Hiking to Copper Lake

It was a lovely, warm, September day. Does Colin look like he is enjoying his swim? It was like ice! I went in too, but only for about 15 seconds and I don't think I breathed the whole time. it sure felt refreshing once we got out.

Chili Cook Off 2007

Well, it finally happened. The first rainy Chili Cook Off. But it didn’t dampen the spirits of the chili lovers who came (at least 75, maybe 100) - except for Frodo, Mark and Janet's dog. As usual, we had some very creative and wonderfully spicy chilis. As usual, I sampled each and every one. As usual, we had some of the same winners; most of the people who won had won before. But we had a couple of new winners, including Celia and Keith, who captured First Place Mild with their Brazilian black bean chili.

On to Germany!

Our last stop in France was a lovely town called Semur en Auxios. Almost completely surrounded by water, it was the ideal location for a fortified city. We had a four-course French meal at the hotel. It began with a salad, then the entree, followed by a selection of cheeses, and finally dessert. By the time dessert came, we were totally stuffed, but some of us managed to choke it down. I think Dan finished his and helped others, as well. I ate all of mine.
By this time we had bought way too much stuff, and the car just kept getting fuller and fuller.... Five of us and all our luggage in a Renault Scenic was a challenge.








We spent a day driving along the Mosel River, sampling (and buying) wine and stopping often to wander through a town or walk to a viewpoint. It was one of our favorite days. Dan and I are standing across the river from the castle in Cochem.





Now we're in Wernigerode, about to enjoy ice cream on the town square with Franziske, Rene's sister, and her friend Dominic. It happened to be Dan's birthday that day, and everyone except Dan forgot about it. Oops.

From there we went to Kassel to see Rene and Helge, and their baby, Fabian. Rene lived with us for a year as a high school exchange student, and we had come to Germany to share in the celebration of their wedding.


The celebration lasted from Friday evening until Sunday, at the Wasserschloss Wulmersen, a castle turned hostel. On Friday night there were probably 50 of us gathered for a bratwurst BBQ and bonfire. The brats were wonderful, and so were the cheeses and breads. We met several other people who didn't speak much German - a couple from Iceland and a brother and sister from France. We had a fascinating conversation about our respective cultures. We also met Rene's relatives.





Saturday was wedding day! It started with a great assortment of breads, cheeses and meats for breakfast. Then we all drove to the Rathaus (town hall) in a nearby town.


Helge and Rene, about to ascend the stairs into the Rathaus.

Their baby, Fabian, was there for the ceremony in Grandmother's arms. He got as much attention as the bride and groom.

After the ceremony, there was a toast and then we went out to the town square where there was music and dancing.





We caravaned back to the castle, honking our horns and getting lots of attention. The rest of the day was filled with games, a wonderful buffet with roast pig, dancing, drinking, and singing. Rene is popping the balloons with his hat, which has a thumbtack on the top. Helge's job is to catch the money that was inside. People found many creative ways to package money for Helge and Rene, including a bottle covered entirely with thumbtacks (points sticking out) and tongs also covered in thumbtacks.

One of the things I especially enjoyed about the wedding celebration was the time we had to talk with people from so many different places and circumstances. Rene and Helge have great friends.

And we were really pleased to see Rene so happy with his bride and with his son. He'll be a terrific husband and father.

In the Drome, France

8/17 – Friday

One more morning at our favorite café… the hot chocolate is the best. We bought a whole kilo of it. We took off fairly early and headed south toward Dijon. We arrived at the hotel outside Dijon at 7:30. The “Premier classe” motel was bare bones basic: a tiny room with one window, a tiny prefab bathroom, and three beds with metal frames. No pictures on the walls, nothing but the necessities. It reminded us of a ship cabin - We went on in to town and picked up Celia, Keith and Rebecca at the train station.

8/18 – Saturday

Loading the luggage this morning was a challenge. We were packed all the way to the ceiling. The five of us shoehorned ourselves in and drove toward Dieulefit. On the way, we passed by a dramatic mountain range, then went up and over a high hill with many switchbacks. We arrived at the house at about 7, and were greeted by an enthusiastic Scholten family. They had prepared dinner. The house is very nice, with plenty of bedrooms and a nice outside patio with a view of the hills nearby.

8/19 – Sunday
After having tea, melons, and yogurt, all nine of us drove away toward Nyon.
There we experienced another French market. Pottery, lavender, soaps, and clothing were plentiful. Our last stop of the day was a “cave du vin” where one could taste and buy. Jan spent a long time talking with the lady there about the different wines. We tasted by sniffing, then tasting, holding it in our mouths and spitting it out. Jan bought quite a few bottles of wine, which wasn’t very expensive, between 4 and 10 euros per bottle.

Fill 'er up! People came in with large containers to get their wine.









8/20 – Monday
We ended up going on a hike from the house, into Dieulefit, then up to Montagne des Ventes – 600 or so meters of elevation gain, and steep. We were able to see Dieulefit as well as the next valley, up toward the Foret de Saou, a rugged mountain range. We stopped at a viewpoint and ate bread. The way down was really steep and difficult. We finished the walk by walking back into Dieulefit, eating ice cream, and looking around at stores.


In Avignon, "sur la pont"


We took a drive and then a very steep hike at ForetdeSaou. What a view!


Some of the joys of the market in Dieulefit!


















Celia and Keith at nearby Poet Laval.

16 August - Route du Vin

16 August – Route du Vin
As we left the hotel on the way to our favorite boulangerie, we were delighted to discover that there was a market in Obernai. We spent at least an hour sampling cheese and sausage, buying bread and fruit, and looking at the wares of the many merchants. Then we headed by car to the “route de vin”, heading south today.
In addition to visiting several medieval towns, we hiked to the ruined castle Bergstein, where we ate lunch overlooking the villages we had just driven through.

15 August - Strasbourg

8/15 – Wednesday
A day in Strasbourg

Getting Alsaced

Yesterday we arrived in Cologne, Germany in the morning and drove to the Alsace region of France. Below are pictures of Obernai, where we are staying. With the help of coffee in the morning and melatonin at night, we haven't experienced much of the discomforts of jet lag.

On Day one we visited the castle ruins of Fleckenstein. This castle fortress was built right into a rock.

Day two began with a lovely breakfast of quiche, pastries and cafe au lait. We drove the route du vin through beautiful contryside and villages. Here is the gate of Rosheim.

Most of the towns have a medieval town well.

We drove to the top of Mont de Odile, where there was a monastery set on a spot with cliffs on three sides. We took a walk along a wall built by Celts.

We ate grapes, took pictures of grapes, and sampled some wines.