Well, I am still hopped up on decongestants, but at least I can breathe today. I haven't been this sick in a couple of years. I guess at least I'm getting sick before my vacation and not during it (knock on wood).
To continue the Strasbourg saga, on Saturday, the weather was incredible: 75-80 F and not a cloud in the sky! (If this is what it is like in April, I keep wondering what it will be like in July!) Aurore and I drove to Mont Sainte Odile, which is a convent perched on a cliff in the Vosges overlooking the plains below. We walked around the convent, which was quite beautiful and had a great view.
We also took a hike and had a picnic in the woods around Mont Sainte Odile. Since we were still up on the cliff, every so often the trees would open, and we would be treated to a huge view. But my favorite part was the forest. There were many pine and fir trees, and the smell was heavenly! For me, smells have the power to evoke really strong memories, and the smell of pine brings back some of the best memories of my childhood: summer camp, family vacations, the cabin, and playing in my parent's yard. So, really, my favorite part of the day was to sit in the sun with our picnic, listening to the birds (who were clearly thrilled that spring is come), smelling the aromatic pine scent, and watching spring come to the forest- the plants springing up, the leaves unfurling, the birds chattering, the bugs waking up.
After buying some water at the convent, during which transaction I answered the woman in German when she spoke to me in French (whoops!), we drove down to Ottrott, and then hiked uphill for a long time to the Chateaux d'Ottrott and a lookout over the valley. We weren't allowed to hike up to the chateaux, so we enjoyed the lookout and made friends with some baby goats before hiking back down and returning to Strasbourg for an evening of cooking and movie watching.
To continue the Strasbourg saga, on Saturday, the weather was incredible: 75-80 F and not a cloud in the sky! (If this is what it is like in April, I keep wondering what it will be like in July!) Aurore and I drove to Mont Sainte Odile, which is a convent perched on a cliff in the Vosges overlooking the plains below. We walked around the convent, which was quite beautiful and had a great view.
We also took a hike and had a picnic in the woods around Mont Sainte Odile. Since we were still up on the cliff, every so often the trees would open, and we would be treated to a huge view. But my favorite part was the forest. There were many pine and fir trees, and the smell was heavenly! For me, smells have the power to evoke really strong memories, and the smell of pine brings back some of the best memories of my childhood: summer camp, family vacations, the cabin, and playing in my parent's yard. So, really, my favorite part of the day was to sit in the sun with our picnic, listening to the birds (who were clearly thrilled that spring is come), smelling the aromatic pine scent, and watching spring come to the forest- the plants springing up, the leaves unfurling, the birds chattering, the bugs waking up.
After buying some water at the convent, during which transaction I answered the woman in German when she spoke to me in French (whoops!), we drove down to Ottrott, and then hiked uphill for a long time to the Chateaux d'Ottrott and a lookout over the valley. We weren't allowed to hike up to the chateaux, so we enjoyed the lookout and made friends with some baby goats before hiking back down and returning to Strasbourg for an evening of cooking and movie watching.
