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Go ahead, try to pronounce it: Riquewihr. I dare you.
Anyway, I feel like I am gradually coming back to life. Went for a nice walk along the Alsace Wine Route today. I didn't even mind getting rained on a little, it was just so nice to be outside, walking amongst the vines.
This wine route links 6 different towns, and takes you in and around the many surrounding vineyards. The only think I found a bit odd was that the route didn't actually take me to any wineries where I could go in and have a taste. The whole route is 15km, though, so it's possible that some of the other sections of the route do lead to wineries.
In any event, if Steve is feeling up to it, we are going to try to get on the road tomorrow and go visit a winery or two, so hopefully I will finally have some more wine notes for you!
Riquewihr is a very nice town, though it gets mobbed with busloads of tourists during the day. It also seems to have a bit of a bell issue.
Now I for one am a fan of church bells chiming the hour, but these bells are pushing it a little. They chime the hour starting at 6am. That's right, 6am. And their last hurrah is at 11pm. The most bizarre bell-ringing, however, happens at 10pm.
They chime the hour as always, and then go into an apoplectic fit of bell ringery that lasts about ten minutes, during which time they bing and bong, jingle and jangle at a volume that makes the eardrums bleed.
I'm not sure what the purpose of this 10pm fit is: Steve said often on Sundays, bells will ring for a long time in the late mornings as a call to church, but we can't figure out what's supposed to be happening at 10pm. Is there some significance to this 10pm bell extravaganza?
Is it to confuse people into thinking it's Sunday morning and somehow then subliminally remind them that this week they had better show up to church? Is there actually a 10pm service starting? Is it to wake babies everywhere and torture parents who have only just fallen asleep? Is the town full of very old, deaf people who need the bells that loud to remind them that while they're not dead yet, it is only a matter of time before the proverbial bell tolls for them?
Anyone?
Hey Jocelyn! Love reading about your travels! This post reminded me of living in a small town outside of Zurich, called Richterswil. The Swiss love clocks as we all know...but I was having some of the same thoughts you were about the amount of chimes and frequency, etc. WTH? I eventually got used to the 3 different church clocks in town chiming away at the same time not just every hour, but also on each quarter hour and half hour. While all the chiming was going on outside, at the same time there were 2 clocks (one was a coo coo clock) inside the house I was living. My host mother's family had a clock/watch store, so this was very important to them. These clocks were coo coo-ing and bing bonging all day and night! And one other thing...outside the house were hillsides covered with cows and sheep. If you have ever been to Switzerland you know that their cows and sheep all wear bells around their necks. Yes all day and night living in Richterswil I heard church bells, clocks chiming and none other than cow bells clanging! Somehow you get used to it all though and what I would give to hear those bells ringing right now!! : )
ReplyDeleteSafe travels,
Jessica