5th August 2013

Up at 0800 again but it was harder to get up this morning, yesterday was a long day and it had taken its toll on me.  After my usual breakfast of pain au chocolat and coffee, I went to the boulangerie to buy a delicious sour dough baguette and then some Brie from the cheese shop called la cloche a fromage next to the hotel.  Once back at the car I headed south out of Strasbourg avoiding the motorways. The style and state of the buildings in the suburbs become less affluent and more working class and practical but still retaining much civic pride.  Further out the smaller towns around the Strasbourg outskirts became little Disney land towns with carefully manicured window boxes and landscaped gardens; the walkways and roundabouts becoming opportunities for the civic workers to demonstrate their artistic skills with topiary and landscaping everywhere.  Each and every house seemed owned by wealthy individuals with a lot of time on their hands.

I headed to Molsheim and then turned south to Rosheim.  I stopped and Rosheim; a very Germanic looking town with string roman influences in its medieval architecture. The absence people; so typical of many French towns except for the few wondering tourists, was a little disconcerting but ensured the quietness of the town.  Being Monday and lunch time most shops were closed and there was nowhere to have a drink unless you sat inside, as the cafes where reserving their outdoor seating for lunch.  Back in the car I continued on to Mont St. Odile monastery, stopping a few miles away in a hill top forest, and walked into the forest following the sound of running water until I found a small stream under the canopy of the trees.  I spread the blanket and laid out the cheese and bread and sat with my feet in the cooling water having lunch. The quiet was only disturbed by sound of a flying bee from time to time and leaves rustling in the breeze. The calmness and tranquillity was priceless.  After my lunch I finally made it to Mont St. Odile, a beautiful monastery perched on the hill top with amazing views over the Alsace wine route beneath it.  The mid day heat was intense but the calmness of the monastery ensured that nobody was working up a sweat.

I then headed East to the large town of Obernai and found myself driving through more Disney land towns and eventually in the centre of Obernai with its huge towers and timber framed medieval houses.  A life saving civic feature which blasted cool mist from an under floor grating was attracting a huge crowd in the mid day heat, I joined them and stayed too long until my entire trousers were soaked but it was so cooling I didn't care.

I finally drove back to Strasbourg along the same route as I came and arrived back at the hotel around 1800 in time to wash and change for dinner, yes dinner, even after a that huge slab of Brie.  Well it was a long hard day!  I found a nice restaurant serving delicious salads in a side road next to the Cathedral.  I ordered an ocean salad and a glass of Gewürztraminer wine.  After a long dinner I went straight back to bed after a long day.