Gothic Quaint

Gothic quaint in Ribeauville, FR

If you wander away from the main drag in Ribeauville, you'll find some quaint buildings and quiet churches scattered throughout the town. I can't remember the name of this small Gothic-style church, but I love how my photos, using my Apple iPod Touch, turned out.

Holy Mother a la Apple! : Ribeauville, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/11

Travels with Charlie: The Alsace

 From Charlie's POV : Pine Cones : Ribeauville, FR

After visiting the Alps and staying in Lauterbrunnen for two nights, we took friend Sheryl R. to France's famed wine region, the Alsace. Again, I have a bazillion pictures from this area, so instead I snapped a few photos using my Apple iPod and took a couple of photos from Charlie's level. Here's how the world looks from eight inches off the ground! Personally, I think Charlie has a pretty good eye! LOL.

Charlie, a little contre jour,  in the tall grass and dandelions gone to seed : Bergheim, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/11

La Maison des Têtes

The House of Heads: NOT an Edgar Allen Poe Estate! : Colmar, FR

Rumor had it, the Christmas market in Colmar, France, in the Alsatian region, was a "must-see" among Europe's Christmas markets. Maybe I'm biased toward German Christmas markets, but I actually found Colmar's market to be underwhelming. I think I took all of one picture of the market. Market photos aside, not too far from the market was La Maison des Têtes or das Kopfhaus. In English, that's the House of Heads. Information was limited, but there's this. To see a couple more photos and the one picture I took of the Colmar market, go here.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 11/10

Riquewihr

Just another cute little town in the Alsace. This one's called Riquewihr. See more photos here. One of my favorite features of this region are the iron signs hanging above the shops and restaurants. This one was especially colorful, animated, and delightful.

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Varietals

Red : Riquewihr, FR

As it's early fall, it's beginning to be harvest time in the wine-growing region of the Alsace. These photos were snapped among the vineyards of Riquewihr.

White : Riquewihr, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

In the Window...

Duvet in Window : Ribeauville, FR

Some of the photos in my Picasa Web Album will look familiar. They're repeats of some of my favorite sites in Ribeauville. The two featured here, though, are new views I captured by looking beyond what I normally see.

Wooden Rooster in Window : Ribeauville, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

The Jam Witch of Bergheim

Bergheim's version of a jam fairy can be found behind the doors of
Confitures Artisanales : Bergheim, FR

In contrast to the Jam Fairy of Niedermorschwihr is the Jam Fairy of Bergheim. Bergheim's version makes jam out of everything. And I mean, everything. There was jam made from wine (good with fois gras), fruit, vegetables, flowers, roots, berries. You name it, she's jammed it. If you venture to Bergheim, look for Confitures Artisanales near the Hotel de Ville. You'll be in for a treat!

On the far right, Bergheim's version of Christine Ferber--
Madame Gabrielle Hegeunauer : Bergheim, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Niedermorschwihr

Niedermorschwihr, FR

Yesterday featured the Jam Fairy of France, whose business is located in the Alsatian town of Niedermorschwihr. Here are a few pictures from this sweet little town.

Niedermorschwihr's church : Alsace : France

As I was waiting for Rachel, Maya, and Diana, I wondered up the street to visit the little church and stumbled upon a plaque outside the town hall. It read: "Niedermorschwihr, liberated 2 February 1945 by the soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division during the battle of the Colmar Pocket." (See the slideshow below to see the plaque.)



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

Christine Ferber - The Jam Fairy of France

 The overhanging sign announces the location of France's Jam Fairy, Christine Ferber : Niedermorschwihr, FR

For those who know jam and France, you know that Christine Ferber is the goddess of confiture. Rachel, who shares our love of good food, knew all about Christine and, as we were going to the Alsace, asked if we could go to Niedermorschwihr to check out her offerings. I like a good jar of jam and I like the Alsace, so what the heck! Turns out Madame Ferber's jams are, indeed, quite tasty.



Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

100 Strangers: Madame LeFevre

Madame LeFevre of Poterie de Hohwiller in the Alsace sells her wares
at the Ferney Pottery Market : Ferney-Voltaire, FR

It's unusual for me to do more than one stranger* a week, but this week was exceptional. As I mentioned yesterday, this past weekend's farmer's market also featured the annual pottery fair in Ferney. Most of the work was by local artists, but the pottery that caught our eye and our pocketbooks was by a potter from the Alsace. We liked her stuff so much, we bought a wine cooler, a teapot and two tea cups, a salad bowl, and a tatin dish. I can't remember her first name, but this is Madame/Frau LeFevre. Fortunately, being Alsatian, she also spoke German, which made purchasing from her a breeze!

* In truth, I probably should have classified Bernard as a friend or acquaintance, because I've been buying produce from him now for nearly a year, which hardly makes him a stranger. The potter from the Alsace, on the other hand: total stranger. C'est la vie, eh?

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 9/10

100 Strangers: Antje et Stephanie

Antje and Stephanie at the Wistub du Sommelier : Bergheim, FR

I rarely post more than one entry of 100 anything once a week, but this past weekend was full of all kinds of great people. Lilo and her St. Bernard, Amy. John the tablecloth guy. Today, I'm featuring Antje and Stephanie. Antje and her husband, Patrick, run a fabulous little brasserie/bistro in Bergheim called the Wistub du Sommelier.* Patrick is the chef and Antje is the sommelier. Stephanie is one of the restaurant's wait staff. The Wistub produces fabulous Alsatian culinary experiences. (I've written about their restaurant here, here, and here.) The restaurant also has been featured in the New York Times and is well worth a visit. This won't be the last time I go there.

Gemütlichkeit : Wistub du Sommelier :
Bergheim, FR

*In previous entries, I misspelled the name of the restaurant as Winstub. It's actually Wistub.


Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/10

100 Strangers: John of Lebanon

John, the owner of Les Mille et Une Nappe, and friends Diana and Nicole :
Ribeauville, FR

This is John (and my friend Diana and her friend Nicole) outside of his shop, Les Mille et Une Nappes, in Ribeauville. We each bought tablecloths and napkins. I snapped this photo of John and am featuring him as another of my 100 Strangers. John is originally from Lebanon and was quite a lot of fun. He has fabulous linens for indoor and outdoor tables in a thousand styles, colors, and sizes. If you're interested in uniquely Alsatian pieces, this is also the place to go. Below is a photo of the table on our terrace and the oil cloth I bought for it. I also have napkins to match.

New oil tablecloth on the table on the terrace :
Ferney-Voltaire, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/10

100 Strangers: Lilo

Lilo Peil with her dogs, Monty the Bulldog and Amy the St. Bernard : Ribeauville, FR

We went to Ribeauville in the Alsace-Lorraine for the sole purpose of visiting a shop called Les Mille et Une Nappe (A Thousand and One Tablecloths.) I'll have more on that later. After making my purchase, I went outside to hang out with friend Scott and the dogs in front of the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). While I was waiting, a couple arrived with a little French bulldog and a HUGE St. Bernard.

This is Lilo Peil. She's from Höchenschwand in Germany and was quite happy to let me snap some photos of her and these two beautiful dogs. The bulldog is called Monty and the St. Bernard is Amy. The latter recently gave birth to eight puppies! Lilo says, if you're in Ribeauville next weekend, there will be 200 of these dogs in town. If it wasn't my birthday and I didn't have guests coming, I would totally drive the three hours to Ribeauville to see 200 of these dogs in one place.

No small dog here! Amy the St. Bernard : Ribeauville, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 5/10

Friends

Janeen and Janet Kincaid : Bergheim, FR

Today, my sister and I are off to Paris, the City of Lights. This is a photo my friend, Diana, took of us last weekend in Bergheim. In the background with the two dogs is Diana's husband, Scott. Don't be fooled by the time on the clock tower. Di took this around 3:30 in the afternoon. The clock in the tower is busted and permanently fixed at noon!

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10. Photo taken by Diana Gibson.

La Choucroute

La Choucroute before... : Bergheim, FR

In addition to visiting Basel, we also spent a day out in the French countryside in the Alsace-Lorraine. We went with our friends, Scott and Diana, to a fabulous restaurant in the tiny town of Bergheim called the Winstub du Sommelier. They serve extraordinary food, including the Alsatian culinary wonder known as La Choucroute. It consists of fresh sauerkraut, potatoes, sausages, bacon, and ham and it is yummy! It's especially good on a cold day. Here are two shots taken before and after!

La Choucroute after... : Bergheim, FR

Photo copyright: Janet M Kincaid, 1/10

Ribeauville in Detail

Pied Piper at the Patisserie : Ribeauville, FR

These are the last of the pictures I'll feature for Ribeauville. Like Bergheim, I have so many I could show, but I guess I have to draw the line somewhere, right? So, here are three more and a slideshow. The carvings and signs around the Alsace were charming and added to the timeless atmosphere so many villages in Europe possess.

Rouge et Bleu : Ribeauville, FR

This photo is for my friend, Scott, who wanted me to see and photograph this scene. I'm not sure I managed to do as well as he hoped, but like him, I liked the contrast of the pink and blue buildings.

Ave Maria Gratia Plena : Ribeauville, FR

That's it for Ribeauville. Tomorrow: photos from Basel, Switzerland!

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Scenic Alsace

Scenic Alsace : Ribeauville, FR

Seems like around every corner and down each street in Ribeauville there's a photo op! I especially enjoyed the view of the castle on the hill just under the arch. One of the castles in the area (there were two that were noticeable on the hills above the villages) was once owned by Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm. Apparently, he used it as a hunting retreat. If I go back to this region before my stint is up, I'll stop and check it out.

Sweeping Silhouette : Ribeauville, FR

One of the things I often do when I'm in a new place is look up. It's amazing what you find when you glance beyond street level. When I lived in Austria, I use to see for-real chimney sweeps. When I saw the metal silhouette on this chimney, I just had to snap a picture.

Red, White, and Blue : Ribeauville, FR

Finally, no village is complete without a stork! This one had a brood of three or four chicks. Aside from the beautiful architecture, good shopping, and numerous restaurants, this was probably the most popular attraction!

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Ribeauville

Metz Freres Vins d'Alsace : Ribeauville, FR

Just down the road from Bergheim is the village of Ribeauville. There are some tourists in Bergheim, but there are a ton in Ribeauville. We were just four more tourists amid the hoary masses!

Metz Freres Winery in the heart of the village of Ribeauville
in the French winemaking region of the Alsace-Lorraine.

Here are a few photos of the Metz Freres Winery in town and here's just a little information I was able to find in English about Bergheim and Ribeauville. Of course, there's always Wikipedia: Bergheim and Ribeauville.

Bottled libations at Metz Freres : Ribeauville, FR

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Au revoir, Bergheim

Sunday Cat in Shadows : Bergheim, FR

Here are the last of my shots from Bergheim. They're sort of more of the same, but I wanted to show them anyway. Tomorrow, I'll post some photos and a slideshow of Ribeauville, just down the road from Bergheim. And then a few photos of Basel, back in Switzerland.

Bi-Recycle : Bergheim, FR

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09

Architectural Detail

Sundial on the Side : Bergheim, FR

Just a few more photos from Bergheim in the Alsace-Lorraine. I tried to focus in on the details, rather than the larger scene. I loved the color of the buildings and all of the beautiful flowers.

Fountain and Hotel de Ville : Bergheim, FR

Blue House : Bergheim, FR

Photo copyright: Janet Kincaid, 05/09