I like hats, wearing one is like a capital letter and a full stop to the day – the perfect accoutrement to walking. The last thing I do when I leave and the first when I arrive, a little reminder to get my head straight before we go. In my mind I’m Indiana Jones off on an adventure, in reality (at least if the photos are anything to go by), an old man in a hat, looking for his volvo. But we create our own realities don’t we.
It would be possible though, to walk through beautiful places and spend the whole time somewhere else, and so, I don my hat. I had a friend who walked the Comino way. He was an ex-priest and his preparation was prayer. Walking was his prayer. He said that each step he took was a chance to let something go. As a ceoliac I do that often and that’s why Di usually walks in front.
Anyway, today we walked a little more of the way of the cross (that eventually joins the comino way). It was gloomy and rainy at dawn (read half nine), but we trusted the forecast of “morning showers clearing….”, and so it was, wandering up the vine treselled slopes above Eguisheim the mists of the vosges slowly lifted and the sun peeped through.
But first, as promised, Equisheim. We arrived yesterday a little after our revised “on-the-go” forecast as, somewhere up in the foothills before Eguisheim (Voegtlinshoffen I think), a vigneron had lept off his tractor bolted across the road and asked Vous Connais? (you know [where you’re going]) Yes we do, said we, we go to Eguisheim. “Eguisheim, oui, oui, (in maching-gun french now) left, right, through round-about, straight, trente (30) minute, trente minute”. And we “A pied (on foot)?” “Oui oui, a pied, trente minute”
About an hour and a half later we arrived in Eguisheim and “Trente minute” has become our catch phrase for anything we know will take forever, “much longer in the shower honey?” “trente minute, trente minute”. “How long will this next walk take us Jeff?” “trente minute, trente minute”.
Eguisheim is gorgeous, dates back to the middle ages and was home to pope Leo the IX traveller, an activist against priests marrying (a lot to answer for then). It is an oval walled city of two concentric circles, now all shops, restaurants and “caves”, cellars offering degustation lunches. Our hotel overlooked the main square.
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| View from l’hotelier de chateau in Eguisheim. We’d double booked with the pidgeon (who lived in our window box) |
The walk from Egisheim to Turckheim, our start point, was delighful and a stark contrast to our damp departure. We rose up through the vineyards to the forest and found Hagueneck, a 12th century castle “hidden” in the forest. On through the forest we popped out high over the vineyards and stopped for a picnic on sausage and munster cheese (the latter threatening to eat a hole through my backpack if we didn’t eat it (very strong cheese – think i’ll be wearing munster jeans for years to come – was wearing munser undies anyway)). Sitting enjoying the view, a baby bambi deer stepped out onto the trail and wandered towards us sniffing and watching before walking off into the forest – twas a magical spot.
Stopped at a small forest chapel overlooking the vineyards and towns below, then down through the vines to Turckheim. It was nice to come back to Les Deux Clefs (the two keys) where we’d stayed before (and left all our gear). Munched out on escargot, trout in nuts and cashews, veal in mushroom cream sauce and some nice alsatian dessert wines. Twas a splendid day.
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| Holding mass at chapelle de bois |
Tomorrow to Riqwihr for 3 days – in one place!