I can now swear on my soul that France is beautiful, well, Alsace anyway. After being here for about 20 days, the lovely woman in charge of us HC students, Malou, has made it her duty to take us EVERYWHERE. On my very first Saturday in France, when we went on the route du vin (yes, the wine!) AND we went to one of the many castles that belonged to Wilhelm II. Now, for someone who grew up among regular wine drinkers on the pretext that it is “good for the heart,” that was just lovely. My eyes saw thousands and thousands of grapes on both sides of the route for a good 30 minutes. The route led us to a wine cellar, with barrels made with Hungarian wood dating the 1600’s. There was also the famous wine tasting of Alsace’s best wines, blanc and rose.
And the Castle, well, I could only remember Professor Cary’s history classes come alive, especially since he is an expert on German history. For someone who loves history as I do, this is paradise. The Kaiser was there; the Wars threatened its existence. It is truly something. Naturally, the bus stopped in numerous tiny villages in Alsace, such as Ribeauville, with markets selling all sorts of cheeses and breads the size of a bed.
That is just one trip outside of Strasbourg, because the city itself has one charming place after another. If you love baking and chocolate, you need only walk around Centreville and let the smell drown you. It has taken inhuman strength to keep me from spending all my money in these tiny bakeries. If you want to relive Beauty and the Beast, you need only go to La Petite France and find houses identical to Belle’s. And of course, if you want French Couture, go to the tiny streets next to the Cathedral and find Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Co. No, I have not dared to go in. My point is, I find that this city has everything for everyone: the fashionable, the religious, the studious, and the bakers. What more can one want?
Au revoir!
