Days 11 and 12, Wednesday and Thursday, July 14 & 15

Wednesday was a travel day for us as we headed northeast to the Alsace and the village of Colmar which is a 7 hour, 700 KM drive. Almost all our trip was on highways, and the traffic was very heavy with lots of trucks until we were north of Lyon.  

Today's breakfast included OJ, watermelon with yogurt, herb omelets, and assorted pastries and breads.  No breakfast photos for this day, I think you've seen them all. 

Our only stops along the way were to answer a call of nature, and grab something to eat at one of the rest areas along the route.

We arrived in Colmar around 6 pm.  It took us a while to find the apartment we're renting for the next six nights.  It is gorgeous, very contemporary, and very centrally located.   Photos will follow.

Our apartment is located in the yellow building on the left.

After carrying our staircases up two flights of stairs, and getting settled, we headed out for dinner.  Just a short drive away.  We opted for simple French bar food:  Aperol Sprtizes, eggplant and burrata cheese, pork croquettes, and fries.  All were very good and were a perfect dinner after a long drive.

Colmar is known for its many half timber buildings and a strong German influence in its cuisine and culture.  The city has shifted back and forth between German and French control multiple times since the 17th century.  

After dinner we returned to our apartment, listened to the disappointing England v. Argentina match, and fell asleep quickly.

July 16, 2026

Thursday was our first full day in Colmar.  We walked to a boulangerie just around the corner from our apartment for our breakfast which consisted of café au lait, croissants, a pretzel, and a fruit salad.  

We then picked up our car at a nearby underground parking lot.  Parking is included with our apartment fee, what a bonus that is when staying in a city!

We drove  southwest into the Vosges mountains where the next two stages of the Tour de France will be held.  We hope to watch the riders as they ascend the Ballon d'Alsace, elevation 1247 meters.  Both stages 13 & 14 will go over this peak so there were already many members of the Schluge, the fans who follow the Tour for many stages in their RV's, camped out and staking their claim to an ideal spot.  I would love to rent a camper van for a week or two and follow the Tour as it circles France, but I can't convince Joni to do it.  She loves camping, but to become a member of the Schluge requires you to give up all the other things we loved to  do in France.

Where we will end up finding a viewing spot is always an unknown because the police close the roads very early on race days.

As we drove along the Tour route we were thrilled to see all of the  decorations each village had put up to welcome both the cyclists and the fans.

Finally reaching the village of Saint Maurice-sur-Moselle, we begin our drive up to the summit of the Ballon d'Alsace.

The Schluge

After going over the summit, we descended the route for about 1/2 km, before parking and deciding our plan the rest of our afternoon and for race day. 

We turned our car around, and started to ascend back up the mountain when we collided head on with a cyclist who was descending at way too fast a pace,  unable to make a turn, and flew into our lane. It was a miracle this man was not killed, he struck the very front of our car, breaking a headlight and denting the hood.  

It happened so fast that neither Joni nor I can remember all the details,  My vision was that he and his bike were airborne, turned sideways, and heading straight for our windshield.  I slammed on our brakes and the cyclist and bike flew over our vehicle and landed just on the side of the road right next to our car. 

He and another man in his group of five are both Dutch doctors, so they were able to analyze his injuries.  They were sure he separated his shoulder or broke his collar bone.  He was in a lot of pain and dazed and  moaning.  He had multiple areas of road rash and I suspect he suffered a concussion. His bike frame was broken, so he clearly could not continue.  We offered to contact the police and rescue squad, but the cyclists said they would, so we continued our ascent.

We did report the accident to the police, but they said we didn't have to file a report, just contact our car rental agency, Avis.

The injured cyclist, in the yellow jersey, was able to stand after several minutes, but he did not look good.

I was amazed that the damage to our car was this minimal.

By the time we descended back to Saint Maurice, it was around 1:45 PM.  We were still emotionally shaken by the accident, but we knew if we did not find a place for lunch soon, everyplace would close, so we stopped at a cyclists' cafe and had a delightful lunch that included quiche, a ham sandwich, a pastry, and Orangina.

The scenery along the highway back to Colmar was beautiful.  Very green and vineyards everywhere.

We decided to make a slight detour and drive into the village  of Eguisheim which is famous for storks, beautiful architecture, and a street plan that circles its castle.

Our visit to Eguisheim was really just a drive by, so I think we'll return, park our car and walk the streets.

Finally back in our apartment in Colmar we napped and showered before heading out to dinner.

Our plan was to return to the "Aux Armes de Colmar" which was reputed to have outstanding Alsatian cuisine. We wanted to eat there last night, but were told it was closed for the night so we ate in the bar, located on the first floor.  Well something got lost in the translation, because when we arrived and were escorted to a table on the second floor, we were handed the same menu that we were given the night before, and told that the "Aux Armes..."  was permanently closed.

Joni had a plan B, however, so we headed to the "La Cour des Anges", another restaurant that specializes in Alsatian cuisine.  Frustratingly, despite the GPS on our iPhones telling us "we've arrived at our destination", we couldn't find it. So we settled for the restaurant right in front of us.

Big mistake.  the wine and escargot were very good, but our main dishes were terrible. I'm sure we'll laugh about this meal for years!

Pork Collar...yes collar!

Steak au Poivre...they haven't invented a knife that will cut this beef