The Residence of the Hostellerie la Diligence and our views front and back. This may be our favorite type of place: small, individual, friendly, and a little disorganized.
Weekend in Obernai
October 10 , 2004
(Written Oct 31)
Dear Families and Friends,
It will come as no surprise that we like to travel. We particularly like our routine of car travel; a few hours driving, a little touring, a nice meal, a small hotel, and time to read and write. Unfortunately, we also have to work at two jobs full time, maintain our household, go on business trips, go on required family trips, etc. etc. We have more obligations than time but this weekend, we resolved to take a weekend road trip in the old style.
Our goal was Obernai, in the Alsace region of France, a three-hour drive from home in Frankfurt. We'd been here before and, frankly, this time we were more interested in the process of travel than the destination itself. Besides, it was cool, gray, and rainy so wandering through castles, churches, or squares seemed more trouble than it might be worth. We drove south on the German side of the boarder because autobahns are always faster than the French roads, or anyone else's roads, I suppose.
Once on the French side, we managed to get lost, a French tradition of ours, but, after all, it was a trip not a goal we were after. Obernai was as cute as we remembered with skinny streets and plenty of charming old buildings. We parked and started looking for hotels; no reservations this trip - part of the flexibility of a good road trip, even a short one. After passing on a big-but-dull place, we ended up back at the Hostellerie la Diligence where we'd been three years before. This time, we got the last room, a block away in the "residence". It turned out to be a charming small suite with pleasant views front and back.
We had asked for restaurant recommendations and we told where to go, but cautioned that we must arrive by 1 pm or the proprietors would not let us in. This was a reminder of the importance in France of meal timing. Miss the lunch hour by minutes and it's six or seven hours until dinner! No matter, we made it and were treated to a very nice Alsatian meal. Generally, it's German food done with French imagination and quality, a good combination.
The rest of the short stay went as not-planned, a little shopping, relaxing, reading and writing. Our one-night-two-day road trip was the perfect break from obligations.
Here are a few pictures:
The Residence of the Hostellerie la Diligence and our views front and back. This may be our favorite type of place: small, individual, friendly, and a little disorganized. |
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| Obernai has a nice selection of small shops, aimed at tourist for sure, but still very "local". | |
| And this is our favorite way to spend a morning: slowly eating too much breakfast, while writing and thinking. | |
So, take a day and a half and go somewhere you've been. And write when you're back.
Best regards,
John and Marianne
ps: Obernai website