Last ride short and sweet

August 10, 2022

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We should have big plans for our last day in Colmar. It is a beautiful city with amazing historical architecture, half-timbered houses and museums. But it's the same story as every day here. We want to get a ride in before it's too hot, and it has been at least 30C at noon every day when we got back from our rides. We are also not encouraged by the very crowded streets, be it Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. I am not necessarily against tourists, I am one, too. Call them visitors, nomads, globe trotters, or natives, there are just too many of them milling about on the streets on a hot afternoon. So we say we'll visit the sights next time and it won't be in August.

Grand'Rue in Colmar, at nine o'clock it's still peaceful

Where we have been staying the past four nights

For our last day we planned a short ride with a visit to Eguisheim, a wine village, and more specifically to the Domaine Joseph Gruss & Fils in Eguisheim, recommended by our CycleBlaze friend Keith Kline, in case we wanted to bring some wine back with us. The village was picturesque, oh, and again so many visitors crowding the streets. We didn't expect that but quickly found our way to the back street where the Gruss winery was located and went in for a wine tasting. I imagine they didn't expect two Germans on bicycles to buy much, but we explained we would drop by tomorrow by car to pick up our purchase.

From inside the gate, looking out to the street

I didn't take any pictures of the degustation. That was a mistake. There are some situations where I am reluctant to get my camera out, or just forget. This was one of them. We didn't dally long or taste many wines. We made a quick choice for entertaining special guests back home, and for ourselves, too, and we were back out on the road. We had a climb ahead of us, 13% Komoot said.

Here we have reached the top of the climb.

The sun dial was quite accurate - it was 12 o'clock daylight savings time, 11 o'clock by the sun.

The ascent was the kind that doesn't look like much but you feel it. It wasn't long and again the views to the Vosges mountains and vineyards were lovely. Once we had reached Husseren-les-Châteaux we had our work behind us, the rest was downhill and then flat with a low-traffic route back into Colmar.

Today I got around to taking a few pictures of where we have been enjoying our lunches.

Always quiet and cool, with a few friendly bonjours from the staff as they passed by

The hotel, or parts of it, were very ancient, this spiral stair case for example, and also the door frame in the previous picture.

Tomorrow is the ride home, after we pick up our wine of course.

Today's ride: 24 km (15 miles)
Total: 498 km (309 miles)

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Karen PoretSuzanne, even though we have never met, we both share the same distaste of “tourists”.. your comments are spot on regarding most of the situations you write so opulently about. With great appreciation and admiration for your writings, photos, and talents!
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9 months ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Karen PoretThank you so much, Karen, for your kind words!
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9 months ago