Alsace
Click on the image above to see the full panoramic splendor of Alsace.
When we joined a group of nine other travelers and two guides on a five-day trip on e-bikes through the towns, vineyards, and farmlands of the Alsace region of France, starting out in Strasbourg near the border with Germany, I was naturally enamored with the centuries of architecture.
The five-day weather forecast called for rain and temperatures from 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It was that cold but, luckily for us, the heavy rain was only intermittent and cycling through it added to the feeling of accomplishment.
The evening before the bike tour, we met up with my sister Ronit and her beloved Eli, who came via train from Paris. In the few remaining hours of sunlight, we explored the town and shared tartes flambées at Mama Bubbele's restaurant.
The Strasbourg Cathedral, which started construction in the year 1015, wasn't finished until 1439. It was the world's tallest building for hundreds of years, until 1874.
The next morning, we met our Butterfield & Robinson guides, Rob and Mihai, along with our fellow travelers ... all of whom were lovely. Five from new Zealand, two from New Mexico, two from New Jersey, and Jana and I from new Hawaii. It poured rain during our breakfast orientation, but by the time we got on our bikes, the skies were clearer.
We rode through picturesque towns, stopping by a former monastery to learn about Bugatti, a German then French high-performance automobile brand founded in Alsace in 1909 by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti. (The Alsace region changed hands four times in 80 years.)
Our Day One ride included 67 km (42 miles) of bike paths past wildlife, waterways, and vineyards. Day Two started with an uphill climb of 32 km (20 miles). The reward was a view above the clouds of the Alsace Plain and the Black Forest.
We visited the workshop where Charles Spindler, in 1893, first experimented with marquetry (an intricate art form using wood inlays and veneers). Today, his grandson continues the tradition and leads a team of amazingly talented craftspeople.
A stop at the Jewish cemetery of Rosenwiller revealed over 6,000 gravestones. Some date back to 1366 and others (including Wolffs) are as recent as a year or two ago.
Day Three began with a bit of rain and another steady climb, but what goes up must come down. We learned to pump our brakes and watch out for slippery patches on the long and winding descent. We enjoyed a delicious covered picnic lunch in Scherwiller while tasting five different varieties of wine and learning about the region's unique grapes and some of the challenges facing wine makers (including climate change and labor shortages).
Riding through small villages with names like Kayserberg, Riquewihr, Ribeauville, Obernai, and Barr, we were never at a loss for fun places to eat. Dinners were three-hour affairs with artfully plated, delicious courses at Michelin-star restaurants.
Day Four had us cycling through more charming villages nestled amidst vineyards ... and an afternoon of leisure.
On our final day of cycling, I got a headstart. Knowing that our destination would be overrun with tourists when we got there at 10:30 am, Mihai kindly offered to take me by van to Colmar at 6:00 am to get some photos with no one else around. While the sunrise wasn't particularly dramatic, I was a happy man. We got back to the hotel in time for breakfast, and I joined the rest of the group on the 20 km bike ride back to Colmar, nicknamed Little Venice.
Getting back to our hotel from Colmar proved to be more of an adventure than anticipated. We ignored detour signs on a recently closed road and walked our bikes through the mud back to where our GPS navigation could guide us home. An exciting finish to a great trip!
A big part of what made it a great trip: the people. Thanks for coming along for the ride!