Village Life

The last week of my vacation has been spent staying with my friends in the little village of Rhinau on the banks of the Rhine in France.  Thankfully, this area has not experienced the devastating flooding that is occurring right now in different areas of France, Germany, and Romania.  I've also had a chance to get caught up with some of their friends who live here as well. 

Sue and Keith with their neighbour, Klaus, who dropped by for a glass of wine the other evening.

Rhinau has around 5000 inhabitants and, interestingly, many of the houses in the village have barns in the backyards where farm vehicles can be kept and then driven to the surrounding fields.  The main crop around here, it seems to me, is corn.  No vineyards in sight unless you look west toward the foothills of the Vosges mountains.  Rhinau is a typical village with its tabac, boulangerie, hotel de ville, restaurants and weekly market.  This weekend, the circus is in town; however, I will be gone before it officially opens later this afternoon.  So, as a final blog, I thought I would post some photos of this pretty little village where my friends live.

One of the village's bigger houses - across the street

Roundabout with a sign advertising "the circus coming to town"

Flower-filled boat decorating the edge of the roundabout

Rhinau's main street

One of the village's three boulangeries

The Hotel de Ville (city hall)



In the market square, the "camion" selling auto parts, etc. is in town for the day

One of the village houses - typical Alsatian architecture

Flower box on the bridge over the Brunwasser

Au Vieux Couvent, one the restaurants - this one has 1 Michelin star

A neighbour's mailbox

Egg dispenser on the side of the road

Circus bigtop with the village cemetery in the foreground

For my last night here, we went to our favourite restaurant in the village called Aux Bords du Rhin.  Its specialty is trout which Sue ordered.  Keith and I had filet mignon.  All our meals were fantastic - and it was a lovely way to end my stay here.

The restaurant

Sue's Trout Almandine being prepared

The three of us at dinner

Saturday, I take the train to Frankfurt Airport where I will stay overnight for my flight home midday on Sunday.  It has been a great trip and, in spite of the glitches with the weather, I enjoyed exploring some new places and returning to ones I already love.  I hope my blog has been interesting to you.  Hopefully, there will be another one in the fall - once I figure out where I want to go!!  Thanks.