Strasbourg & Route Du Vin

My son, his girlfriend, and I spent four nights in lovely Strasbourg.

We picked a perfect apartment right on Quai St. Nicholas (5 minute walk into town), which you can check out on booking.com here. Our friendly hostess (who speaks French and German but not English) showed us through the apartment and gave us a town map.

Ours was the two-bedroom apartment in the centuries-old building with a large, modern kitchen, living room, and dining room. We used the free wifi, the washing-machine (rack drying) and all the kitchen amenities. Lacking a blender, my son used a mortar and pestle that we bought in Paris to make home-made pesto.

We’d taken the fast train (TGV) from Paris Gare de L’Est and arrived in time to wander through the cathedral square.

Then we stopped for a late lunch at La Corde à Linge in La Petite France neighborhood.

This brasserie, with a large outdoor seating area next to the Maison des Tanneurs, welcomes tourists from around the world, so service can be uneven. But we didn’t care. We weren’t in a hurry, and happily dined on fresh salads, cheese plates, and glasses of Riesling.

For the next two days, we wandered around town, shopped, ate, and jogged or read books on the banks of the canal. We were tired from weeks of traveling, so we chose only one of the many Strasbourg museums. I wanted to see the museum of one of my favorite children’s book illustrators—Tomi Ungerer. This sophisticated, yet child-friendly museum gave me a richer understanding of the artist’s work. (NOTE: If you bring small children, one room exhibited Ungerer’s sensual drawings that you might find unsuitable. The room with children’s book illustrations, however, is set up for all ages and includes an animated film.)

On our last day, we wanted to visit villages and taste wines along the Route du Vin outside of Strasbourg.

I’d kept the card of the cab driver “Taxi Alex” who’d picked us up at the train station, and he was happy to take us on a half-day excursion.

Alex was the perfect guide——punctual, courteous, and upbeat.

And I had a blast talking to him (in French) as he drove us to the medieval towns of Riquewihr and Keysersberg.

Unfortunately, I’d timed things wrong, and the wine merchants in town were all closed for their lunch break until 2pm. So, we were out of luck.

But along the way, we stopped at the Domaine Pierre Adam where we had the tasting room to ourselves.

We tried their Pinos Gris and bought a bottle, but we preferred the bright, mineral taste of their Riesling with its peach and citrus notes.

Four hours was surely not enough time to take in all the sights and flavors of Alsace.

So, I told Alex I’d be back. And next time, I’ll stay longer in Strasbourg and arrange several wine excursions.

I’ve recently learned that my stepfather’s distant cousins own the Vignoble AndrÉ Scherer. I’ve ordered their Pinot Blanc through my local wine shop, but I want to taste it right at the source.

And, I’ll also include a stop at the Chateau Haut Koenigsbourg where I haven’t been in twenty years. This is the perfect place to travel back in time and play out your inner knight or damsel.