Winding Down

Since Sunday, I have been staying with my good friends, Sue and Keith, in Rhinau, France.  Rhinau is a fairly small village (less than 5000 people) on the banks of the Rhine which here marks the border with Germany.  It is a good place to wind down from my wonderful holiday before I fly home Friday.  I am still not ready to go home and am feeling a bit sad about the prospect leaving Europe.  The weather seems to be reflecting my mood as the sun has been in hiding since Sunday (perhaps in sympathy with me).  The morning fog so typical at this time of the year here hasn't managed to burn off at all during the day so it feels like we are living under some sort of dull grey woolly blanket.  And, Sue has me on a "re-entry" program.  This has included:  grocery shopping, doing laundry, prepping vegetables, making mini-crab cakes, cooking steak and returning their garbage bin from the curb.  She says this is good for me because I am about to go back to "real life".  Now, I have a slightly different opinion.  I think that traveling truly is (or should be) my life and that it simply gets interrupted when I don't have travel plans. 

A grey Tuesday in Ettenheim (not far from the Black Forest in Germany

 

Another view of Ettenheim

A grey day in Obernai (Alsace)

Regardless, the reality is that Thursday afternoon I will take a train to Frankfurt airport (about 2 hours north of here) where I will spend the night at a nearby hotel.  Friday morning I will board a Lufthansa flight to Vancouver and by that afternoon I will be back in Victoria and this marvellous adventure for the last 2 and 1/2 months will be over.  Big sigh!  Of course, next I will focus on planning the next one. 
It has been quite a ride from the pubs and cathedrals in England to a wild boat ride off the Irish coast to the warmth of the sun and gentle breezes on the Cote d'Azur to returning to Alsace which I love so much.  I have seen many friends along the way, made some new ones, and experienced new things as well.  What were my favourite places?  Too many to list but the highlights included finding out my sister and I can travel pretty well together; discovering the amazing calanques near Cassis on the Cote d'Azur, realizing a dream by finally visiting one of the Aran islands, seeing Bletchley Park and reflecting how different today's world might be if those clever people hadn't broken the Enigma code and, of course, sharing much of this with people I care very much about. 

Dinner Wednesday evening at Aux Bords du Rhin in Rhinau
with the Lauers and the Wendorfs

So, on that note, a bientot.  I hope you have enjoyed this blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it.  Maybe you will want to read the next one - and, for sure there will be one as soon as I get more travel plans in place!  Ciao for now.