Chatenois to Andlau Via Dambach
Today was our 30th wedding anniversary and what better way to celebrate (I'm being facetious) than by hiking 19-20k/12 miles to Andlau (every kilometer/mile counts when you are on your feet all day). It's cloudy and in the low 70's, good hiking weather.
Out of Chatenois and along the road for a while and up to Chateau Ortenbourg in ruins. Then through Dambach that originally belonged to the Lords of Bernstein, a branch of the family of Eguisheim-Dabo, parents of Saint Odile and the Alsatian Pope Léon IX. The names Bernstein (Barenstein) and Dambach (Tannenbach) explain the coat of arms of this small city: a bear fond of honey who puts his two paws on a fir tree. The city is the home of more than 30 wine growers. Dambach also has preserved its medieval enclosures with moats, doors and impressive towers.
It was a shame that almost every ruined Chateau we passed was being repaired or closed. Through two more little towns...into the forests for quite a while...another small town, Bernardville where people were already harvesting the grapes. At least the weather has held for us with the most interesting sights of the day all horticultural...more wild blackberry bushes, pear and apple trees, more chestnuts and walnuts on the ground. This was the first time either of us had ever seen a walnut tree.
A steep downhill through more vineyards where the grapes were being harvested....
...into and through Andlau (pop. 1,750) with the ruins of Spesbourg, another 13th century castle hovering above the town...
...and the beautiful Hotel Kastelberg*** on the road just outside of town. Don't even think of visiting any of these small towns in Alsace during high season without a definite reservation. Every hotel is completely sold out and the Hotel Kastelberg was no exception. Our reservation in order and suitcases waiting for us in the lobby.
It happens to be Saturday...and that means everything closed up by 1:00 pm. There are some things to see in Andlau: an abbey founded for Benedictine nuns in 887 by Richardis, the discarded wife of Charles the Fat (great names...they really used to tell it like it was...imagine...I could be known as Sheila the Fuzzball, married to Sonny the Chunky), and a church, dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. Not interested... No worries...a hot bath...and wonderful dinner to celebrate our anniversary.
And...yes...I know Wendy (my good friend)...I look like hell...tired...and old. When Wendy critiqued many other photos of me in the past, her suggestion has always been to burn them on the spot... Same suggestion for this one, Wendy?
Just one more day involved in this walking tour, from Andlau to Obernai and then we do our own thing and perhaps I'll even look at little more rested. I think we're getting Medievaled out...
