Village Life

Rhinau is a municipality on the Rhine with about 2,900 inhabitants (who are referred to as "un Rhinois" or "une Rhinoise").  It is located in Alsace in the department of Bas-Rhin about 30 kilometres south of Strasbourg, 50 kilometres north-west of Colmar, and less than 10 kilometres from Europa-Park.  A cross-border ferry shuttles between the two banks of the Rhine, one in France and the other in Germany.  The ferry runs year round except during periods of high flooding, can accommodate up to 27 cars, and is free of charge. 

Rhinau benefits from two nature reserves located on either side of the river banks and is part of an area called Le Grand Ried, named for the marshy wetlands found here.  Part of its territory is located in Germany.  These 997 hectares are uninhabited and are made up of fields and forests, most of which are classified as nature reserves. The land is under German sovereignty but is used and owned by Rhinau.  This arrangement resulted after the river meandered in 1541 when Alsace was still part of the Holy Roman Empire.

The last couple of days here in Rhinau where my friends live have been dreary.  Not sure if you would call it low cloud or high fog but the damp and cool temps don't exactly entice one to venture too far.  Yesterday (Saturday) was market day.  Rhinau doesn't have a large market but it was still interesting to look at the various stalls.  Afterwards, we walked along the Brunwasser, a "river" that runs though the village, then along some back streets and further out into the countryside.  Not far, there is an educational farm for school children so we stopped to look at some of the animals there (donkeys, goats, a rare breed of chickens, cows).  That was about the total of yesterday's activities. 

                                       

Today, we found there was an event in the nearby village of Gerstheim called La Vaisselle des Chefs (The Chefs' Tableware).  It was advertised as an amazing sale of crockery, kitchen utensils and table decorations that chefs in many of the region's restaurants no longer use. It was being held in the hall adjoining the village's small museum which showcases Alsatian dishes.  Even the village roundabout and the boulevard in front of the hall were decorated promoting the event.  There was a large selection of very interesting tableware, including dishes from the cruise line, Crois Europe, being sold.  In addition, there were new articles for sale including tablecloths, napkins, and some pots and pans.  We both managed to find a few "treasures" for ourselves.  

Display in the museum of Obernai dishes

So, that was our excitement for today.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be sunny and I will finally get to see the beautiful vineyards at the base of the Vosges mountains not far from Rhinau.  They are so colourful at the time of the year and I can't wait to see them at their best.