Selestat, population 20,000, lies in the midst of the famous 100 mile Alsace wine route. Stunning countysides filled with vineyards mixed in with picturesque medieval villages make this area very popular with tourists.
Selestat's old town is a delight for the eyes as well as the stomach. You are aware the name of this blog is "Paul The Junk Food Junkie"? Well, I have to confess I screwed up. In a patisserie I opted to try a raspberry eclair. In the USA your choices usually consist of chocolate, vanilla and mocha/coffee. In France pistachio and raspberry filled eclairs can be found. Well, the raspberry eclair was historic! This called for a picture of this delightful delectable but, to my considerable dismay the raspberry eclairs were all sold out when I returned!
In the photo above do you see anything unusual atop one of the the buildings? How about in the photo below? Yep, those are storks nesting atop the chimney and they're very common here in the Alsace region. Matter of fact there's a combination zoo/amusement park several miles from Selestat that touts the fact that over 50 storks are born there every year. Yeah that's fine and dandy but I think the locals need to do a better job in pushing the storks as tourist attractions. Why? Standing outside the window display of a butcher shop in the old town area I note the huge glass jars (much taller than wine bottles) and wonder what kind of bird is it that I see packed in the jar floating in a clear liquid. Wow, are those stork legs I see? My question is quickly answered as I peer at the jar's label and see a drawing of a stork. Hmm, would be like going to the San Diego Zoo and seeing the koalas then heading to a nearby restaurant and finding koala burgers on the menu.
Selestat, population 20,000, lies in the midst of the famous 100 mile Alsace wine route. Stunning countysides filled with vineyards mixed in with picturesque medieval villages make this area very popular with tourists.
Selestat's old town is a delight for the eyes as well as the stomach. You are aware the name of this blog is "Paul The Junk Food Junkie"? Well, I have to confess I screwed up. In a patisserie I opted to try a raspberry eclair. In the USA your choices usually consist of chocolate, vanilla and mocha/coffee. In France pistachio and raspberry filled eclairs can be found. Well, the raspberry eclair was historic! This called for a picture of this delightful delectable but, to my considerable dismay the raspberry eclairs were all sold out when I returned!
In the photo above do you see anything unusual atop one of the the buildings? How about in the photo below? Yep, those are storks nesting atop the chimney and they're very common here in the Alsace region. Matter of fact there's a combination zoo/amusement park several miles from Selestat that touts the fact that over 50 storks are born there every year. Yeah that's fine and dandy but I think the locals need to do a better job in pushing the storks as tourist attractions. Why? Standing outside the window display of a butcher shop in the old town area I note the huge glass jars (much taller than wine bottles) and wonder what kind of bird is it that I see packed in the jar floating in a clear liquid. Wow, are those stork legs I see? My question is quickly answered as I peer at the jar's label and see a drawing of a stork. Hmm, would be like going to the San Diego Zoo and seeing the koalas then heading to a nearby restaurant and finding koala burgers on the menu.
Yikes, great photos and a great story. I often see large birds pictured standing on one leg. Maybe the other leg is in the jar!
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