Europe 2014: Day 10 - Ammerschwihr

I’m too old to party into the wee hours and slept until 11am. I’d promised Laure I’d look at her mother’s computer and then we all had lunch together.

I managed to remove the panniers without too much difficulty (despite the release mechanism being bent on the left side) so we could explore some of the narrow Alsatian roads in the hills around Ammerschwihr.

We went to Kaysersberg first to find a bar of soap Zev wanted entitled ‘the birth of a cat’—a very strange piece indeed with the shapes of a kitten and a womb incorporated into the bar. The soap maker hadn’t made this design for a while so we left empty-handed.

More colour, more flowers, more greenery—I never get bored of the scenery.

The Kaysersberg city hall with a madwoman in pink playing accordion while wearing sunglasses.

Another garden set into the roadway.

We carried on to Riquewihr and went up into the mountains. The roads are only single track so it is important to be very careful on the many blind corners as it’s very tight even for a motorbike to pass an oncoming car.

Out of the vineyards, the scenery changed to lush forests of evergreen trees. It was tempting to explore some of the dirt trails coming off the main road but I decided to leave these for another visit—although my confidence is back for the most part, I still find myself feeling nervous on questionable surfaces.

A quick break among the trees.

Zev kicks into action looking for more plant samples.

The single lane road winding through the Alsatian woods.

A snail about 4cm in diameter—it looked like a slug with a shell!

One of several water pumping stations—rather than ugly industrial pumps ruining the forests, the councils have successfully integrated them into the scenery.

Hello everyone, it’s Zev. I’m feeling somewhat nervous precariously sitting next to a steep embankment.

The bike’s ‘good side’ until repairs are carried out.

Yup. I had to get in on the valley background photo action.

A panorama of the valley.

We returned to Ammerschwihr for a mandatory wine tasting at Laure’s family winery which celebrated its 400th year in operation this year. Laure is the 15th generation of her family to run the winery.

This is Pinot, a Maine Coon mix which means despite his pissed off expression he is actually a very social and affectionate creature.

An old wine press in the tasting room.

I’ll take the whole bottle please.

Behaving myself this time—and I should mention my appreciation of Laure’s generosity to allow us to stay in her winery for three nights to recuperate.

Pinot is not amused.

Just a small part of the winery.

Looking up the road with the winery in the distance.

Of course my favourite wine of all was a delicious 2007 special selection Gewürztraminer made with handpicked, late season grapes. It is only made every five years or so in small batches, and sold in 500ml bottles (instead of the usual 750ml). It is meant to be a dessert wine, or one to enjoy with very rich food. A bottle like this would go for £70+ in London easily, but direct from the winery it was a shockingly reasonable €28.

Afterwards we went to a local restaurant Aux Armes de France for dinner—far, far more posh a restaurant than I would normally go to, but once in a while you have to treat yourself. After a 5 course meal I only had to roll 100 metres back to the winery.

On the way home I saw this sign—I can’t say I’ve ever had fine Alsatian colon wine before...

The flats at the winery.

It’s hard to believe in the morning we’ll be hopping on the bike and aiming the GPS to London, but our stop in the Alsace has been just what the doctor ordered to put the trip back on track. Next time I’ll bring a tent and squat in one of the vineyards...

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Europe 2014 quick links

Day 1: London to Sint-Gillis-Waas Day 2: Sint-Gillis-Waas to Bad Driburg Day 3: Bad Driburg to Berlin Day 4: Berlin Day 5: Berlin to Prague Day 6: Prague Day 7: Prague to Wemding

Day 8: Wemding to Ammerschwihr Day 9: Ammerschwihr Day 10: Ammerschwihr Day 11: Ammerschwihr to Eschdorf Day 12: Eschdorf to London Wrapping-up

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Day 3: Slow road to Ammerschwihr

We woke up at 9am and checked out by 10. I had messaged Tom the night before to say we had made it to our next stop in one piece and prematurely gloated about the lack of rain. Of course it was raining this morning—lesson to self: never tempt fate.

By this point we were only 200 km from Ammerschwihr but little did I know it would take nearly 5 hours to cover that distance. The Alsace is a mountainous region with tiny roads, unless you opt to slab it down the Autoroute (we didn't).

We searched for a boulangerie in a village, only to circle three times before seeing it tucked among the other buildings. We had freshly baked quiches and pain-au-chocolats. I don't know how the French do it, but you can never find pastry so light and delicious outside of France. And the bakeries seem to be absolutely consistent, the quality is the same wherever you are.

The rougher end of the village.

As we left the village the floodgates opened and we endured the next hour in a downpour. My Icon gear is the first I've had from this brand and I can happily report that it does indeed live up to the advertising. Not a drop of water came in.

After a few faster roads the GPS sent me up a mountain track. This road was barely wide enough for two motorbikes to pass let alone a car and it appeared to be formed out of shingles of asphalt. But the scenery was absolutely stunning, you could almost taste the green.

Inevitable 'comfort' break.

Lush Alsatian woods. 

Trees older than any of us.

After such a long winter this year, everything has exploded in green.

Out the other end we came to a beautiful twisty mountain road (I was told later it is a destination road for bikers) and carried on to Ammerschwihr. With only 5km to go, like magic we came out of the mountains into a valley of vineyards and even the sun started peaking out from the clouds. The air had the scent of grape flowers, a musty, earthy smell that reminds me of summer.

We arrived at my friend Laure's family winery and after a warm welcome, moved the panniers into their guesthouse.

A day late but mission accomplished—made it to J B Adam winery.

Naomi got competition.

Another view of J B Adam winery.

399 years after inception, the one of the winery buildings becomes a make-shift shelter for a lone F800GS.

Laure wanted to show us around Kaysersberg, a picturesque Alsatian village 5 minutes from Ammerschwihr so we loaded into her fancy 4x4 and set off. I felt so oddly disconnected to reality riding in a car again, almost as though you're not moving.

15 generations from the founding Adam, the lovely Laure carries on the family tradition.

An Alsatian trademark—storks.

The town looks like something out of a fantasy, complete with babbling brook.

Everywhere clean and tidy.

Rub-a-dub-dub—artisan soaps.

Ladybird, stork and cat soaps.

Cobblestone roads.

A little waterfall.

Laure gets handy with the camera.

One beautiful street after another.

Everywhere you look is immaculate.

Laure and Zev contemplate the most effective way to caloric overindulgence with a full range of Alsatian spiced bread treats.

Constantine Fountain built in 1321.

Alsatian butchers—too much temptation for anyone with a soft spot for wurst.

Leaving the town.

We headed back to the winery to get ready to go to L'empereur de la tarte flambée, a restaurant in nearby Kintzheim, which apparently serves the best tarte flambée in the Alsace. But not before a late night private wine tasting of J B Adam's best.

Muscat the winery puss.

A private late night extended wine tasting courtesy of Laure.

This bottle will do...

We went to the restaurant and had far too much to eat and drink. Tarte flambée is the Alsatian answer to pizza—a thin crust with cheese, cream, onions and lardons fired in an impossibly hot oven until the edges are singed. Absolutely devine.

We arrived back at the guesthouse around 11pm and it was straight to sleep.

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Alps 2013 quick links

Day 1: London to Lille Day 2: Lille to Hagondange Day 3: Slow road to Ammerschwihr Day 4: Ammerschwihr Day 5: Ammerschwihr to Thônes Day 6: Thônes to.... Thônes Day 7: Thônes to Ruèras Day 8: Ruèras to Flachau

Day 9: Flachau Day 10: Flachau to Wemding Day 11: Wemding to Urberach Day 12: Urberach to Antwerp Day 13: Antwerp to London The gear and how it held up The trip in hindsight

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