Strasbourg Part Two

Sunday morning, we woke up and prepared ourselves for a long Alsacian adventure. We got on a bus and enjoyed a gorgeous ride through the countryside to Haut-Kroenigsbourg Castle. Alsace is not only gorgeous, but the perfect place to come in fall. There are the Vosges mountains in the background, tiny villages tucked in between them, fall colors, and long rolling hills. 

I sat listening to the new Roman Candle album and enjoying everything about the moment. 

I completely understand why so many people have come here thinking they will stay a few weeks and never go home. If I didn’t have so many loved ones in the States, I would never be able to turn back. This country is so completely beautiful from top to bottom. It’s simplicity and elegance are so rich. The people are so respectful and appreciative of the tiniest kindnesses in daily life. The towns have a sort of sad grace to them, as if they never completely recovered after the world wars. Yet, they seem to hold on to the best thing they could remember existing before everything else. They experience each meal, each day, each person with a sort of appreciation and joy that is entirely inherent in their culture. I wonder if that is something reactionary to all they’ve been through or if it has always been there.  Contrary to the scandalous images people have of the French, when they reflect on stereotypic Parisian culture, it’s the tiny subtleties that have made me fall in love with this place. The way each shop owner awaits a “bonjour” as you step into their shop or an old woman leaning out her window watching our bus pull into the tiny town below Haut-Koenigsbourg.

Our bus finally passed the tiny village at the bottom of the hill and began the steep incline up to the castle. It felt like we were climbing to the top of the world, it was almost surreal. When we finally made it to the top, we could see out across all of Alsace, over to Germany, onto the Black Forest (where all of the Grimm’s fairytales like Hansel and Gretel take place) and even a patch of the Alps!

The castle itself was built by King Wilhem II of Germany. He also built the Neichwonstein (sp?) Castle in Bavaria, which is the one the Disney castle is modeled after. He bankrupted Germany and slowly went crazy. Today, those castles are the number one source of tourist income for the German economy. He built the castle when Alsace was still part of Germany. It slowly went into decay after him until the Franco Prussian War when Germany took back the province and wanted to show their pomp as well as make Alsace-Lorraine as equally rich as the other German provinces. 

The inside was insane filled with Alsacian hand carved bureaus, medieval painted battle scenes, and giant chandeliers ordained with animal skulls. 

Our tour guide definitely spent too much time playing Dungeons and Dragons as a kid. He actually gave a tour complete with historical pick up lines and then went over time by spending a full twenty minutes defending Medieval history followed by a full explanation of the evolution of medieval weaponry. Good times. 

After the tour, we climbed to the top of the castle for the most spectacular view I have ever seen!

If there was ever a place to stand and feel as if your life has changed for ever, it’s here. 

The colors were so pure and bright and the brisk air was the freshest I’ve ever felt. The view was the definition of “as far as the eye can see”. We walked back down to the bus with rosy alpine looking cheeks listening to the sound of the Alsacian accent of those behind us. It sounds like German to the ear, but when you listen closely, you realize the words themselves are French. It was the coolest sounding accent I’ve ever heard.

We all piled back into the bus and drove halfway down the mountain to La Montagne des Singes. This is an odd monkey park by the castle. You just go there and feed these monkies popcorn. The setting, however, was again spectacular. 

Despite the radomness of the Park, the monkeys were pretty awesome actually. I wish Jude and Ambrose could have been there. You hold out a hand full of popcorn and these cute, little furry fingers grab it and munch on it, like “oh yeah, sounds good, thanks!”

Check out this adorable monkey family!

Afterwards, we had some free time. I went for a walk I will never forget. It was like something out of a fairytale or a dream. Getting lost in the woods somewhere in between Germany and France, below a castle on a hilltop. It was absolutely gorgeous and the most peaceful, quiet, untouched place I have ever been. 

Can you spot our castle up there?

This little trail leads all the way up to the castle and then beyond that, who knows?

I sat staring out at the dark green, red, and orange mountains on the verge of tears, completely paralized by my surroundings. I never thought I would find a place more beautiful than Oregon, but I could have kept my feet planted in that dirt forever.

I couldn’t let Paul miss something so fantastic, so I turned back and, in sweater, winter coat, and scarf, ran up the dirt path all the way back. I think every girl is allowed her Julie Andrews moment and this was mine. I’ve always been an major advocate for living life in strong mix of reality and dreams anyway. I don’t think I’ll ever breath air that clean and pure like I did in that spot. 

I felt complete when I brought Paul back with me and he turned back to me in shock and repeated my exact thoughts back to me. 

It was a moment where you can feel life happening around you and yourself looking back some day upon these seconds as the fondest of your life. 

Afterwards, we walked back elated about everything in life and boarded the bus to make our way back to Paris. What a wonderful trip! If I could only move here and write this book I have in my head! I guess for now, I’ll have to settle with a train ride home with my journal. The first words on the page will be, “God is good.”