometer down hill, but the climb back gave us a work out. The show was well worth while, as eagles, hawks, owls, condors and other birds of prey flew from handler to handler at low altitude over the heads of the seated audience. The background was the front wall of a ruined castle. They had people in the front row sit down on the ground with their legs in front of them while a huge condor walked around over their legs. I didn't get down, as I'd have had too much trouble getting back up again, but Marilynn did and said the bird was very, very heavy.

We thank friend Ralph Hayes for assuring us that April was a good month in Alsace. When we first arrived there was the odd rainy day, and the trees were just showing in the first buds of leaves. In the time we have been here this has changed to leafy trees, some covered in a profusion of flowers, and flowers – especially tulips – have burst into bloom all over the place. Add the ancient buildings and castles and it is fairly land.

Dinner was at Pavilion Gourmand, where the meal confirmed the restaurant's reputation as the best in town. Again it was a happy stroll home through the narrow ancient streets under clear skies and a bright moon.

In the morning we head for Strasbourg, where we have an apartment booked for three day near the large old city. This is where the trip took a serious downturn.

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