Random Observations

The problem with committing to do a blog is that it presupposes that you are actually going to have interesting things to write about.  Sometimes, it doesn't work out like that.  While I am hoping in a few days I will have something to say, currently things have been very uneventful.

I got to Alsace late last Monday afternoon after a mostly uneventful but very long journey from home.  I think it was about 22 hours door to door.  It could have been a bit shorter if I had not relied on the info in an app on my iPhone.  I use TripIt and I like it a lot.  If you aren't familiar with it, it is very helpful for sorting out travel plans.  Whenever you get a email confirming a hotel, a train reservation, flight information or a voucher for a car rental, you simply forward it to the app and it automatically builds your itinerary for you.  I have always assumed, incorrectly as it turned out, the information entered is correct.  I had checked it to see my arrival time in Frankfurt so I could know what train to book.  It showed 1 pm and, based on that, I reserved my train ticket south for 4 pm.  Buying it in advance and committing to a specific train saved me a lot.  The 4 pm train only had one change which was good and the fare was so good I purchased a first class ticket for about 1/2 of what a second class ticket would be.  So, according to TripIt, I would have about two hours at the airport - plenty of time in case the flight was delayed as well as to clear customs, get my luggage, and make my way to the train station which is located at the airport.  When I flew to from Victoria to YVR, the young woman sitting beside me started chatting.  She was also connecting to the Lufthansa flight and she told me that we would be arriving at 11 am.  Hmm!  That meant I'd have about 4 hours to wait.  Sure enough she was right.  Note to self:  double check the info TripIt enters. That was a good learning.  However, I did finally arrive and Sue was waiting for me as planned.  Whew!  The long journey was done.

I spent a pretty lazy the first couple of days here.  My friends are getting ready to go on vacation so it was not like I wanted (or needed) to go sightseeing right away.  Hence, nothing to blog about. 

Wednesday, we headed over to Ettenheim which is on the other side of the Rhine (and in Germany) from Rhinau, where I am in France.  It is a typical Germany village.  Below are some of the photos I took that day while Sue was having her hair done.

It's hard to read this but it is a clinic for dogs to have physiotherapy, acupuncture and laser therapy!

Now this was interesting, at Sue's hair salon, the sinks are wheeled to the client rather than like home where the basins are usually in a row.  Not sure exactly how this works but Sue was surprised when I told her I hadn't seen anything like it.

Thursday, we went to Offenburg (further north) where I picked up my rental car.  It is a Ford (not my favourite) but it has all the "bells and whistles" including GPS and it is an automatic, very unusual for Europe.  It is a treat to drive except the sensors are particularly sensitive and seem to beep if I get even close to anything.

Then, Friday, things started to get busier.  I took Sue and Keith to the Orschweier Bahnhof (train station) where they took a train north to Frankfurt airport for their flight the next day. 

Then, my friends, the Jekers, arrived from Switzerland to stay for the weekend.  First up was going to the Super U (grocery store) to buy the makings for tarte flambees.  It was fun for them to see all the different products that they can't get in Switzerland.  I was surprised to hear that.   We spent the evening cooking, mainly Alina did that, enjoying tarte flambees (Alsace's famous "pizza"), playing music and chatting in several languages!

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we head to Europa Park, Germany's largest amusement park.  Now, that should be something to blog about!