Adventure Culinary Travel
New Year’s Eve! We brave the cold Canadian day as we venture to wineries (including one of our all time favorites) and grab a quick lunch before spending the evening with my first ever hockey game in Canada. GO DOGS GO!
Read MoreA long drive up to Canada deserved a stop off at the Flying Saucer diner in Niagara Falls. The next morning was cold and snowy, but a hearty breakfast and meeting a Hall of Fame hockey player at the Blue Line Diner was a nice warm up! We visited a few wineries, went down to the shoreline of a frozen Lake Ontario, and had an amazing night at our favorite British pub!
Read MoreWe crossed the border back into Germany, where we decided to spend a long, slow day back to the airport. We stopped at the source of the Danube River, just a tiny trickle of water flowing through the rocks. After a few scenic stops along the way, we had another amazing lunch in Titisee, given a beautiful show of natural light and rainbows back in Switzerland, and readied ourselves for an early flight from Zurich.
Read MoreOur last morning in France we spend getting in touch with some local wine. We talk about terroir and its impact on wine as we taste some of the winery’s finest. Beth tours the church, and I get some medicine and reflect on the difference between our health care and that in Europe.
Read MoreWhen you are the home city of the designer of the most recognizable statue in the world, you have to make a dedication! We stopped and saw the tribute statue of Lady Liberty on the outskirts of Colmar before heading back into Eguisheim to wander the ancient streets. We settled in to the hotel restaurant for our first try of snails!
Read MoreUpon arriving to Colmar we were greeted by a severe storm. No worries, we just waited it out in a cafe, then went exploring! The city is just stunning, with the typical Alsatian style on a larger scale. We found a nice little artisan show, wandered the old streets, and checked through the city’s amazing covered market. We ventured through the Fishmonger District and Petite Venise, two of the most beautiful areas we’ve ever been through, and ended up at the quirky House of Heads!
Read MoreThe Trois Chateaux du Eguisheim are three castles that overlook the town. The oldest dates back from 1006! We took a hike up to the castles, climbed the old walls, and contemplated the way of life from one thousand years ago.
Read MoreWe arrived in the medieval town of Eguisheim and were again greeted by a sky-spanning rainbow! We walked through the narrow, circular streets, where the colorful, pretty houses contrasted with the old stone walls and crumbling doorways. The large square in the center of town stood tall with the old castle and church, and the statues paid homage to the town’s own Pope Leo IX. We finished the night with a wonderful dinner at a small Alsatian bistro…
Read MoreOn a whim we stopped in the beautiful town of Kaysersberg where we found colorful buildings lining the waterways and cobblestoned streets. We climbed up to the castle on the hill and were rewarded with the most amazing views, before heading back down to the church and the most unexpected find of our journeys - a wall of actual skeletons!
Read MoreDespite some pain, we took our time walking through Ribeauville as we made our way down to the Trimbach Winery. This is French wine country after all, and what would wine country be without some wine?
Read MoreEvening in Ribeauville, where we strolled the streets, popped into a grocery, and went back to the hotel for dinner. Over a wonderful meal full of wine, sauerkraut, sausages, and cheese, we pondered the duality of Alsatian culture… half French and half German, but in the end… all Alsace.
Read MoreThe beautiful town of Ribeauville! We found our cute hotel, then took to the streets where we enjoyed the scenery by the little square, marveled at the colors and the narrow streets, enjoyed a keugelhopf, met some nice people, and wound up sipping garlic brandy at a local distillery!
Read MoreWe found a castle ruin that housed a bird of prey sanctuary. After our hike up to the ruins, we found the most amazing birds all perched throughout. We wandered through the castle grounds and made our way to the show, where we were swooped over by vultures, amazed by hawks, walked on by a condor, and Beth even caught a falcon!
Read MoreMorning in Strasbourg! We leave behind our cute little cabin and explore Alsace's largest city. We walk through the old bridge and see the crazy statues inside, visit the Notre Dame cathedral, and get some cookies!
Read MoreWe arrived in Alsace! We check into our cute camp cabin before heading into Strasbourg, where we were greeted by a sky-spanning rainbow! We wander the old city streets, find a great little grocery, and head back to the cabin to cook a French dinner!
Read MoreA town I flagged as a must stop, Gengenbach did not disappoint! From the beautiful platz lined with colorful buildings to the back alleys and tiny Bächle, and one of the most impressively painted little churches we've ever seen, this was a great "goodbye" to the Black Forest!
Read MoreWe continued up through the Gutach Valley in the rain to Alpirsbach – a small town with a large monastery and a brewery. Sounds good to me! We toured the monestary, sought out some beer in a nice little place, and got some great chocolate!
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It was another rainy day, but that won’t stop the fun! We had another amazing breakfast at Brend and stopped back in Triberg for the original Black Forest Cake after some childhood reminiscing. We visited the world’s largest cuckoo clock before working our way up through the rain into the beautiful Gutach Valley…
Read MoreAs the rain cleared up we strolled through the streets of Freiburg heading to the Schlossberg. We hiked up the hill and were greeted with some amazing views of the city and forest, and continued our way up to the very top of a wobbly tower! Heading back to Brend, we caught an amazing sunset over the hills, then I felt the ping of terror in the night that gave rise to all the legends of the Black Forest!
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