Alsace France

While my parents were visiting, we took them for a day trip to France.  The Alsace region of France is on the border next to Basel - very easy to get to.  I decided to join Mobility car sharing (almost like a rental car place but you pay an annual fee instead of visit by visit) and rent a car to make this trip. 

I picked up the car early Sunday morning and we were off.  It was a 1 1/2 hour drive to the first stop we were making called Strasbourg.  I would like to say we had perfect weather, but the weather was terrible.  It rained very hard most of the day and it was cold.  But we made the best of it.  Every once in awhile we would get a break in the weather and we would be grateful.

In Strasbourg, we visited the Notre Dame church that is located there.  It is absolutely huge and ornate - just beautiful.  We decided to also have lunch ins Strasbourg while we were there.  I had made a reservation at a cute little French restaurant before we traveled, since it was a weekend and I was worried it would be busy.  I am glad I did because, since it was raining and a weekend, the place was busy. 

The streets of Strasbourg

 Kids being silly

 Notre Dame

Inside the church

This was a working, moving clock inside the church

 Le Petite France area of Strasbourg

 A lot of buildings were decorated for Christmas

We walked the streets a bit in Strasbourg before we got into the car and headed to Ribeauville to see the Haut-Koeingsbourg Castle.  What a GREAT castle.  The kids had a great time exploring the grounds and the building.  This castle is a medieval castle built around 1150 that was used by successive powers from the Middle Ages until the 30 year war.  Then it was abandoned.  In 1900 it was rebuilt

View of Alsace from the castle grounds

 Haut-Koeingsbourg Castle

 Alsace from inside the castle

 I let Finley hold my phone while I was in a shop, so she took a picture of a reluctant Cainan

 She also took my dad being a good sport despite the rain

After the Castle we headed to one last stop - in a small town called Riquewihr.  We drove the back roads through Alsace to get there and passed many a small French village - one more adorable than the next.  Riquewihr was a great tourist town with old style French buildings, small cafes and shops.  We will have to return sometime when it is daylight.  It was dark by the time we got there, so we couldn't full appreciate the buildings.  We did a little shopping and explored a bit, but didn't stay long.

What a great area.  And really beautiful.  There is another area in Alsace that I want to visit again soon (Colmar), but I understand we can reach that easily by train, so we will go that way next time.