Today we finished the last of our five hikes on this journey. Being on foot may be a bit hard, but it gives us a chance to savor things that you would not even on bike.
We will miss the encounters in the small towns, walking by buildings that predate the founding of the USA, or even the journeys of Columbus. The sense of history in this part of the world is amazing.
For lunch we stopped at a small town where they were having a book fair bringing together local authors, illustrators, and editors. While we didn’t pick up any books (weight and language barriers) they did have local beer, wine, and pretzels. And, it was fun to talk to some of the locals.
We’re going to miss this region. It has been great to explore it in depth, although there are inherent dangers. The miles we’ve put in don’t counteract the generous breakfasts, readily available pastries, and interesting options for dinners.
On the trail, as you’ll see in Laurie’s Relive video, cherries are in season. We also passed by apple and peach trees among the ubiquitous vineyards.
Trip Update: Now we’re off to Paris by high speed train (as in over 200 MPH) for four days. Then on to the Loire Valley to finish up with some bike riding.
For planning this trip, Trev used the Alsace Wine Route guide from Cassandra Overby’s Explore Europe on Foot to get more detail, including GPX tracks. Even if you’re not a hiker, this route can be explored by bike (most of it is a bike trail) or even car. Many villages are connected via train or bus.