Since we left our home in France, eleven years ago, I’d forgotten the exhilaration of walking in the mountains. The Vosges are not the Pyreneees, far from it. But they offer the same reward of yomping, puffing and panting ever the harder, up the steepest of slopes before finally offering you views- across to distant … Continue reading "Walking in Mountain Scenery"| From Pyrenees to Pennines
This is by way of being a preview for Jo’s Monday Walk tomorrow. It’s a viewpoint near le Petit Ballon in Alsace, but as you see, the Boy with Blue Hair Bagged the Bench first. I still offer it for Jude’s Bench Challenge.| From Pyrenees to Pennines
On our recent trip, mainly to Alsace, but with sorties to Germany and the Netherlands, we came across several stories from the past which we’d known nothing about, but found engrossing. For the next few Fridays, I’ll share these stories with you. The Battle of Le Linge Anglophone readers will all know the dreadful story … Continue reading "Footnotes in History: The Battle of Le Linge"| From Pyrenees to Pennines
For this week’s Monochrome Madness, I’m showing a few images from Strasbourg: its historic city centre, including the area near and in the Cathedral, and a few odds and ends such as a weather vane, a single lonely wolf (?) on a riverside brick wall, and a few of the many bikes there.| From Pyrenees to Pennines
It’s our last day in Alsace. Alas. Tomorrow we leave, returning home via friends of Malcolm in northern Germany. We had a day of lakeside walks at le Lac Vert, a hearty meal at a mountain aub…| From Pyrenees to Pennines
Let's imagine Louis XIV and Mazarin meeting in October 1648, when Europe awoke from a thirty-year nightmare.In Münster and Osnabrück, pens finally replaced cannons: the Peace of Westphalia was born.Signature of the Peace of Westphalia - Münster, 24 October 1648 While the diplomats wiped the sweat from their brows, in Paris, a ten-year-old boy listened […] The post Louis XIV and Mazarin: How France Quietly Gained Alsace appeared first on French Moments.| French Moments
We aimed high today and went in quest of castles, all visible from the valley below, as they are all top-of-the-landscape and visible for miles. Alsace is littered with them. Our first was Hohlansbourg, a mighty curtain of a fortress. We could have walked from there to the next three, but it would have taken … Continue reading "Postcards from Alsace: Four Castles, One Town and a School"| From Pyrenees to Pennines
A day of contrasts: this morning, a not entirely successful walk in which we quite comprehensively failed to find the path for the latter part of our morning. Never mind. The woodland was atmospheric, the autumnal views across the Vosges just starting to become a spectacular blaze of colour. Then later, a visit to an … Continue reading "Postcards from Alsace: A Wettstein Walk, and a Choral Concert"| From Pyrenees to Pennines
I couldn’t decide whether to post high-rise dwellings for those working-from-home, 1580s style (as tanners, so not popular with the neighbours: it’s a smelly job) … climbing up to the top floor looks a little taxing … …. or the staircase from the very wonderful Unterdenlinden Museum, once a convent, now an art gallery right … Continue reading "Postcards from Alsace: Colmar Again"| From Pyrenees to Pennines
This research on the Peace of Westphalia and Alsace tells how a peace treaty signed in 1648 not only ended the Thirty Years’ War, but also changed the fate of a region caught between empires.Signed in October 1648, the Treaties of Westphalia brought an end to one of the most devastating wars Europe had ever known — the Thirty […] The post The Peace of Westphalia and Alsace : from Habsburg to France appeared first on French Moments.| French Moments
The Peace of Westphalia: The End of an Endless WarBy the mid-seventeenth century, Europe was exhausted.For thirty years, the continent had been ravaged by a conflict of unprecedented scale — the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648).What had begun as a religious quarrel between Catholic and Protestant princes of the Holy Roman Empire had quickly turned into a political war, pitting the […] The post The Peace of Westphalia: The 1648 Treaties That Redrew Europe appeared first on French Mom...| French Moments
In Alsace, Grand Cru usually means one thing: Riesling. But on Zotzenberg — a low, east-facing slope between Barr and Mittelbergheim — the often overlooked Sylvaner holds an unusual place of privilege. Zotzenberg remains the only Grand Cru vineyard in Alsace for which Sylvaner is officially recognized on the label. It’s a rare exception that shows how a site can reshape a grape’s reputation and, perhaps, its future. Six Centuries on a Quiet Hill in Alsace Zotzenberg was first docume...| Trink Magazine
Discover the rustic and convivial Vosges farm inns where hikers feast on roïgabredeldi, Munster cheese and blueberry tart after a walk.| French Moments
Click here to discover Molsheim, a charming and historic little town near Strasbourg crossed by the scenic Alsace Wine Route.| French Moments
In the historic town, the Colmar Christmas Markets are incredible charming. This is your detailed guide for visiting the chalets and more.| Bon Traveler
What’s it like to cycle for seven days through French wine country in Alsace? Find an itinerary for a week long cycling trip, plus what it's like to go Beercycling.| Hi Friends, It's Laura
Biking through rolling hills of vineyards, the neatly ordered vines striping the landscape. Drinking local French wines and beers. I spent a week of my summer cycling through Alsace on a beer and wine tasting cycle tour called Beercycling.| Hi Friends, It's Laura
I’ve been home a month from my unforgettable trip to Europe this summer, and I’m sitting down to write a trip report. Normally, a trip report is a quick recap of my trip that focuses on where I stayed, what I did, cost of the trip, and high/lowlights. It serves more as a reminder for […]| Hi Friends, It's Laura
A few days ago, I was in Strasbourg, designated in April 2024 the UNESCO 2024 World Book Capital City (WBCC). And that’s a fitting award, because for lovers of books and the printed word, Strasbour…| teleread.org
