September 14: Metz to Nancy
Click on small photos for a full size picture.
We depart Metz on another beautiful day - clear skies and mild temperatures.
There's a street market being set up in the town square as we depart. 
Today we will climb.
| The Alsace... Since the 1870's, the area where northeastern France and southwestern Germany meet has been administered alternately by France and Germany, depending on who won the last war. Signs are printed in French and German, and German is as common as French in the street. From cuisine to architecture, the region sports an interesting blend of influences of both cultures. There is much of the order of the Germans, with the joy de vivre of the French. We like it. |
The hills are long and steep. At Mousson, our speed drops to less than
3 mph and we have to stop and rest frequently during the climb 
.
There's the ruin of an old castle at the top of the hill, but by the time we
reach the summit, we're too tired to try and tour. The downhill from Mousson is
steep and twisty enough to be truly scary. 
Jayne sees smoke rising from the brakes during the descent (I was too busy
steering and praying that the brakes would hold up to check). Once we
reach Loisy, we stop for lunch at a bar, and enjoy a salad and sandwich, plus
Jayne gets to play with a puppy. 
Refreshed from lunch, we push on for Nancy. Luckily, the route is less hilly, but the canal towpath recommended by our guidebook is too rough for the trike, so we shift to roads. Eventually, we reach the tourist information office and secure a room in the local Best Western hotel.
Since we're in the heart of the Alsace in a town 
noted for it's decorative
architecture 
,
dinner tonight will be in a restaurant noted for its' classic design. A
signature dish for this part of France consists of a large pile of sauerkraut
topped with various pork products - ham, bacon, various sausages, and a knuckle
- very tasty in a carnivorous way.