Alsace Walk 2007, Day 1 - 15th July 2007

Time hung heavily on my hands in Brussels. I had worked out that I needed to leave Caroline’s apartment at 12:30 to catch the train to Colmar, so inevitably I was packed and out of the door by noon. The journey to the Gare du Midi was quick and uneventful; a short walk up to catch the 94 tram to Louise (and only a 5 minute wait for it, despite it being Sunday) and then the metro from Louise to Gare Du Midi – with no discernible wait. So I was over an hour early for the train which left at 13:27. But it wasn’t on the indicator boards… I had plenty of time to queue at enquiries and find at the last moment that I couldn’t read my own writing – the train left at 13:15 and the helpful clerk told me it went from platform 12. A quick trip to the supermarket in the station to buy a filled baguette and some beer, fruit and water and then a stroll to platform 12 where my train was awaiting me.

As predicted first class didn’t have any power points so I read a little and failed to do some Sudoku puzzles from yesterdays Telegraph as some magnificent countryside rolled by the window… The countryside round Luxembourg was staggeringly beautiful – almost as staggering as the length of the journey from Metz to Strasbourg. By the time the train got there I wanted off – but there was still nearly 2 hours to go. We crawled through Strasbourg but as soon as we got out of the city things got pretty again. Just as we approached Colmar, my destination I even saw vineyards for the first time (it had been maize and tobacco before then). Colmar was a lot more metropolitan and hot than I expected. After an initial panic I found the taxi rank and the short journey from there to Turkheim was over in a jiffy despite a dozen red lights.

It turns out that Turkheim is incredibly beautiful complete with city gates and a pair of nesting storks over the main gate. I was really stunned and incredibly pleased by its beauty.



The hotel, situated right by the main gate is pretty from the outside but more than slightly utilitarian in a boiled cabbage and chicory coffee sort of way on the inside.

My room (218) was a double with a tiny ensuite shower and loo. I was greeted in German despite my best French at reception. After dropping the bags (the rucksack was now full of lead and the suitcase full of bricks) I grabbed my camera and strolled round Turkheim clicking away hoping for a friendly bar.

Turkheim is very pretty – incredibly pretty – but barless – well that isn’t exactly true – to my surprise I discovered an Irish bar in Turkheim but fortunately it was closed.

I headed back and gave in and ate. I had a ‘Warm Munster cheese salad’ (lettuce leaves with portions of really lovely cheese on toast on top) and then trout in a light mustard sauce washed down by a carafe of water and a demi pichon of Gewürztraminer (god bless the spelling checker). A wonderful meal; I spoke French exclusively and was making good progress until my waitress started – she spoke like a French machine gun loaded with German bullets – fast and accented. Despite declining the cheese I ended up with a plate of tiny proportions and then I ordered coffee successfully persuading her I really didn’t want a desert despite it being included in the price.

I then took another even longer tour around the town and eventually ordered a beer back at the hotel, sitting outside listening to the storks rattling their bills at each other. Then back to the room to sort out the cases for tomorrow and to write this up, download the photos etc… There was the possibility of taking a tour with the Night Watchman at 22:00 – but given that it would all be in French and that I had walked around the town myself already I decided to give it a miss.