Oh, how I Would,Love To Show You Photos Of The Prettiest Village In France

 I bet you didn’t expect to hear from me again so soon but I just went to a picturesque medieval village, considered to be the most beautiful village in France and I would really like to post photos. But I can’t. Possibly I don’t have enough bandwidth? I really don’t know. So I added some photos to my email, as before and posted more on Facebook.

I can see that the theme for this trip is going with the flow rather than planning ahead. This is not my nature but OK,  whatever works. 

I was already on the train this morning from Strasbourg to Colmar, another lovely Alsatian city before I discarded my plan to visit two beautiful villages today. The two villages are near Colmar and only about 5 miles apart but you-can’t-get-there-from-here, a concept those of us who have lived in Phoenix are very familiar with. And frankly seeing one of the most beautiful villages in France was probably enough eye candy for one day. 

As in other French villages I have visited in the past, there were many shuttered windows. I think the shutters are closed because no one lives there anymore. Or maybe they are now weekend homes. For one reason or another they have moved away. More economic opportunities in cities perhaps. Yes, there were some people walking around Kaysersberg, but they were all tourists. 

Just one last thing. When I arrived I had no cash and wondered how long I could get along without any cash. It is now 4 1/2 days later and have spent very little cash. Maybe $50 or $70. I’m surprised. 

Autumn in Strasbourg, France

I rarely write details about sightseeing, but then I usually have a companion to share my journey. So this post will be a little different, more or less a sequential travelogue.

I plan to spend a week in Strasbourg and Colmar, Alsace, France, along the border with Germany. Then I’m heading to Dijon in Burgundy to take a barge/bicycle trip for a week with about 20 strangers. As usual I am having trouble posting photos. If you want to see any I’ll post them on my Facebook page instead. 

Now I am in a train halfway across France with exactly three euros to my name. I found these coins last week lying on the bottom of my suitcase from our last trip to Europe. I expected to get money from ATMs but the only ones I saw at Orly airport were broken. And I saw neither a bank nor ATM near the big train stationing Paris when was I  headed to Strasbourg. I wonder how long I can get by with only a credit card.

I have been more or less awake and in transit for 24 hours and this is when I need to be super careful and not lose anything between here and the hotel.

It  is easier to travel with a partner who has your back and makes sure you don’t leave cell phones, passports, and more somewhere  inappropriate. I really admire people who travel alone. I used to do it. I went to Europe alone when I was about 20, then several years later I traveled around the world on my own. But then I had the fearlessness of youth, certain that I was immortal and nothing bad could possibly happen to me. Somehow I lost that along the way. Now there are so many ways to get injured. Ride a bicycle on cobblestones without a helmet? Can’t do that anymore. The illusion then I am immortal has been shattered along with a lot of broken bones.

My first destination is Strasbourg, in Alsace Lorraine across the Rhine from Germany. There was no particular reason for me to come here, other than nice architecture.  There are numerous ancient timbered buildings and a gothic cathedral. But Strasbourg is consistent with my interest in smaller cities, where I won’t find hordes  of tourist buses. I plan to sit in cafes and and stroll the cobblestone streets, admiring architectural details. 

I picked a hotel across the street from the train station which I think was a brilliant idea. It was easy to get there, and in a small walking city I will eventually see every street in town anyway. I am glad I am not one of these people I see dragging their luggage over cobblestones. 

EATING

Alsace is just across the Rhine river from German so the food has a strong German I influence. That said, the regional specialties here are flatbread pizza (called a flambée), mostly topped with onion. However, escargot flatbread was on the menu at lunch. Other local dishes are pretzels (much like our soft ones) or sauerkraut. Sauerkraut is a real big deal here. I had my first one tonight with duck. The cabbage is more finely shredded than we usually do it, making the dish less crisp . Oh, and foie gras is very popular too. I had a salty creme brûlée’ made with foie gras that practically made me faint. I am sad that I will never taste that again. 

The local white wines pack quite a wallop. I don’t know the alcohol content but fortunately they use small glasses. None of those huge goblets here.

I am in Strasbourg to walk picturesque streets (10 miles yesterday), experience my middle European roots, and enjoy the architecture. 

This city has passed back and forth between France and Germany for centuries. Street signs and menus are bilingual. I believe I could walk to Germany from here. But can’t get Siri to give me an accurate number of miles. 

Today I discovered I can visit every museum in town for a total of eight euros so I am having an orgy of museums on my last day here. 

Unfortunately the art museum is closed so I had visited the archaeology museum, the city Museum, Alsace-Lorraine museum, which was surprisingly interesting, and the museum of beautiful rooms filled with decorative furnishings. 

Next stop, Colmar, Kaysersberg, and Riquewehr, three of the prettiest towns in France, all in one day. At least that is the plan. We’ll see how it works out.

Life Is What Happens While You Are Busy Making Other Plans

I am supposed to be in Japan. I should have left earlier this week. But here I am in Portland. 

We usually spend September in Portland but this year we planned to see autumn leaves in Japan instead. We found one of those amazing deals you read about online but can never find when you want one. A $350 upgrade to first class. We spent a month researching our destination and planning our trip. But then we decided to postpone the trip (losing the upgrade) until spring and come back to Portland instead for reasons unrelated to this post. 

Ok. On to plan B. Now we are supposed to be on a houseboat on the Willamette River in Portland. I posted photos of the river and/or houseboat on this blog a few months back. But when we arrived there, surprise! The owner was sitting there watching tv. She got the dates mixed up.  However, her other property is available, a townhouse across the river. It was for sale but the sale fell through last week so we could move in right away. We stayed there for several years and know that neighborhood well so this was not a problem.

Ok. On to plan C.  We shifted gears and moved across town. Fine. In some ways more than fine. At this time of year, the water level in the river is low and the ramp down to the river is steep. However, the townhouse is in a part of town I have sworn never to drive in again. Too much traffic- nonstop cars, pedestrians looking at their cellphones while they cross the street, electric scooters, bicycles. So now I am a pedestrian. Or user of Uber. Or a bicyclist. 

Anyway, I am supposed to be here in Portland only for 10 days until I go to France. I am traveling by myself. First, there is a week in Alsace-Lorraine, next to the border with Germany with lots of cute architecture, and timbered houses. Then a week on a barge on a small river near Dijon, Burgundy. I must say, for a spontaneous trip this is looking pretty exciting to me. 

At least that’s the plan... Stay tuned to this station to see if that plan works out or not. 

Packing and Unpacking

I enjoy my traveling lifestyle, but I what I don't enjoy is all the packing and unpacking.

In the year and a half that I have been On The Road, there has been a LOT of packing and unpacking. And my luggage keeps getting smaller. 

We started with a 29 inch duffle bag each because we thought we might be moving to Europe. In addition, we had clothes for changes of seasons and dancing clothes and shoes to deal with. On succeeding trips we downgraded to a 26 inch case, then a 24 inch case. I have now packed just one carry-on bag only for my next trip, two weeks in France. I'm traveling on my own this time so I have no help with stairs or any other luggage obstacle. so I need to keep it small and light.

It isn't the clothes that are a problem for me, it is the miscellaneous stuff. Each year it seems like I have more of those miscellaneous items, drugs, toiletries, a small travel pillow, flower vases. Yes, really. In Canada  (our summer home)  I have five small vases with me.  Good thing too, as my garden was full of roses and hydrangeas. This next trip I am adding rain boots as it can rain plenty in Europe. I have yet to figure out how I'll fit those in. They really screw up my packing but I don't want wet feet all the time. I guess I'll stuff them with clothing.

For years, decades really, I have kept packing lists from all my trips, what I took. And when I return home I note things I didn't use. I was a pretty good packer before we started this Nomadic Adventure but after 18 solid months on the road, I am even more efficient. I thought I'd share this miscellaneous part of my packing list. I bring the things I find indispensable at home and there may be a few things here that could enhance your next trip. I am not on a vacation, this is my real life and occasionally I need all this stuff. Here is my list:

collapsable shopping bag

collapsible lightweight day pack

baggies in various sizes

a kite. Yes, I travel with a collapsible kite. Not going to Europe this time though. But it once went to Bali and has been to Canada and Mexico numerous times.
a selection of herbs and spices

a small ice/hot pack

a small travel pillow

a night light (internationally I take votive electric candles)

a few tea bags

stitch witchery (for hem repairs)

detergent

a tape measure

a Sharpie

pens

duct tape (wrapped around a pen)

packing tape (wrapped around a pen)

a small scissor. I use this almost every day.

a corkscrew

a sewing kit

safety pins in various sizes

an eyeglass strings. Actually, I wear one all the time so I don't lose my sunglasses in places I will never return. I also have a heavy-duty one for water sports and horse riding

single-use superglue (several)

rubber bands

hand sanitizer (I never use it. Maybe I should leave it out)

ear plugs

eye mask

small screen cleaning, lens cleaning cloth

mini Swiss army knife

mini flashlights

spare batteries in various sizes

suction cup hooks that give me hanging space on walls on cruises and rooms without enough hangers.

a rolling foot massager

extra memory card

clothes pin (to close window curtains)

I was a girl scout. I like to be prepared.

This may sound like a lot of stuff but with the exception of the few items on the top of this list, I keep the rest in a small (14x8) two-sided hanging bag with 8 pockets that lies flat in my suitcase. It isn't even heavy. Not much more than a pound.

You may find my list helpful. Ort not. Not everyone needs the same stuff. I recently read a list from people who have been on the road for 5 years and their list is completely different, more kitchen supplies, many more office supplies. And I met another couple with the same lifestyle as us.  Surprisingly they are the first senior nomads we have run into. They don't travel with many of these items, they buy it when they need it. But I find when I do that I don't know what to do with it when I move on. Throw it out? How many bottles of olive oil have I deserted in the past year? How many rolls of scotch tape? These miscellaneous items and toiletries accumulate and seem to multiply when left alone in a dark space.  

I have spent the past few days unpacking, repacking and organizing for

Portland and France, plus organizing for future proposed trips. Canadian money out, American money in, set aside a few Argentine pesos that snuck into cracks and crevices. Rejoice that I  found three euros just when I need them. I might point out that Franklin spent these days going to the gym and hanging out. No sleeveless, short sleeve, long sleeve issues for him.  Grrrr. 

I pack in advance, then delete or add clothes over the next few days. I actually packed for this trip to France two weeks in advance to make sure I could close the suitcase. 

 I don't even know for sure that we're going to all these places we propose to go on these future trips next spring, but I do know that it's a bummer to own exactly the right garment or own some pesos... but it's a thousand miles away when you need it. Of course there is a lot of duplication of stuff in these trips, but still it it is pretty tricky planning this out.