In Colmar

July 28, 2024

River Lauch. This is probably one of the most photographed sights in all of Colmar.

Today was a lazy day right from the get go. With a rest day ahead of us and nowhere to rush off to today, we slept in until after 8am which is a rarity for both of us. My lofty goals of cycling up to the Ballon d'Alsace was quickly put into the bin, and Sue and I looked forward to a day with no particular plan at all. We decided that we'd just spend our day wandering around Colmar and take in the sights of this picturesque town.

Colmar is a stunning place, and you can quite easily get lost wandering around its vast medieval center lined with well kept and colourful half-timber framed buildings. We also noticed that Colmar's public areas are full of well tended street side gardens, with the streets lined with planters of flowers, trees and shrubs and the town squares were full of pollinator gardens that attracted bees and other insects. It really made Colmar such an appealing place to walk around in.

But, being such a beautiful place and a gem of the Alsace, it was also a very busy place with tourist like us roaming around. But, Sue and I do a pretty good job of avoiding the crowds and seeking out the quieter places we visit.

Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar is large Roman Catholic church built from the 1230s—1360s.

Many buildings in Colmar are adorned with a variety of kitschy objects hanging from buildings like the one on the right.

Facade of Maison de Tetes. 1626. This is covered in 106 heads and is quite the building. Colmar.

After wandering around during the morning, we returned to our room and ate the meat and cheese that we bought in Obernai. We also spent some time watching the Women's Mountain Biking event. Then we went back out to do some more aimless exploring in the late afternoon.

Today was a rather slow news day, so there's not much to report. We took advantage of our rest day and we are looking forward to a shorter ride tomorrow to Cernay.

They call this section of Colmar 'The Little Venice'. You can actually take a ride down the river similar to a gondolier in Venice, except the boats here have quiet electric motors. You can see them parked mid frame.

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Rachael AndersonWhat a great way to spend a rest day!
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4 months ago

Patrick O'HaraTo Rachael AndersonIt really was Rachael. Our next rest day is not until Mittenwald, which is about another week away. I wish I had built more of them into the trip. Part of the team reminds me of this.
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4 months ago