We did manage to eventually escape Colmar in our vehicle… but not until later on in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t as blue-sky beautiful as it had been on our first day, so we had bided our time visiting a chocolate museum… and eating far too much delicious food.
Our adventures that afternoon led us to a quaint village approximately minutes away from Colmar… Eguisheim.
Eguisheim was another magical and medieval village located in the heart of the Alsace region. Some have been heard describing it as one of the most beautiful villages in France… and it’s not difficult to see why. The village is renowned for its well-preserved architecture, vibrant half-timbered houses, and colourful streets. Usually the streets are apparently flower-filled, but as it was February, not many flowers were in full bloom.
We leisurely strolled through the narrow, winding lanes that lead us around the central square. Eguisheim had a captivating, cozy, fairy-tale vibe and we all fell in love with its peaceful and picturesque atmosphere.
It was adorable.
On the Monday, ZC had to work and Anna decided to do some video editing, so I set out on my own. My plan was to spend the day in Strasbourg… but at the last minute, I decided to take a scenic detour through Germany.
Why not?
Right.
It wasn’t the nicest of days, as the clouds were hanging low making it gray, overcast and bleak… but exploring the Black Forest valley along the German side of the Rhine still seemed fun.
I passed through towns and villages like Freiburg im Breisgau, Kippenheim and Offenburg… but not once was I tempted to stop, park and explore.
Unfortunately it was bitterly cold again.
I had gone from being dry-cold chilly in the deserts of the Middle East to being damp-cold frozen solid in France and Germany. I was wearing layers upon layers… well… as layer-y as I could get with my limited wardrobe… yet nothing really seemed to do the trick to keep me warm and cozy. It was that kind of cold that goes straight through you and sticks with you, regardless.
Chills you to the bone.
I get it… I’m Canadian. Apparently I’m supposed to be used to the cold.
But I’m not.
I leave Canada in the winter for this exact reason. I’ve never been comfortable in the cold. My toes go numb, my ears feel like they’re about to fall off, I can’t stop shivering… I truly hate being cold. At least when I’m home, in Canadian winter conditions, I am properly prepared for the weather. I have things in my drawers and in my closets that I can throw on to battle the bitter, brisk, brutal below zero.
So I didn’t stop. I did all of my sightseeing from the warmth of my vehicle… and I didn’t even take any photos.
Shame.
I wish I had.
I was on my own… and, of course, I am very used to traveling on my own. I’m generally pretty confident when challenges arise… and challenging situations always seem to arise… especially where I’m concerned.
But there are a few things that really irk me when I travel… and lucky me had them all happen to me this day!
1. Losing data connection.
Before heading into Germany, I was smart and downloaded an Airalo eSIM to avoid relying on public Wi-Fi. I knew I’d be losing French connection as soon as I crossed the Rhine.
But… as luck would have it, I couldn’t get it to work as quickly as I would have liked.
So as soon as I crossed over the border, I lost Google Maps… which meant losing my entire navigation. That would have been fine had I been paying attention to upcoming turn offs, but I hadn’t been. I ended up completely befuddled on the highway… unsure about where I was heading and unable to pull over to figure it all out. Each exit I took, hoping it would lead me to a little village, only led me on to another highway or freeway. I had absolutely no idea where I was or where I was going. I just kept driving… and freaking out inside.
After about 30 minutes of aimlessly barreling down the highway, I finally found a place to stop, calm down, figure out my eSIM data connection, reroute on Google maps… and get my bearings.
Thank goodness my eSIM actually was activated and actually worked after a bit of frustrating tweaking. Had it not, I’d probably still be in Germany, going highway to highway to highway… round and round in circles.
2. Getting gas.
I really dislike filling up with petrol… especially in a foreign country… in an unfamiliar rental vehicle… when I’m completely unsure of the process involved.
Each country is different.
Each car is different.
Each station is different.
At this particular German gas station, I quickly realized that there was nowhere on the self service machine to pre-pay with a card. Crazy. So… naturally… I locked up the car and headed inside to pre-pay. The attendant informed me that I had to pump first… and then pay.
Ok. Kinda like in Australia. That is how it worked in Australia.
It’s a weird notion for me, as I’m used to having to pay first, pump later.
Then I was saddled with figuring out how to open the gas cap. In this particular scenario, I ended up popping the hood of the car by mistake. After a whole load of tinkering around and much frustration, I finally managed to fill up the vehicle, pay… and drive away.
So ya… never a fan of getting gas.
3. Parking garages.
Parkades seem to fill me with overwhelming anxiety. I always think I’m going to scrape along the low ceilings or the barriers or the winding ramps… and the ticketing system never ceases to stump me. The posted signs rarely make sense (especially when they’re written in a foreign language), while squeezing into tight spaces and backing out in cramped quarters is always nothing short of a nightmare.
So folks… those are my greatest fears when traveling alone. Petrol… parkades… losing data connection… and… of course… being cold.
Now you know.
I’m sure there are more.
Strasbourg itself was stunning. I wandered around the city, popping in and out of gift shops to warm up, stopping for a sandwich and chocolat chaud at a little café. Had it been a warmer, bluebird day, I could’ve explored Strasbourg for hours.
The city’s historic center, “La Petite France,” was a picturesque district with narrow canals, the usual colourful and magical timber-framed houses, and charming cobblestone streets. It was another fairy tale… and perhaps would have been even more so, had more been open. Most stores and restaurants were shut… much the same as most of the villages in the area.
The winter season and the biting cold ensured that I had many popular sights and streets almost entirely to myself.
Speaking of winter… Strasbourg is the “Capital of Christmas.” Imagine that! During December, the famous Strasbourg Christmas Market turns the city into an enchanting winter wonderland… attracting visitors from all over the world.
There’s one to add to my travel bucket list.
Must. Come. Back.
The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg was also enormous and very impressive… yet slightly difficult to photograph considering how tall it was in comparison to the small size of the square directly in front of it. It’s a masterpiece of Gothic design… and one of the tallest churches in Europe.
It seems like every big church in France is called the Notre Dame. Our Lady.
So now… I’ve been to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Notre-Dame de Reims and Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. I was quite impressed with myself until I discovered there are well over 100 of them in the country.
Only 8 notable though… and I’ve been to 3… so not too shabby.
Being in France this past week has made me wish I’d dedicated more time to re-learning my French. I basically threw all those years of study away. Five years of French in school… all gone. I mean… I do still have a lot of the vocabulary buried somewhere in my foggy brain… but I’m absolutely useless when it comes to conversation.
Hopeless.
The next couple of days were spent exploring some of the charming villages of Alsace… such as Ribeauvillé, Kaysersberg, Bergheim, and Riquewihr… which was the inspirational backdrop for “Beauty and the Beast.” Every place was equally as adorable as the next… and we all had a difficult time trying to figure out which one was our ultimate favourite. They all had their own special charm… but they were all like stepping into a magical fairy tale.
I kept waiting for a talking teapot and candelabra to invite me in!
“Be our guest, be our guest
Put our service to the test
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie
And we provide the rest”
🎶🎶🎶
There were also hearts everywhere. They were decorations on buildings, signage, shutters, doors, chairs, trees… etc etc… and they were there to symbolize good luck, family connection… as well as to showcase the warmth, love, and hospitality of the Alsatian people.
Could these places get any cuter???
Wandering through the Alsace region villages really did feel like a page torn from a childhood storybook… where time slows down and magic lingers in the air. There’s a quiet kind of enchantment here… woven into the timbered beams. It’s the kind of place that stays with you, like a memory from a dream you never want to wake from.
Seriously.
Enchanting.
But…
The downside was… as I’ve mentioned before… that many shops and restaurants were closed. The opening hours seemed to be very random and sporadic… like… for example… some places were closed on Friday and Tuesday. Others were closed Saturday through Monday. Some were closed Wednesday and Thursday. Many spots were listed on Google as open… but we would find them closed upon arrival.
That made it very tough to quickfind a place to pop into for a bite to eat.
At one point, desperate to escape the cold and frustrated after encountering one closed café after another, I deked into the nearest restaurant I could find… dragging ZC and Anna in with me. In hindsight, it wasn’t my most brilliant decision… as the menu turned out to be quite pricey.
It was much more lunchtime high class than I had bargained for.
Posh.
Though the restaurant wasn’t full, the waiter didn’t seem too thrilled when we ordered just a small appetizer and two café gourmands. He let it slide… but Anna and ZC felt awful about it. I did too… worse probably… as I’d been the one to drag them in.
If you’re wondering what a café gourmand is, it’s a brilliant French dessert plate made up of a selection of mini treats alongside coffee. It’s perfect for when you can’t commit to just one dessert… or you simply don’t want to commit to just one dessert. It’s incredibly popular in France and… in my opinion… should be adopted by cafés and restaurants everywhere.
C’est magnifique!
❤️
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