Off and Running

We arrived in Alsace late Monday afternoon after some unexpected minor glitches.  Passport Control took no time at all as the hall there was almost empty.  You are not questioned about being vaccinated when you go through because all the airlines have already checked passengers.  So, it makes the entry easy.  The first glitch was we waited more than one hour for our bags to arrive.  Usually, it takes about 15 minutes or less.  The second issue was the line-up for Avis had more than 15 people ahead of us so it took over another 1/2 hour to get to the counter and sort out the car.  Once that was done, things went smoothly and the roughly 2 hour drive on the autobahn from the airport to Kappel (Germany) where the ferry crosses the Rhine to Rhinau in France was unexpectedly good.  The traffic wasn't too bad and, while there are still those cars in the fast lane going well over 160kph, it was all manageable and I averaged around 110kph most of the way.  .  

Just as a side comment, like I found in the fall when I went to Europe, everything related to COVID restrictions and rules went fine.  In the airports (Victoria, Vancouver and Frankfurt), everyone was wearing masks.  When we checked in for our flight in Victoria, we had to show our Canadian government proof of vaccination documentation and that was it.  Unlike last fall, when I had to show it in Vancouver before boarding my connecting flight to FRA, this time it was checked in Victoria and we received a notification on our phone that confirmed our vaccine documentation was okay.  Further, it was linked to our boarding pass for our ongoing flight.  Gradually the systems are being adapted, it seems, for travelling in the age of COVID,  France has lifted its restrictions for showing proof of vaccination to enter restaurants, museums, etc. although we intend to confirm the rules when we get the chance.  You do still need to wear masks on public transport and, while not mandatory, we are still wearing them in stores.  (Update:  today we went to a pharmacy in the nearby village to see if we had to get our electronic Pass Sanitaire on our phones updated - that is the French app confirming vaccinations and, last fall, when I was here you had to have it to enter anywhere or use public transport.  When I spoke with the pharmacist, he told me our Canadian document would work if we needed proof of vaccination and that updating the Pass Sanitaire was not necessary.  He also said the only time we would be required to show proof is if we went to a hospital.  So, things have certainly relaxed but I think you should probably always carry the Canadian document just in case.)  

Yesterday, we wandered around the village.  It has been more than 25 years since my sister has been here - and then it was only for 3 days - so she was keen to get "the lay of the land", so to speak.  When we went by the church, she went inside and found someone who spoke English.  The church had been bombed in 1944 and the building of new church wasn't finished until 1962.  In between those years the villagers had to go to nearby villages to attend church.  We also walked a little more around the village so my sister could see Le Vieux Couvent, the 1 star Michelin restaurant in Rhinau (where, as a spring specialty, you can have an egg with some ham as a starter for 32 Euros.  Yikes!) Then we walked by a farm with a lovely large rooster (a real "French cock", so to speak) and the donkey that my friends like to give carrots to.  

We got back just in time before a storm hit with hail and pouring rain.  So, not particularly exciting but it is lovely to be back here and we have the luxury of being able to relax for a day or two before we start going further afield.  Needless to say, more to come!