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ELSEWHERE VINTAGE PLUS
There is an association called Les plus beaux villages de France (The most beautiful villages in France) and Riquewihr is on its list.Ī few kilometers away is Colmar, another typical Alsatian village.
ELSEWHERE VINTAGE MOVIE
Despite the below-zero temperature, it felt great walking around the village and taking pictures of what looked like a movie set. If Petite-France in Strasbourg resembled a scene from “Beauty and the Beast,” Riquewihr was mind-blowing. It has also kept much of its architecture and charm from the 16th century. In the winter it looks lonely, serene, and mysterious.Īnother hour away is Riquewihr, known for my favorite Riesling wine. It has a monastery/convent at the top called the Hohenburg Abbey, which existed during the time of Charlemagne in the 7th century, before being destroyed and rebuilt. It is available mostly during winter and gets harder to find as the weather gets warmer.Īn hour away from Strasbourg is Mont Sainte-Odile, 760-meter peak of the Vosges Mountains named after Saint Odile, patroness of good eyesight and of Alsace. I was taken aback by how delicious it was.
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There was also a raw milk cheese that is oven-baked until liquid and eaten with bread. One night, I cooked foie gras in a spiced bread. It’s good to know that foie gras was invented in Strasbourg, which means they make it real good here. Whichever you get, it’s good to wash it down with a glass or two of Gewürztraminer, an Alsatian wine. There are varieties-some with chevre or goat cheese, others with munster cheese or mushrooms. Nevertheless, this rolled bread dough with crème fraiche (soured cream), sliced onions and lardons (strips or cubes of pork fat) is heaven in each bite. It looks like a pizza, but I’ve been gently admonished by friends who grew up there, that “it is NOT pizza.” For instance, try the tarte flambée or flammekueche at least once. It felt great to walk around and take photos since it was winter and numbing cold, ducking into a café for some chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) and a pastry was almost mandatory.įor foodies, the Alsace region has a few things you might not find elsewhere. The original architecture of these buildings-now comprised of residential and commercial units, boutiques, restaurants and shops-has been preserved. Petite-France, located on the Grande Île (Main Island), looks like a neighborhood in medieval times-blocks and blocks of half-timber houses and sandstone buildings it used to have tanneries and slaughterhouses during the Middle Ages. One can take a two-day trip to see its main sights.