Where is Colmar?

 

Yesterday we (Solli_K, PBer Carolyn and myself) took the 7:20 train to Colmar, just 20 minutes south of Strasbourg.

Another one France’s “La Petite Venices”.

And much like visiting charming Annecy. Or Strasbourg. Little bridges, little boats. 

People eating happily along the river. 

There is a free shuttle bus from the train station into town making all the essential tourist stops. They predicted rainy drizzle all weekend and we come prepared, but soon the sun came out with just the occasional spritz. Nothing serious…

We went first to the marché couvert/covered market to see what local Alsatian dishes we are supposed to eat like freshly-picked local grapes. It’s harvest time in the vineyards.

There are many. Like kougelhopf and cheesy pretzels.

Charcuterie and jambons/ham is king here. And jam with bonnets/hats. 

It’s nice to go to a town where your name is on the water bottles. We ate along the river at La Fleur de Sel. 

They served regular salt. No sign of the special Brittany chunky salt from the Guérande, but still our lunch was yummy. I had a salad of local Muenster cheese on toast, with fresh figs, and pine nuts. 

Alsace is also famous for its charming red, dotty pottery. I succumbed and bought a small bowl. 

And its local birds like egrets, swans (I missed the one that passed by during lunch along the river but spotted a live egret in a stream later).

And of course its lucky, local storks.which I did not get a good shot of or see. 

I also didn’t get to taste any of my favorite cinnamon Christmas cookies, Etoile la cannelle…a good reason to return to Colmar.

Then we headed off to the unpronounceable, unspellable, tiny village of Niedermorschwihr. Also know as Ferberville or jamville as I call it. More adventurous tales to come…

Backtracking to the train ride to Colmar, I brought along very small paintboxes this trip hoping I would at last get myself to paint on the train. It worked! RIP Queen Elizabeth II 💜 

But I had no proper royal purples or violets.  In Colmar we searched out a tiny craft shop with a very limited supply of watercolor, but they actually had mauve and violet🤸‍♂️💜so I tried again back in our room.

Thanks for reading Parisbreakfast. Do share and stop in my etsy shop for Paris watercolors and letters. Have a happy weekend dear PBers 😊 Here’s a view of beautiful Alsace out the train window. Have you been?