Are you sure?, asked the woman in the tourist information office. Here - the website - the menu is here. It is alright? And it definitely looked alright - simple food served in a simple atmosphere, and all of it highly recommended by the bible: the Michelin "Green Guide" to Alsace/Lorraine/Champagne.
I'm still trying to figure out why there was even a question. I mean, we actually haven't paid much attention to the GG during this trip. Much of its focus is on the historic and architectural features of these remarkable little villages, making it pretty irrelevant to a group whose foci were prescribed from the beginning by the plea, "No cities. No museums." We've read a ton of historical plaques, make no mistake, but for the most part the intent has been to experience how life is lived today by the people who actually live year round in the region. Despite the tourism and the blatant appeals to the average tourist (and we are definitely among them), we've achieved at least a somewhat nuanced perspective. The proprietor of our little gîte lives above us with his wife and baby and parents, providing a daily reminder that while we occupy this space for a week or so, he has lived all of his 21 years here, his baby was born here, and they all eat, sleep, and make a living here. The trip to the village physician yesterday provided a fascinating glimpse into the process of accessing healthcare in a country with a very different delivery system than ours - it was definitely more than just a passport to antibiotics.
And this evening we took a winding, narrow path up out of the village and 6 km into the forest for dinner at a farm higher in the foothills. Our waiter's English was perfect, if accented - how he knew to speak English to us without even talking to us first I will never guess... - but he accepted my request to try to speak French with him anyway. After dessert I had to ask - in English by then - and he revealed that he was born in California, but moved here with his French wife in 1994. And here he was 20 years later serving simple - and absolutely delectable - food to a few regular locals and tourists who'd had the sense to make the trip, all with tangible elán and pride in the both the process and the product. He was the second American expat we'd met here, and in both cases it was clear there was really no place they would rather be. Another interesting angle on the question of what it's like to be an Alsatian/ne.
Just heard from Peter, who is still in Hauptstuhl with Brad and Peggy, that they've just got home from a day of flea marketing, castle exploring, and checking out the Rhine and Moselle valleys. And I thought I was tired!
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