The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
One Step at a Time
My apologies if you travel vicariously through our trip reports, but when we don't do much in a day, there's not a lot
to show you. The good news is that Margene is recovering, albeit slower than either of us would like. The bad news is that
my throat is suggesting it may be my turn next. I do know that my knee tells me that extended walks on cobblestone streets
are not in my best long term interest. It wasn't what we anticipated when we set the trip up, but sometimes things just
work out that way. At least we're not on an "if it's Tuesday this must be Belgium" sort of itinerary. Getting sick would
turn something like that into a nightmare!
But it's Thursday, the sun was out and so were we ... for at least an hour or so. We wandered through a few of the
Christmas markets we hadn't visited before, checked out the tail end of the Thursday street market and found a terrific
new patisserie where we loaded up on pastries and sandwiches for lunch. Then it was back to the apartment to assume the
position on the couch until an anticipated evening stroll to see the lights. (I had forgotten that Margene hadn't yet been
out of the apartment in the evening!)
But we got a bit of rain in the early evening, so the nocturnal promenade was delayed until tomorrow night. Who knows?
Tomorrow we might actually get in the car (if it's still there) and get out of Dodge for awhile. The weather will likely
be overcast, but you pays your money and you takes your chances.
One of the things I love about these ancient towns is the centuries-old "mysterious" passages off the main streets leading to ... who knows what? Somehow I hear the clatter of ancient horses and the rumble of wagons. The architecture in the historic center is mainly medieval and early Renaissance. The patterned tile roof of this hall (now filled with artisans) suggests influences from the Burgundy region. The little white huts are vendor booths in one of the five Christmas markets in the old town.
When it comes to seasonal decorations, nothing succeeds like excess. The buildings in the old town really go over the top with holiday decorations, and that's certainly part of the reason that the Colmar Christmas markets are rated in the top ten in Europe and draw such crowds. The lights at night are magical, of course, but there's still lots to see during the daylight hours. This restaurant stopped passers-by in their tracks and there was always a small crowd who stopped to check it out and snap pictures. With all the locals doing it, I didn't feel like as much of a tourist for taking my own shots.
© 2016 Restaurant Doctor
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