Have we no wine? Day 12

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood. We started the day off with a get-together for breakfast at the office of Jean-Paul and Martine Krebs and Valerie, the office manager. They host a breakfast every Friday morning for the visitors staying at their vacation rentals. It was pleasant way to start our day as our journey through the European Christmas nears its conclusion. We have had a great visit to the Alsace region of France. It started when we arrived in Riquewihr when we were greeted by Valerie and continued the next day when Jean-Paul took a day out of his busy schedule to take us around the Alsace and visit areas most American tourists do not even know about. We especially enjoyed meeting Martine, Jean-Paul's wife today. We were treated as friends and not just tenants.

Afterwards our trip through the Christmas Markets continued, beginning with a visit to Kayersberg, followed by a visit to Ribeauville, and then a visit to the chocolate factory owned by a famous chocolatier, Daniel Stoffel. We ended the day with a drive into the mountains to visit the Konigsberg Castle.
Kaysersberg is one of the finest wine growing areas in Alsace. The first vines were brought here in the 16th century from Hungary, and wine production is still an important aspect of the town's economy today. Wine produced from the pinot gris variety is a local specialty. It is a lovely medieval city, located on the wine trail and sees a great deal of tourist activity throughout the year.

Ribeauville is another city with a long history that saw its beginnings in the 8th century. This city is also on the wine trail and its economy is based on the great wines it produces and tourism.
Ribeauvillé is in part surrounded by ancient walls, and has many picturesque medieval houses, and two old churches, of St Gregory and St Augustine, both fine Gothic buildings. The forest of Ribeauvillé is home to the largest giant sequoia outside of the United States.
We visited the chocolate factory of Daniel Stoffel and entered the world of chocolate. We viewed a film on the history of chocolate and then watched a presentation by the chocolatiers on staff. After having a free sample of the product, our wives started a chocolate shopping spree. I told Linda to buy some chocolate for us, too. After we loaded the chocolate in the car, we headed into the mountains to visit the Konigsberg Castle.

Sitting 2,000 feet above the Alsace plain, the Haut-Koenigsbourg castle has all the necessary assets for a fortress. Its strategic position, quite easy to defend in former times, now provides visitors with an exceptional panoramic view over the Alsace plain, the Vosges Mountains, the Black Forest and even -on a clear day- the Alps.

However, take the decision to cross the drawbridge and you will be able to explore the castle's fully-fitted and furnished living quarters and discover its collections of medieval weapons. Then climb to the top of the grand bastion...this visit marked the end of this day of discovery. We returned to Riquewihr, had a glass of Alsatian wine, reflected on the days events, and made plans for our last day in the Alsace.

We have been rewarded with the hospitality of the French since we have been here. When you are traveling to the various markets, parking is at a premium. You can circle a parking lot a long time waiting for a space to open up. On two separate occasions today when the driver vacated his parking slot he gave us his parking pass. We are very appreciative.