DJmotortouring – Page 2 – EUROPE BY ROAD (and other travel blogs)

Violes (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

We were in Violes, in the southern Rhone Valley, to sample the wines at the Domaine des Favards and thereafter enjoy their annual celebration ‘Bodega La Nuit Favardaise’ (although, in truth, we didn’t know about the winery’s annual celebration until after we arrived). The Domaine des Favardes is first and foremost a very successful working winery of 25 hectares owned by the Famille Barbaud but they have converted a large stretch of land next to their bodega into a first class campsite. How Vanya finds these places I don’t know but we booked in for two nights.

There was nothing open in the village of Violes that first night. In fact, there is very little in the village to open. Google ‘Francethisway’ and check out Violes and everything they write about is at least 5 miles away – witness Seguret and the Dentelles de Montmirail.

Please don’t misunderstand; I’m not complaining about Violes. We know from our earlier travels in this Region that there’s plenty to see and do in the area, if not Violes itself. We were there to relax and enjoy the local wine and we weren’t going to venture out while the Mistral was blowing a hoolie. Our first evening was therefore spent in the campsite’s restaurant enjoying some good French cooking and getting a sneak preview of a couple of the local wines.

A little about the Mistral before I continue. It’s a wind and it had been blowing for a few days before we arrived and showed no sign of abating. It can blow any time of the year but is more common in the autumn and winter. It occurs when warm air coming in from the Mediterranean meets the cold air from Central France and the Alps. The warm air rises leaving a space for the cold air from the mountains to fill and this cold air then sweeps down through south east France to the Mediterranean. It makes for very strong cold winds which get even stronger as they are funneled through the narrow Rhone Valley. I heard a local man describe the Mistral as ‘exhausting’. He could not have described the phenomenen better but, it wasn’t going to spoil our wine tasting the next morning and, anyway, on the plus side this strong wind clears away pollution and makes for very blue skies.

Unfortunately for Vanya, the Domaine des Favardes produce just two white wines; a Cotes du Rhone ‘Les bons moments’ and a CDR ‘L’affute’ and as a result her wine tasting session the next morning was soon concluded. We shouldn’t have been surprised because only 6% of wines across the Rhone Valley are white, 13% are rose and a whopping 81% are red. There was no doubt which of the wines would win the white category either because the L’affute is stored in oak casks and Vanya hates oaked whites. So sorry for laughing Vanya.

I didn’t mind either of the white wines but it was the reds I was looking forward to tasting and when our host started on them, they just kept coming. I was a very happy chap.

Before this session, I knew very little about Cotes du Rhone wines other than that there are 4 grades which are produced across both the Northern Rhone and the Southern Rhone (where the terroir is somewhat different). The best wines are the ‘Crus’ AC; the next best are the ‘Villages’ AC from a named village (e.g. CDR Villages Plan de Dieu and CDR Villages Chusclan) – not just any old village but one of 20 specified villages. The third level are ‘Villages’ AOC which are not produced by one of the 20 specified villages but by a CDR accredited commune. The fourth and final level, which amount to some 50% of the area’s controlled wine production, is the CDR AOC. Anything else just isn’t Cotes du Rhone (officially).

I’m not sure I learned a great deal more about Cotes du Rhone wine at the Domaine des Favards but I certainly got to taste a few. These included (a) Les bons moments rouge 2023 13.5%; (b) CDR Les Grandes Terres 2022 (Grenache, Mourvedre & Syrah grapes) 14.5%; (c) CDR Villages 2020 (Grenache & Syrah) 14.5%; (d) CDR Villages Plan de Dieu 2022 (Grenache & Syrah grapes matured in oak barrels for 12 months and at their best after 6-8 years) 14.5%; (e) CDR Villages Plan de Dieu les Givres 2021 (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan & Cinsault) 14.5%; (f) CDR Villages Plan de Dieu les Brigands 2022 (Cepages, Grenache, Cinsault & Syrah and at their best after 8-10 years) 14.5%; (g) CDR L’une et L’autre 2020 (matured in oak barrels for 16 months and also at their best after 8-10 years) 14%.

There was only the one wine I was unsure about, the Les Givres. The rest were fine but the winner for me was the L’une et L’autre with the ‘Plan de Dieu’ (a named village) coming a very close second. Needless to say, we purchased a mixed case of our favourites.

We were sufficiently rested when, that same evening, we made our way back to the winery to join La Nuit Favardaise. It was well attended by residents of not just Violes but various other villages in the area and all had dressed having regard to the continuing strong winds (in what the Geordies would call ‘their big coats’). The Mistral was still in full flow.

I tried a couple more glasses of the Les Givres during the course of the evening and, I am pleased to report, I warmed to it.

The locals are clearly made of hardier stuff than us because within an hour, Vanya and I decided to retire to the Van. We can attest to the fact, however, that the party continued to precisely 0H30 as advertised on the admission ticket. The music played by the DJ Mister Flo was good and loud.

The next day we left Violes to drive further south and west to Les Argeles sur Mer, near France’s border with Spain. Before leaving I, once again, battled my way into the village for a final look and to buy some fresh bread. My first thoughts apropos the village were correct. It really doesn’t have much about it but, the bakery at the main cross-roads produce first class bread and the nearby cafe-bar does a good coffee.

There follows a couple of photos of the village…

*The village centre; the bakery is next to the pizza bar*

Les Argeles sur Mer next… and of course, one of my favourite wineries (Les Vignerones des Alberes) is very close by at Saint Genis des Fontaines.

Seguret (Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

We were heading to Violes but, on the way, stopped off at the tiny hilltop village of Seguret.

The ‘old town’ part of Seguret clings to the western side of a small hill in the Northern Vaucluse area and is as deserving a member of the ‘plus beau village de France’ community as any. It is almost completely encircled by two roads; the Rue du Barry which stretches along the lower part of the town and is little more than an access road and; the Chemin de L’Auteret which stretches along the upper part of the town and leads to the village church, L’Eglise Saint Denis. The area in between these two roads is entirely pedestrianised and comprises two narrow winding cobbled streets being, the Rue des Poternes and the Rue de Four. The main street is the Rue des Poternes which stretches the entire length of the village. The other, the Rue de Four, is a spur which leads off the Rue des Poternes and up to the church. Both are beautiful.

We approached the village from the north, entering via the 12th century Porte Reynier (also known as the Portail de la Bise), and then walked the length of Rue des Poternes. Narrow and winding is an understatement but it is full of interest and a photographers dream.

The Rue des Poternes is largely residential but there are a handful of craft shops and/or galleries and three cafe-restaurants, one of which was shut. Le Mesclun, further down towards the southern entrance to the village is reputed to be the best for food but it too was closing as we arrived and we therefore made do with Le Cote Terrasse; friendly and welcoming but not good value.

There’s no market square in old town Seguret; the village is simply too narrow. Instead there is the Fontaine des Mascarons; the ‘fountain of masks’ on account of the four sculpted heads with spouts through which potable water flows. At one time, this was the only source of drinking water in the village. Close to the fountain is the old lavoir (communal washtub for want of a better description) and a drinking trough for the village’s animals. This would have been the village’s principal meeting place; as is evidenced by the adjacent village clock and belfry.

There’s a second larger lavoir at the southern end of the village just outside the Huguenot Gate on the Place des Arceaux.

Having walked the length of the Rue des Poternes, Vanya was content to wait in the Van while I walked the remainder of the village. I escorted her back to the Van by way of the Rue du Barry and then took off, firstly, up the Rue de Four to the church and then up the Chemin d’L’Auteret to the castle ruins. That way, I would be able to cover the whole village.

Saint Denis was closed but the panoramas from a viewing platform outside the church more than compensated; especially those across the Rhone Valley.

Indeed, the views from the church are better than from the castle ruins higher up the hill (and don’t let anyone tell you different); particularly those to the south east (which could be the jagged teeth of the ‘Dentelles de Montmirail’). Actually, I thought the walk up to the castle ruins a complete waste of time. The views are obscured by trees and there’s nothing left of the castle that is worth seeing.

That’s all I’m inclined to say for now about Seguret except that during our short stay the wind started blowing a real hoolie! I thought at the time that such a strong wind had to be the Mistral. If so, we would be in for a rough ride at our next stop, Violes.

Saint Genix Les Villages (Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes), France September 2024 (Tour 10)

We were on our way into France to escape Switzerland’s rain and Vanya picked out a camp site in the Savoyard at a place called Saint Genix sur Guiers. Neither of us had heard of the place before. Imagine our surprise when, later that day after we had checked into a campsite in the town, I read a post on facebook by friends of hours who had overnighted in Saint Genix just 24 hours earlier! These friends were walking a Camino from Geneva to Le Puy en Velay and this route took them along the GR65 which passes, amongst other places, through Saint Genix (and ultimately on to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain). Small world or what?!?

Okay, so a little about Saint Genix. The town is located at the confluence of the Rivers Rhone and Guiers and it’s proper name is Saint Genix les Villages. The town was known as Saint Genix sur Guiers until, in 2019, some civil restructuring saw it merged with the two villages of Gresin and Saint Maurice de Rotherens and formed into the new commune of Saint Genix les Villages. Much of the signage in the town still refers to Saint Genix sur Guiers.

It is a small fairly unassuming town of just over 3,000 people which became famous for it’s Gateaux Saint Genix. This cake was created by a local pastry chef, Pierre Labully in 1880. In truth it is more a Brioche than a cake. It is a bread made with leavened dough to a fairly common recipe but Labully made it his own by adding pink pralines (sugar coated almonds) and topping it with sugar before baking. The resulting product caught on and is now made all over France. The Gateaux Labully bakery where the product was first created was closed for holidays during our visit but I was able to get one from the Gateaux Saint Genie bakery on Rue de Couvent. It is quite tasty but proved a little too dry for me.

There’s not a great deal to the town in terms of things to see or do. Why else would I go on so much about a cake that I didn’t really enjoy? However, it has a little church, L’Eglise Notre Dame de l’Assomption, which is worth a visit. By Roman Catholic standards it is simply adorned but it is charming. I particularly like the entrance with it’s curved staircase and and the fact that there’s a plaque inside honouring the town’s war dead (1914-1918 and 1939-1945). Such plaques are not that common in French churches, nor English ones for that matter.

Next door to the church on Place de l’Eglise is a bar-restaurant (Cafe des Sports) which appeared during our visit to serve as much a focal point in the town as the church itself. It was full of people on the two occasions I visited it; once during the day to reserve a table for dinner and again that night to enjoy the dinner. The welcome on both occasions was warm and friendly.

A few photos of the town…

… and a fine sunset the other side of the Guiers…

Montreux (Vaud), Switzerland September 2024 (Tour 10)

The good weather was set to hold for another half a day and we had a choice of visiting either Lausanne or Montreux. The camp site owner was in no doubt – it had to be Montreux by a country mile.

We took the train from Cully along the shoreline to Montreux with free return rail tickets provided by the campsite. It seems there is a system here (The Lavaux Transport Card) whereby tourists staying in approved accommodation qualify for free local train tickets for each day of their stay. The campsite owner simply issued us with vouchers (one each for Nala and Beanie too) and we were off.

If our journey along the north bank of Lake Geneva to Montreux is anything to go by, the rail system in Switzerland is excellent. It is public transport at it’s best or is it that I am so disillusioned by everything to do with the UK’s rubbish service? There are Panoramic and Belle Epoque trains operating on this route but we caught one of the regular double deck trains. Everything about our journey to and from Montreux was on point. The service was frequent, punctual and efficient. The trains (and stations for that matter) are clean and spacious and, best of all, is the consideration given to disabled travellers (and dogs like Nala in her walking wheels). Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, the views from the train were spectacular.

With the latest weather forecasts predicting heavy rain during the course of the afternoon, we were only ever going to have time to see Montreux; which is a shame, because we were also keen to visit some of the villages that our train paused at on it’s journey to Montreaux. Saint Saphorin, in particular, looked worth visiting and Vevey, of course, was home to Charlie Chaplin for many years.

We’d been told that a walk along the promenade in Montreux is an absolute must when visiting the town, not least because of the marvellous views out across the lake, and that was to be our first goal. From the railway station we headed down through the town to the Quai Edouard Jaccoud and; then followed it eastwards through the Quai de la Rouvenaz (with it’s Freddy Mercury statue) and; the Quai Ernest-Ansermet (with it’s statue of Les Amoreux) and; on to the Quai des Fleurs (with it’s Casino Barriere and many different annuals – 330,000 flowers are embedded along the Quai des Fleurs every year) and; finally, through to the Via Francigena (with it’s excellent views of the Chateau de Chillon). We’d been warned not to enter the castle, on account of it being ridiculously overpriced, but we were ready for a cup of coffee anyway and so retraced our steps to the Casino Barriere de Montreux.

Vanya wanted to see Queen’s old recording studios (Mountain Studios) which were incorporated in the casino building when it was rebuilt following the 1971 fire. Freddie Mercury had an apartment overlooking the Quai des Fleurs and he encouraged the band to invest in the recording studio. They bought it in 1979 and kept it until after his death, when Queen’s producer, David Richards, took it on. After Richard’s death in 2013 it was converted into a museum exhibition known as “Queen – The Studio”. Vanya was enthralled by the exhibition and subsequently spent the time it took me to drink two cups of coffee regaling me with anecdotes about the place. Amongst other things I learned, Queen produced 7 albums there and; other recording artists who used the facility included David Bowie, Brian Ferry, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Phil Collins and Michael Jackson. The list goes on and on.

You’ll have to speak directly to Vanya about the anecdotes. I’ll leave you with a few photos of our time in Montreux.

*Heading off down the Quai Edouard Jaccoud*

Montreux is a really charming town and well worth a visit if only to walk the promenade and soak in the views across Lake Geneva. Yes, there are a great many tourists but, so what? Just enjoy the place.

Heavy rain curtailed our visit to Montreux. When it continued through the next day and was forecast to get even worse, we made the decision to drive on into the south of France and Spain if necessary. We wanted more sunshine.

We missed out on Lausanne and Saint Saphorin and Vevey and some of the higher villages (Grandvaux and Chexbres) but, we’ll be back!

Cully (Vaud), Switzerland September 2024 (Tour 10)

Cully (pronounced Coo-Eee) is a tiny little wine village on Lake Geneva in the French speaking Vaud Canton. It is almost halfway between Lausanne and Montreux and it proved a wonderful place to stay on account of it’s having all the facilities we needed (including an excellent campsite and a choice of restaurants) and it’s close proximity and good travel connections to Lausanne, Montreux and numerous local towns and villages in the Lavaux.

Switzerland’s Lavaux region is home to the country’s celebrated Chasselas vines and the terraces on which the vines grow almost monopolise Lake Geneva’s northern shoreline for a 7 mile stretch between Saint Saphorin and Lutry (and passing through Cully). The terraces have been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

After the disappointment of Aarburg, our first sight of Cully as we drove down to the village from the E62 was so very encouraging. The rain which followed us along the Swiss motorways for most of the morning had abated and the sun was shining. We drove slowly through Chexbres (our attention divided between the contents of this pretty little village and it’s wonderful views over Lake Geneva) and then slower still through Epesses (as alluring as Chexbres but with considerably narrower streets and an abundance of busy tractors) and then we entered Cully and our spirits soared.

Our campsite (Camping de Moratel) isn’t cheap, even out of season, but it is almost perfect, even having it’s own marina and beach on the lake (Plage de Moratel). For what remained of that first afternoon, we were content to chill and within minutes of parking the Van up on a great pitch with views over Lake Geneva, we were sitting in the sunshine with a glass of cold bubbly to hand.

After a while I felt sufficiently refreshed to scout out a bar or restaurant for the evening. There is a surprising amount of choice for such a small village; probably on account of the CGN Boat Cruises stopping at Cully throughout the day and; of course, the Lavaux Vineyard Hike passes directly through the village. I reserved a table at the Cafe de la Post; there being plenty on the menu to satisfy Vanya’s palate and mine and because they were quite happy for us to bring our two dogs into the restaurant.

Thereafter I completed a thorough tour of the village, including a visit to the railway station to check the next day’s train timetable for Montreux. The campsite owner had convinced us that Montreux was a far better choice than Lausanne for a day out and who are we to argue with the locals?

So, having organised dinner and ascertained train times to and from Montreux, it was time to relax again. Indeed, it was time to sample the local wine. There are numerous wineries in the village, mostly very small affairs (almost cottage industry establishments) but I sought out one of the larger producers because of the greater choice of wines. I found the perfect establishment in “Les Freres Dubois”. They are based in neighbouring Epesses but have a wine shop in Cully. The shop manager recommended a glass of ‘Braise d’Enfer’. I’m not sure I agree with Falstaff’s assessment of the wine -“Full-bodied, yet extremely delicate on the palate, with subtle acidity and yellow fruits. Long, salty and mineral finish” – but it was very tasty. I hope that the Cafe de la Poste hold that wine.

A few photos of the village:-

The food and the welcome at the Cafe de la Poste later that evening was great. Vanya started with a charcuterie followed by a cheese fondue; the fondue being made made with Vacherin Friebourgeois which, we learned, is an endangered cheese because only a handful of artisan cheesemakers know how to make it. It did taste good. I chose some huge snails as a starter; followed by a Gambas au Tandoori, poivrons et oignons riz. Delicious. The white wines we tried with the dinner were not up to the standard of the “Braise d’Enfer” that I had enjoyed at Les Freres Dubois but they kept us happy…

… and tomorrow, Montreux.

Aarburg (Aargau), Switzerland September 2024 (Tour 10)

We drove into Switzerland today in search of better weather. Our entry wasn’t without issues at the Swiss border since we had inadvertently bought the wrong vignette (to drive on the Swiss motorways) over the internet. It took almost an hour to sort but we made it in the end.

Vanya had found us a campsite (Camping Wiggerspitz) in the small town of Aarburg which has, we were informed, a spectacular 12th century castle – one of the largest and most impressive in Switzerland. Unfortunately , what should have been a three hour drive to Aarburg became a five hour trial because of the delay with the vignette, traffic congestion around Zurich and wet weather but, again, we made it in the end… and the castle does look awesome.

Sadly, it is not open to the public… well, not unless you are under a certain age and have committed some misdemeanour… it’s now a borstal! We went for a wander around the town anyway and so that I could visit the tidy looking Reform Church which stands in front of the prison. Of course the church was also shut. So too were all the local cafe-bars. Ever felt that circumstances were conspiring against you?

Feeling somewhat deflated with the town I googled Aarburg after returning to the Van. There are a handful of blogs singing the praises of the town but take away the castle and the church and, honestly, there is little else. Sorry, but Aarburg is one of those places you might pause at for a cup of tea and to admire the view of the church and castle from across the Aare River but, otherwise… we’re heading for Lausanne and/or Montreux.

Tubingen (Baden-Wurttemberg), Germany September 2024 (Tour 10)

We very much enjoyed Marburg and were reluctant to leave but, the weather forecast across Germany (and almost all of northern Europe) was so bad that we thought it best to make our way south west into France or even Spain. We chose to go by way of another scenic university city, Tubingen in Swabia. This city is purportedly one of Germany’s sunniest spots although you wouldn’t believe it while we were there. In fact, I’m thinking we should have driven even further west because I was absolutely drenched whilst wandering the city centre.

Tubingen straddles the River Neckar and a part of my walk into the city from the campsite took me on to the Neckarinsel. This artificial island is about three quarters of a mile long and a path lined with 200 year old Plane trees (the Platanenallee) runs it’s length to the Eberhardsbrucke in the city centre. This route along the island provides some fine views of the colourful 15th and 16th century buildings lining the Neckar. The most impressive views however are from the bridge or, better still, from a Stockerkahn which is a flat bottom boat not unlike the punts to be found on the River Cam in Cambridge. The Stockerkahn is propelled in the same way as a punt too.

*A view along the Neckar from the Eberhardsbrucke*

*The River Neckar complete with a Stockerkhan* *and the Zwingel Wall*

A staircase at the end of the island leads up on to the Eberhardsbrucke (which bridge is named in honour of Count Eberhard V who started the city’s university in 1477) and from there one can enter the old town via the Neckargasse or along a narrow path by the Zwingel Wall. I walked both routes during my short time in the city.

Before I forget, there’s a large birdhouse at the foot of the staircase which intrigued me. I learned that it serves to help control the city’s pigeon population which is as great a problem in Tubingen as in any other European city. When the pigeons nest in the birdhouse, city workers replace their eggs with plaster ones. This may not be one of the most successful methods of controlling pigeon numbers but it is perhaps one of the more humane.

Once up on the bridge I made my way to the 15th century Collegiate Church of Saint George (known more commonly as the Stiftskirche) which is on the Holzmarkt. This is another church which converted to Protestantism, the first Protestant service being held in the church during 1534. My primary reason for heading there was to take advantage of the supposedly good views from it’s belltower but, it wasn’t to be. The belltower was closed for the day but, no matter, the Stiftskirche is a beautiful and interesting church.

One detail I noticed about the church’s choir is that the carving of Moses shows him with horns on his head, much like a devil. I didn’t know this until today but it seems a great many images of Moses from the Middle Ages portray him with horns. It is not absolutely clear how this came about but it is suspected the horns were added to discredit him at a time when Christians and Jews were in conflict.

*Collegiate Church of Saint George (Stiftskirche)*

The Holzmarkt is adjacent to the Marktplatz and this market square has to be the focal point of the city with it’s more than impressive town hall (the Rathaus), Neptune’s Fountain (Neptunbrunnen) and the square’s many multifloored 15th and 16th century buildings. Tubingen escaped the heavy bombing which saw so many places devastated during World War II (only one bomb is recorded as having landed on the city) and it’s medieval centre is almost perfectly preserved.

The colourful Rathaus takes pride of place with it’s ornate astronomical clock and it’s tiny, flower covered balcony which comes into it’s own during civil wedding services when the newly married couple are encouraged to take their first kiss as husband and wife on the balcony in front of a cheering crowd.

And then it began to rain, softly at first…

Despite the rain I continued with my walk around this colourful little city; admiring the abundance of flowers and some very good street art (there was a lot of not so nice grafitti too – just awful scribble) and; visiting a couple more churches too but then the heavens really opened.

It was a cloudburst, a deluge, and I was well and truly caught in it. I was drenched. I found shelter for a while in a cafe (over coffee and apfelkuchen) but the rain wouldn’t let up and as time dragged on I felt obliged to try and make my way back to the Van. I started skipping (prancing is perhaps a more accurate description) from one door to another. It was slow progress… and then I noticed the Stolpersteine… more of Gunter Demnig’s work… small memorial plaques laid in the pavement in front of the former homes of victims of the Nazis… and my progress became slower still.

I made it back to the Van a while later. The bad weather stopped me searching out other stolpersteine and all the forecasts suggest it will continue to rain for the next few days.

It was time to move on. I missed out on the Hohentubingen Castle with it’s Renaissance style lower gate (the Unteres Schloss Tor), the Eberhard Karls University, the Wurmlinger Chapel and who knows what else but; I suspect I will return to Tubingen.

Marburg (Hesse), Germany September 2024 (Tour 10)

I’d never heard of Marburg until we started looking for a place to overnight while on our way to Quedlingburg. We came for one day, stayed 4 and forgot all about Quedlingburg. That says it all. It’s a quintessential German city, full of character and points of interest and it’s beautiful. Moreover, during our visit we didn’t see or hear a single tourist. I guess not many other people have heard of the place either.

My initial exploration of the city commenced with a walk up through the Oberstadt to the Landgrafen Palace (the Landgrafenschloss) which towers over Marburg. It was a hot walk with the promised sun, that we’ve been chasing since leaving England, raising the local temperature to at least 30 degrees centigrade. The walk up was steep, through mostly narrow cobbled streets and even narrower lanes lined with colombage houses. Given how hot it was I was content to wander the castle grounds and view the outside of what is now, for the most part, a museum.

*A painting of the Landgrafenschloss towering over Marburg*

While walking to and from the palace I was intrigued by various interesting fairy tale features which adorn the route. They are a nod to the Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, who attended Philipps University in Marburg during the period 1802 to 1806. There are a number of these features dotted around the city and it is possible to obtain a map showing their whereabouts from the local tourist office. I didn’t have a copy of the map (I think it is called the Grimm Trail) but, even so, I stumbled across Cinderella’s shoe; the magic mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves; the Frog Prince from the fairy tale of the same name; seven flies from the Brave Little Tailor and; a series of statues representing the Wolf and the Seven Kids.

If it wasn’t so hot and if there weren’t quite so many steps in Marburg, I’m sure I would have stumbled upon more of the fairy tale features but, I needed a beer and so made my way back to the city’s Marktplatz where I’d previously noticed a bar selling Veltins, a Pilsner I had very much enjoyed at a beer festival in Mainz a couple of years ago.

The Marktplatz, with it’s red sandstone Rathaus (City Hall) and the Saint George Fountain (so named because the fountain is topped by a statue of St George killing his dragon), is one of the prettier parts of Marburg and a popular meeting place among the city’s large student population. The 450+ year old Rathaus is by far the most picturesque building on the square. It is nothing less than splendid.

In a corner close to the Rathaus is a statue of Sophie of Brabant holding her son, Henry. Sophie was the daughter of the city’s most famous personage, Elizabeth of Thuringia (more about her later), and it was in this square during the War of the Thuringian Succession that Sophie proclaimed her son Henry the Landgrave of the independent territory of Hesse.

Marburg is a long established university city with a young age profile (23,500 of the 73,000 population are students) and the Marktplatz reflects that. It is very much a meeting place with it’s numerous cafes, bars and restaurants. I sat on the square nursing a couple of beers for a thoroughly enjoyable hour just watching the world go by and listening to a couple of buskers. They were good.

Vanya and I returned to the town later in the day to take dinner on the square but the buskers I had so much enjoyed earlier in the day were gone and in their place was an absolutely atrocious soul singer. Despite the lovely setting and the okay meal, I couldn’t get off the square quick enough but; we promised ourselves we would return the following night (and we did, with our friends Craig and Julie who arrived in Marburg that same day).

A little bit about two of the city’s more remarkable churches; the Lutheran Parish Church and the Elisabethkirche. The Elisabethkirche is the most impressive of the two but it was the Lutheran Parish Church (also known as the Marienkirche – Saint Mary’s in English) which captured my attention.

The Marienkirche is the slightly older of the two churches dating back to 1222 (compared to 1235 for the Elisabethkirche) but in 1527 the then Landgrave Philip the Magnaminous declared it to be the Protestant Parish Church of Marburg. It was to be the first Protestant church in Hesse and subsequently became known as the Lutheran Parish Church. However, it is not the church’s history which charmed me during my visit nor even it’s very obvious leaning spire. It was a young string ensemble practising Bach in readiness for weekend concert in the church. They were tremendous. It seems the church is well known for it’s acoustics and I note that the Bach evening will be followed by a soprano singer (Miriam Feuersinger) and, in October, a ‘Night of the Choirs’ which will see a minimum 15 choirs performing 20 minute sets. That’s with free admission too and such events will be something I will be checking out during any future visits to Marburg.

In contrast, the Elisabethkirche proved a total letdown as this most beautiful and historically interesting church was mostly closed for restoration purposes. This church was built to celebrate the short life of the Landgravine Elisabeth of Thuringia. She died in 1231 at the age of 24 but achieved enough in that short life to be sanctified by the Catholic Church just 4 years later. The church was built alongside a hospital (there’s little left of that now) which she created for the area’s sick and poor. Her relics are interred in a tomb in the church which is supposedly a masterpiece of intricate carving and medieval goldsmithing. Another particularly interesting feature of the church is the beautiful stained glass window depicting scenes from Elisabeth’s life. Created in 1957 it is considered to be one of the most celebrated modern stained glass windows in Germany.

Another interesting building just opposite from the front entrance of the Elisabethkirche is a small chapel, Saint Michael’s Kappelle. This chapel was commissioned by the Teutonic Order of Knights in 1270 to celebrate the lives of numerous pilgrims who, after coming to Marburg ill and hoping to be saved by Saint Elisabeth, died in the city and needed to be buried. The graveyard where these pilgrims are buried surrounds the chapel and it was used until about 1530 when Marburg turned Protestant.

Talking of hospitals, shortly after arriving in Marburg I was interested to learn that between 1943 and 1945 (during World War II), the whole city became a hospital. It was decided that all government buildings near to a hospital or doctor’s surgery were to become hospital wards for wounded German soldiers and as many as 20,000 soldiers were held in these wards at any given time. Consequently, the city wasn’t bombed by the allies.

Well, that’ll do for now except to say that (a) we will definitely return to Marburg and (b) our stay was very much enhanced through our staying at a quite excellent campsite on the banks of the River Lahn (just 20 minutes walk from the city along an excellent cycle path) – the Campsite Lahnaue.

*And there’s the Frog Prince. Which one I hear you ask.*

Monschau (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany September 2024 (Tour 10)

Sometimes referred to as the Pearl of the Eifel Nature Reserve, Monschau is a small fairy tale town on the banks of the River Rur (not to be confused with the Ruhr). Of course it is very much a tourist town (complete with tourist train and American accents) but it is picturesque and, being almost halfway between Tournai and Marburg, it was the perfect spot for us to break our journey.

After registering at a (very expensive) campsite outside the town, we made our way to the town centre in the Van and parked on Herbert Isaac Strasse outside the Handwerkmarkt. It is a quick and easy walk from there into the Altstadt although, in truth, almost all of Monschau could be described as Altstadt. We had it in mind to explore the centre first and then grab a bite to eat before walking the Panorama Weg (more about that later) and finishing inside the Handwerkmarket – and that is precisely what we did. The fact is, Monschau is a very small town and you really don’t need more than half a day to see it. If the weather was better we might have stayed a little longer but rain was forecast.

Monschau dates back to at least the 1100s. However, its heyday was during the 17th to 18th century when it had a thriving textile industry. Thereafter the town’s prosperity went into decline but it has been well preserved and it looks very much as it did some 250 years ago. Tourism is now it’s only source of income.

The town is replete with narrow winding cobbled streets lined by more than 200 historically listed houses; the vast majority of which are 18th century half timbered properties. Those on the banks of the Rur make for an especially pretty sight.

After a quick exploration of the town taking in the Catholic and Evangelical Churches and the Rotes Haus (an interesting and impressive fully furnished Mansion House built by a successful local merchant which perfectly reflects bourgeois living in the 18th century), we settled down for a late brunch at a cafe on the market place. Well, I had something to eat (and the obligatory beer) while Vanya simply went for her favourite Spaghettieis (although she wasn’t all that impressed with this particular offering).

The two churches surprised me. It is invariably the Roman Catholic rather than the Protestant churches which are the more sumptuously furnished. It is not so in Monschau. There’s a simple richness in the decor and furnishings of the Evangelical church that reflects the success of the local merchants at the time the church was opened (1810) and/but which is missing from the Catholic church.

Before setting off for the Handwerkmarkt which Vanya was keen to see, I took a quick walk up and around what is known locally as the Panorama Weg. It’s a short 1.5 mile walk which loops around the outside of the town and offers some fine views of both the town and the town castle (Burg Monschau). Don’t believe those who tell you that there are some excellent views of the town from the castle. The best views are to be found walking the Panorama Weg and it is an easy little walk.

As for the 13th century Burg Monschau; it isn’t much of a place. It has some pretty gardens but most of the castle is given over to use as a youth hostel.

And so to the Handwerkmarkt. It’s a large and impressive handicraft market with the added attractions of a splendid glass store (complete with on site glass blowing) and a striking sand sculpture exhibition. I suspect it was established by local merchants so as to capitalise from the many tourists drawn to this very pretty town and, if so, good luck to them. It is worth an hour or two of anyone’s time (especially if it’s raining – and, by the time we got there, it was raining). There’s a small charge for entry into the sand sculptures (understandable – the sculptors have to make a living) and an even smaller charge if you want to try glass blowing but, otherwise, entrance is free.

Overall, we enjoyed our short excursion into Monschau and had it not started raining, I believe we would have stayed longer.

Our next stop is Marburg in the Hesse Region of Germany and I for one am looking forward to that.

Tournai (Wallonia), Belgium September 2024 (Tour 10)

Tour 10 didn’t get off to the best possible start with the tail end of a storm out in the Atlantic hitting northern Europe just as we were leaving Brighton. Heavy rain followed us all around the M23, M25 and M20 to Dover and, while it paused for our ferry crossing, it resumed as we docked in Calais. Unfortunately, the weather oulook across most of northern Europe for the next few days is bad. Anyone who follows our tours in the Van will know that we follow the sun and for once we were unsure as to which way to turn. It would be a dash down through France to Spain (which we did earlier this year) or through the Benelux countries to central Germany (where Marburg is currently enjoying 30 degrees centigrade). We decided in favour of Germany, not least because we have friends touring there at the moment and I’ve long wanted to visit Marburg.

On this first day of Tour 10 we decided to keep driving until it stopped raining and so it was that we arrived in the French speaking town of Tournai, some 50 miles south west of Brussels. We arrived late in the afternoon which rather limited my initial tour of the city because most public buildings had closed for the day but, no matter, there was still plenty to see and, anyway, Vanya was more concerned that I find us somewhere to eat that night.

It took me 25 minutes to walk to from our camp site (Camping L’Orient) to the triangular shaped ‘Grand Place’ which was once the site of a large Gallo-Roman cemetery but now serves as the city’s main square and is clearly the centre of activity with it’s many bars and restaurants. Sadly, the “square’s” focal point, the 72 metre high 12th century Gothic style Belfry (the tallest of it’s kind in Belgium), was closed. This was frustrating as the tower would have provided some great views over the city. Timing is everything.

No matter. There is plenty else of interest on the Grand Place. Leaving aside the numerous examples of colouful Flemish architecture (Tournai is very close to Flanders Region), there is the 13th century Roman Catholic church of Saint Quentin; the Halle aux Draps (the Cloth Hall) with it’s beautiful gilt detailed facade; a series of fountains and; an imposing bronze statue of the Princess of Epinoy, Christina Van Lalaing, a Calvanist who led a brave but ultimately futile defence of the city against Spanish Catholic invaders in 1581. More than anything, the square is a great place to sit with a Belgian beer or two and people watch.

*Grand Place with the Belfry taking centre stage*

I was tempted to stop on the square for a quick beer but thought better of it. I needed to find a decent restaurant for the evening and; while the Grand Place has plenty of these, our German Shepherd, Nala, is handicapped and would find it difficult to negotiate the footbridges over L’Escault (the River Scheldt in Flemish) in her ‘walking-wheels’. I needed to find something on the other side of the river, closer to the campsite.

I headed back towards the river, pausing at the UNESCO World Heritage listed Cathedral of Our Lady of Tournai on my way. This beautiful 12th century Gothic style cathedral, with no less than 5 huge towers and a stunning 7 metre diameter stained glass rose window, was substantially damaged in 1999 by, of all things, a tornado. It has been claimed that this exceptionally unusual weather phenomenen caused 100 years of damage overnight. Small wonder that one whole side of the cathedral is still covered in scaffolding. I couldn’t gain entry, because the cathedral closes in the summer months at 17.15, and so took time to admire the bronze statue outside the cathedral of some blind pilgrims (Les Aveugles). I subsequently learned this striking monument was created by Guillaume Charlier in 1906. I’d never hear of him before but the detail on that statue is amazing.

From the cathedral I walked down to L’Escault and then along past what until 2003 was a ‘Redemptorist’ church to the Pont des Trous. I haven’t been able to determine what the old church building is used for these days but, not having heard of the Redemptorists, I did check them out. They are a Catholic congregation committed to missionary work which was founded in the 18th century by a certain Alphonsus Liguouri (canonised in 1839). You want to know more, you’ll have to look it up yourself but, he seems to have been an all round good egg.

The Pont des Trous is a 13th century bridge which was originally part of Tournai’s defensive walls. It’s quite photogenic but it wouldn’t do to get Nala across the river in her walking wheels. There is a road bridge further along which she would be able to navigate but, following this route, the journey from the campsite would be too much for her. We would be eating in the Van this night.

I took the obligatory photographs of the Pont des Trous and then made my way back to the campsite. There’s no doubt that I missed out on Tournai through arriving so late (I would have liked to visit the Hotel de Ville de Tournai, which occupies part of the former 11th century Benedictine Abbey of Saint Martin, and a number of other ecclesiastical buildings including the Eglise St Jacques and L’Eglise Saint Brice). There’s a lot of history there. Next time perhaps, weather permitting.