Wissembourg on the France-Germany Border
Another cloudy, cool day but we are done with the long walks and heading to Wissembourg by train. First breakfast. Only bread, juice and coffee at Hotel La Cloche, the first semi-skimpy breakfast of this trip. Time for a last walk around Obernai and then dragged the suitcases about six blocks to the train station.
Just getting to Wissembourg required one train from Obernai to Strasbourg and then another TER from Strasbourg to Wissembourg, an hour-plus trip because the train made at least nine stops on the way. A 10-minute walk from the Wissembourg train station to the Hostellerie du Cygne (Swan), an extremely beautiful hotel made up of two adjoining houses. One from the end of the 14th century and the other from 1535 when it was already an inn. A huge bedroom and bathroom...and I'll overlook the fact that I instantly bashed my head on a big door knocker level with my forehead entering the building and then had to schlep the suitcase up two floors of very narrow stairs. There are only a total of 16 guestrooms in the buildings and after unpacking, it started to rain in earnest.
Practical me always thinks of all the upkeep and work to keep a building over 500 years old looking clean, fresh and from falling down. Something has to be constantly breaking. At least that's what happens in our 35-year old house. We spoke to Madame about this and she told us the towns don't subsidize or assist anyone in keeping up these houses. But, amazingly, these 400-600 year old structures never fall down. Storms may damage the roofs, but the houses themselves never fall down. They sure knew how to build in those days!
We did brave the rain to explore a few pastry shops...View image...and I just adored the little mouse petit fours....
With an Internet place three blocks away, we spent the rest of the off-again, on-again rainy day Interneting and finally relaxing in the room. Hostellerie du Cygne is known for its gourmet cooking. Madame's husband is the Chef de Cuisine, brother-in-law is second in the kitchen, and Mom and Dad complete the family working in the hotel. Our prix fixe menu tonight:
A fish terraine for me as a starter, meat terraine for ex-Marine; wild boat and spaetzle; amuse bouche to start off; sorbet between courses; plate of three cheeses; tuiles (thin almond cookies); and creme brulee with a scoop of rhubarb ice cream. So very delicious accompanied by a bottle of Vin Rouge from Ottrott, the area we walked through two days ago. Very happy campers and it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow...
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