The Wonderland of Alsace

Well, I've been on yet another marvelous adventure! I love and adore Paris, but getting to see other regions of the country is always a special treat. This weekend we went out to visit Elder Riff in his homeland of Strasbourg, and oh my goodness gracious... I'm moving to Alsace!

We took an early train out to Strasbourg and enjoyed the most luscious scenery by the light of the sunrise. Elder Riff was at the station to greet us, and it was one fantastic reunion. We immediately settled in and watched Harry Potter 5 (I have no regrets), eating croissants and hot chocolate and enjoying the disgusting heat wave working its way over the whole country.

Elder Riff showed us his neighborhood, walking us through dry fields and abandoned playgrounds beautiful canals and bushes of delicious berries. It was so nice to relax and take in the beautiful architecture of the old wood and mortar homes, even though it was burning hot and my body felt like it would never dry off. There is a definite blending of German and French cultures, and to hear the Alsace accent was quite something else.

After a relaxing day we went into the city to see Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg and enjoy at least 10 sheets of flammekueche. So delicious, but I got the most evil glowers when I referred to it as pizza. It's not pizza, it's tarte flambé, or flammekueche-whatever. My goodness, get it right.

Photo tour time!

We went to Strasbourg at the perfect time. This year they are celebrating the millenial anniversary of the Strasbourg cathedral. That's right, a thousand years since the foundation was laid! It's honestly crazy. For the event they had a magnificent light show on the surface of this enormous structure (the tallest Medieval structure ever built, FYI), which was absolutely spectacular and awe-inspiring.

The next day we met up with one of Elder Riff's gorgeous besties (yes, I definitely had a woman crush on her) and visited la montagne des singes. No really, this mountain in Kintzheim has a colony of monkeys living on it, and you can go and feed them popcorn and watch them prance around! It was fantastic.

Photo proof of my day with the singes:

Sweet singes...

Our happy singe family 

And my two favorite singes, right here.

After our singe mountain excursion we wound our way through gorgeous forests and vineyards to Kaysersberg, which (fun fact) mean's "Emperor's Mountain" in German. This place was straight out of a storybook, beautiful, colorful, and majestic at absolutely every turn. We spent the afternoon wandering into delightful bakeries and eating almond cookies and meringues. We also hiked up to an old castle where we could see the most perfect view of the village and the surrounding region. It was honestly one of the most moving, joyful days of my life, and I have every intention of returning to this wonderful place.

Photo tour take two:

Beauty and the Beast, IRL. 

Ridiculous. 

I'll stop with the photo overload, but you get the idea.
This place was amazing.

I cannot even begin to explain how sad I was to leave. I learned a great many things during my time in Alsace: 1) Paris is kind of overrated 2) Beauty and the Beast is real 3) Singes are ridiculously adorable 4) Elder Riff's mom was quite possibly the nicest woman on the planet (I felt so loved) and 5) I should have been born French.

As I rode the train home alone I reflected on all of the amazing experiences I have had here in France this summer. Every moment has been spiritually moving and fulfilling. I have grown a lot, faced significant challenges and language barriers, yet have made the most wonderful friends and acquaintances and seen some of the most magical places in the world. Riding into a glorious sunset with my Jane Eyre soundtrack playing, Marilyn Robinson's Lila in my lap, and a blur of towering greenery before me, I cannot help but feel the deepest gratitude for the beautiful life and opportunities that I have had and still have before me.