A Symbol of Happiness

Our day of driving the vineyards along the "Routes des Vins d'Alsace this past November is not quite over yet.

As we drove off of the mountain leaving "Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg" we arrived in another little village, "St. Hippolyte", located at the foot of the Vosages Mountains. From here we continued through "Ribeauville" once again and then coming to a screeching halt in "Hunawihr" when I burst out to Stijn "Honey, there's a Stork nest!!!!"

I had been so hoping to see a Stork before we left this region. But hey, I'll take a nest. These nests are huge and can weigh up to 500 pounds!

Oh I was so excited and this had just made my day complete......I thought. We drove out of "Hunawihr" to get back on the "Wine Route" that would lead us back to our little village of Riquewihr, when we spot a field full of Storks!! Well Stijn couldn't stop fast enough so we had to make a U-turn to get back to see these magnificent birds. Because you know I must have pictures!

It actually turns out that these birds are right in front of "Parc Cigognes-Loutres" a nature reserve for Storks and otters.

After making it back to Riquewihr we enjoy dinner at the "Au Dolder" along with the friendly old lab who makes his rounds through the restaurant to let everyone have the chance to pet him.

They say the Stork is the "Symbol of Happiness". Well I am certainly filled with happiness after those 3 days in the spectacular region of the Alsace. And I make a toast to my honey for another unbelievable birthday gift!

Sadly we have to leave this beautiful place the next morning and head back to Brussels. But we are going back via "Strasbourg"!

If you would like to see more pictures of the end of our day, just click here "Where's Debbie" and then click on the album "Symbol of Happiness".

Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg

Our ride through the vineyards today (Nov 13) along the "Route des Vins d'Alsace" has led us to a site very common in this region. A Castle! High above the vineyards sits "Chateau du Haute-Koenigsbourg" . And lucky for us, the Castle is open today!

However, it is 12 noon and when we arrive we discover that the Castle is closed during the lunch hour and the ticket office will reopen at 1:00pm. Perfect!

Without a ticket we are allowed to walk just inside the walls of the Castle and get a glimpse of what's in store for us after lunch. And as luck would have it, there is a cafe just inside these walls!

After a nice warm bowl of soup, we purchase our tickets at only 7.50 euros each and start our tour of this 12th century Castle with a climb up the stone staircase.

Restoration was done from the period of 1900 to 1908. The Castle was then fully restored again in 1993 and classified as a historical monument. So as we walk through all the different rooms and hallways we can see the changes made to the Castle through the centuries.

One interesting piece we see in almost every room is the massive ceramic fireplaces.

And of course what is a Castle without a room full of armory?

Or a draw bridge.....though this one was quite small.

The views from here are magnificent, looking out over the Alsace plain as far as the Black Forest and even the Alps.

Well we have spent about 2 hours roaming around this Castle admiring the history that is evident throughout with it's stone walls, displays of cannons and armory and ancient gardens.

So we say good-bye and head out the door to finish our day of driving along the "Route des Vins d'Alsace."

There are so many more pictures to see of this fabulous Castle~ Just click here "Where's Debbie" and then click on the album "Chateau du Haut Koenigsbourg"

So Many Vineyards, So Little Time!

Today is Friday the 13 of November, and it is an absolute perfect day to drive along "The Route des Vins d'Alsace".

The route begins in Strasbourg and extends nearly 70 miles to the south. We are in that southern part of the route and so we decide to start our drive by leaving Riquewihr and head north along the route for a few miles and then circle back to our starting point.

But first there is a market this morning in the center of town in one of the little side streets. So while Stijn gets the car I take a look at what the vendors are selling this morning. Fresh flowers, fresh cheese, meats and sausages. And even some grape vines should you want to try your hand at having your own vineyard.

We take the back way out of Riquewihr and while driving along the slopes of the Vosges Mountains, we find ourselves surrounded by vineyards which have taken on the golden colors of fall. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities to stop and read about the grapes that are grown to produce the Rieslings and Gewurztraminers of this region. However, you will need to know how to read French, unless you are very lucky like me and have someone with you who can.

Driving along this route, there are so many Kodak moments, you will certainly put your driver to the test of patience when he has just barely shifted into second gear and you say "Oh stop honey, look at that!"

One of those such moments was when we saw up ahead of us three castles nestled in the trees alongside a mountain.

We must have a closer look of these three castles, Ulrichsburg, Girsber and Hohrappoltstein! This takes us into the town of Ribeauville. Much like Riquewihr, Ribeauville has it's half timbered buildings but also has the added medieval touch of castles peering down on what is one of the most beautiful wine-producing villages of the alsatian wine route.

Leaving here we start up a winding road that leads us to the mountain village of Thannenkirch.

Thannenkirch is well preserved in it's authentic character and simplicity. Here we make a stop at the church and take a walk through the cemetery.

It's just about noon and time to start thinking about some lunch. Looks like we will be having lunch in a castle!

There are more pictures of our morning at "Where's Debbie" Just click on the album "Alsace France - Part 3

A Day in Riquewihr

I just love the mornings in Europe. Why you ask? Because in the morning is when you take a walk to the bakery to try and decide which pastry you are going to have today. And today (Nov 12) is extra special because this morning I am in the little village of Riquewihr in the Alsace region of France.

Stijn gives me detailed directions on how to get to the bakery and I am all bundled up and headed out the door of our studio. And you know I didn't leave without my camera!

Well wouldn't you just know it!!! The bakery is closed this week for holiday. No worries though, there should be another one down the street. This is Europe, right?

As I continue walking right down the center of the cobblestone street, my eyes are continually drawn from side to side, up and down.....the architecture is so incredible! And I am going to let you know right now that I have taken entirely way too many pictures for you to see here. So be sure to visit "Where's Debbie" to see all the beautiful pictures I took during my morning walk.

Nothing is open yet, but I'm having fun watching the delivery trucks maneuver their way through these narrow streets to make their deliveries before 10:00am.

Because this region of France is bound to the north by Germany, you will see a lot of German influences here. Not only in the food but even in the little store fronts who are displaying the typical German pretzel.

As I continue my walk in search of a bakery, I repeatably see Storks. Stork magnets, Stork statues, Stork coffee mugs, Stork pictures, restaurants and hotels with Stork signage.

Well it seems that the Stork is the official emblem of the Alsace region. This is an area where the Storks would migrate to in the winter, but then their numbers began to decline and the people of the Alsace took action and created a sanctuary for the birds. Now there is a population of Storks that never leave the area. I've heard that you can see their massive nests weighing up to 500 pounds, resting on top of chimneys and steeples. I am hoping to see one of these before we leave this weekend!

It is evident that there is not another bakery in our little village. We decided then to take a little drive and find ourselves a market where we could purchase some food to have in our little studio.

I must tell you that France has the best supermarkets that I have ever seen. We found another great market called "Cora". Which is actually a Belgium based company. Very similar to "Auchan" with it's huge fresh bread and fresh seafood sections along with the great wine selection. But here you will see the beloved Stork flying above you as you shop the isles.


After shopping we then head back to our studio and enjoy a great lunch of french bread, meats and cheeses before we head out to do some more exploring in this great little village of Riquewihr.

We decided to just stick close to our little hamlet today. So while I have a hot Gluhwein......

.......Stijn takes a look through our trusty book on the Alsace to see what we might like to do tomorrow.

As we head back to our studio, we are enticed by a shop owner for a free sample of "Kugelhopf". A great Alsatian cake that is made with raisins and rum and comes in a variety of sizes. Must have one of these!

Tonight, we have dinner at "Hotel Au Cerf".

Again, dinner is very German. I have the "Baeckeoffe" which is a casserole layered with potatoes, leeks and three types of meat (beef, pork, lamb) cooked together in white wine inside an earthenware casserole.
While sipping on some wine from this region, it is decided that tomorrow we will drive along "The Route des Vins d'Alsace" and just see what makes this wine so great!

There are a ton of pictures to see of our day! Just click here "Where's Debbie" and then click on the album "Alsace France - Part 2"

Arriving in the Alsace

The time has come.........my birthday surprise!

If you have been following this blog, you know that Stijn loves to surprise me with a little trip somewhere when I come to Belgium. Typically he doesn't need a reason or an occasion, but it just so happens that during this trip it is my birthday. Well my birthday was Oct 27th, and today is November 11th and we are driving to the Alsace region of France!

This is a region in the Northeast part of France and is best known for it's white wines. But what I'm seeing as we drive south on the A35 is not only golden vineyards as far as the eye can see, but castles high atop mountains overlooking little villages that are dotted throughout this valley.

Then Stijn makes a right hand turn and we are driving through those golden vineyards and towards the little villages and I ask him in complete surprise, "Is this where we are going?!!" He just gives me that big Stijn smile and says, "Yes".

We pull into the little village of Riquewihr. It seems as though I am in the pages of a storybook! There are half-timbered houses overflowing with geraniums that line cobblestone streets and a clock tower that has lace covered windows.

We walk through the tunnel of the clock tower, turn left down a narrow cobbled street and our accommodations are on the right.

We are staying at "Les Remparts de Riquewihr" and our room is called "Romantic Studio".

This is an adorable studio with stone and wood floors, a kitchenette with a little nook and a stone and tiled bathroom. This will be our home for the next 3 days!

We end our day with dinner at "Au Tire Bouchon", which means "The Corkscrew"

This is the cutest little place with wooden tables and chairs, heavy timbered beams, and antique wine corkscrews displayed on the walls.

Dinner was hearty with alot of German influence. Stijn had a dish that had a variety of sausages with sauerkraut. I have never had goose before, so I chose the goose. Neither of our meals sent us out raving, but a great dessert always makes everything better.

If you would like to see more pictures of our day, just go to "Where's Debbie" and click on the album "Alsace France - Part 1"

Brugge - The Venice of The North

When I was here in January 2009, Stijn had told me about Brugge and how many consider it the "Venice of the North". So because of the numerous canals that intersect throughout this coastal medieval city, this is of course someplace I must see!

After our walk in Oostende this morning (Nov 1) we take the 30 minute drive to Brugge. I'm going to pass on to you a little piece of information you might want to consider when you come to see Brugge. Parking can be next to impossible in the old center, so with the advice of Stijn's father, we parked at the train station, then walked over to the cashier and showed her our parking ticket, she then handed us two free round trip bus tickets. What's great about this is that not only do you not have to fight for a parking space, but the bus makes several stops within the old center.

We choose to start our day by getting off of the bus in the Grote Markt (Market Square). Here is where I am immediately in mouth dropping awe of the fantastic architecture, the cobbled streets, the horse drawn carriages.....Oh My Gosh! The picture you see above is the "Belfry Tower and Cloth Hall" which dominates this square.

As we make our way to find where we can get on one of the many boat rides through the canals, we walk into yet another square "The Burg" the heart of the administrative Bruges. In this square is the magnificent Town Hall.

And directly to the left is the "Civil Registry"

Regarding the weather, nothing much has changed since our walk this morning in Oostende, except for the fact that the grey skies are getting darker and a light rain is beginning to fall. We MUST find those canal rides! But you know me, I have to keep stopping and taking pictures. This of course allows time for more rain to fall. So we decide to take a look in several shops. The one I enjoyed the most, and I think most of you would too, was the store, 2be. This was a great shop full of the most extensive collection of Belgian beers I have ever seen. This shop had several different rooms with beer bottles stacked from floor to ceiling. We even took a peek at the beers located downstairs in the cellar. Of course there were lots of other items, like cookies, candies, and gifts. Adjoining 2be was a cute little terrace where you could sit and have a bite to eat along with your choice of beer overlooking one of the many canals. For us though, it's a bit too rainy now, so we opt for some indoor dining.

We make our way through the cobbled streets, ducking under canopies to try and stay dry, in search of the perfect place to have lunch. And then there it is! "Curiosa".

A small narrow staircase leads us down to a heavy timbered door where you enter into a small room filled with wooden tables and chairs set beneath a plaster and brick arch ceiling. Tucked to one side is a beautiful bar wrapped in old brick.

We ordered something nice and hot to help warm us up after walking a few hours out in the cold and rain. For me, I had this great seafood casserole called "Gratinated Fishpot" and Stijn ordered up a grilled filet steak with mixed vegetables and the standard side dish of fries. And of course we complimented our meals with a great Belgian beer.

After lunch we headed back out in the rain and continued walking through the cobblestone streets of Brugge. But first, right across the street is this wonderful Belgian chocolate shop!

Since I've been coming to Belgium, I have had my fair share of Belgian chocolate, so Stijn introduces me to a popular candy with the Belgian's....Cuberdons or as the Belgians affectionately call them, neuseke (small nose)! These are a great cone shaped candy about 1 inch tall, that come in many flavors and are filled with a sugary jelly like filling. We chose the purple ones that tasted like grapes.

We've decided that today was just not the day to take a boat ride through the canals of Brugge. There are really so many beautiful sights to see in Brugge that missing out on a canal ride didn't really disappointment me at all. Besides, while walking I could take my time and peer in the windows of shops, take pictures along the canals of the great little wooden houses and walk over a few of the many bridges that cross over the canals. When we came upon the "Bonifacius Bridge" that is situated between Gruuthuse and Arentshof, it was definitely a Kodak moment.

As we crossed over the bridge, Stijn had me look up to see what is said to be the "Smallest Window" in Brugge.

Brugge really has so much more to see and do, but I think it's time to come in from the rain. What do you think?

If you would like to see more pictures of our day in Brugge, just go to "Where's Debbie" and click on the album "Brugge"

A Morning Walk In Oostende

After watching the victory game of Club Brugge last night we drove to Oostende to spend the night. Oostende is the largest coastal town in Belgium.

Our plan today (Nov 1) is to take a walk along the beach before heading back over to Brugge to spend the day. We are staying at Hotel die Prince and it is right in front of the beach! We of course have a room with a view of the lower roof and the rooms across from us. Not the view we were hoping for, but a view none the less. After we have breakfast in the hotel we bundle up to prepare for our walk.

I was so excited to see the waves of the North Sea rolling in as we stepped out the front door of our hotel! It is a day with no sunshine, grey skies, and a light wind. But that's not stopping me, I see a Lighthouse up ahead!

As we continue to walk we see an open air fresh fish market and must stop in to have a look. And what better place to get the catch of the day then from a market on the beach!


Now if you're not into fresh fish you could certainly get yourself some prepared seafood dishes or some dried fish that is hanging from the canopies of the kiosks that line the waterfront.

We made our way to the Mercator Marina and got a close up look of the "Mercator Ship"


The Mercator was built in 1931 and was used by the Belgian Navy until 1960. Now it is a floating museum and tours are available, but we chose to save this for another day and continue our walk through the shopping street while making our way back to our hotel.

I just love the shopping streets of Europe! These are streets where no vehicles are allowed! They are also a shopaholics dream. Walking along cobblestone streets passing stores selling clothing, housewares, flowers, chocolates, pastries! And no shopping street is complete without the "Golden Arches"!

You know the day is going to be a great one when you can start with a walk on the beach!

Next stop, Brugge.

You can see more pictures of our walk by going to "Where's Debbie" and click on the album "Oostende"