Four hours and then some on the A4 from Paris to Alsace. Snow as we drive across the Vosges. Stuck in traffic for another hour, getting around and then into Strasbourg--crossroads of Europe--on a freeway system that's just overwhelmed at rush hour. Three months from now, the new TGV Est will do the run in two hours and change.
On the other hand, once you're in Strasbourg, there's a new tram network to speed you along. Lots of bike paths, too. Sweet! Are you listening, Seattle?
La Petite France is Strasbourg's picturesque, 16th-century neighborhood of half-timbered houses surrounded by canals. A friendly Penelope-Cruz-lookalike pours welcoming glasses of Crémant d'Alsace at a winstub. Everyone's eating Flammkuchen, ultra-thin crispy dough topped with onions, mushrooms, bacon or cheese. And ever so delicious!
In the less touristy spots, the favored drink is a concoction called Picon-bière, which mixes the bitter apéritif Amer Picon with local brew. In fact, almost three-fourths of all Picon's production is sold in the north of France for just this purpose. Will investigate further.
