A Well Kept Man

Alli and I spent a weekend (two weeks ago now) in Colmar, France with our neighbors from Minnesota (Katie the wife/mom/volunteer/Martha Stewart/ice cream + candy dealer/friend/superwoman & Tom the dentist/Wii champion/ice cream + candy consumer/father/friend/fishin' + golf buddy). The town of Colmar is very quaint and decidedly German, even though it is in France. Perhaps it is the proximity to the German border that gives the flavor to this region, but eventually the French side wins out as evidenced by our baguette sandwiches and pomme frites (fries). This area is also in the Alsace region, which is known for tasty wine and other delicacies such as foie gras and Baeckehoffe (think crock pot roast with vegetables, sauerkraut, and wine).

The region is also home to the man who brought the Statue of Liberty to the United States (in fact, there is a scale replica in a roundabout that offers a surreal experience of thinking you are approaching New York city, until you quickly realize that New York city is approached by water not a traffic circle...oh well). The town itself (as well as neighboring towns) was fun for catching up with our friends, window shopping, and grabbing some snacks (mmm....macaroons). On Sunday morning (after staying up past all of our bedtimes to have Alli show us all how to play cribbage while sharing a bottle of Alsatian wine with macaroons) we went on a hike up into the forest to an old castle that appears to have been long since abandoned.

The last few leaves of fall still managed to cling to the trees providing a scenic backdrop for our adventure. Along the way I took plenty of opportunities to snap photos and play like a kid climbing rocks and hanging from "cliffs." The hike passed through the forest for about forty-five minutes until we reached the castle (halfway up required us to ditch our outer layers as the hike was very sweat inducing...thankfully, the clothes were still in our secret spot on the way back down) for our adventure.

The castle itself looked like it would be a great home for many woodland creatures, or fairytale trolls and goblins. Although none were seen, I truly believe that something was up there staying just out of sight as we climbed the castle walls and ramparts. I even managed to scare an unsuspecting dog as we both approached a doorway from opposite directions (let's just say the dog didn't expect to see someone in the doorway...he couldn't decide if he should attack, run away, or just roll over and let me pounce. I had to give him the secret dog owner handshake to restore his confidence that I was neither a predator nor prey, but merely a friend).

I also took the opportunity to snap some pictures, but mostly I just enjoyed the scenic expanses, sights, and smells of autumn...and trolls.