Having arrived in the dark, in the morning we were treated to an excellent sunlit view right across the Rhine plain as far as the German mountains on the other side. Today would be the day we tackled another large town, this time Colmar, which I believe is the main town on this whole Alsace Wine Route.

After locating the best value diesel en route using the French Government’s website: https://www.prix-carburants.gouv.fr, we topped up at Colmar’s Hyper-U, then headed into town to find some parking. Park4night directed us to a great spot dedicated to motorhomes, and right outside the gendarmerie. It consisted of roadside pavement parking, and at €1 per hour, with 12-2 free, our 4 hours cost us a very reasonable €2. Using maps.me, we were in the centre within 10 minutes, and so Colmar could not have made it much more convenient for us.

We weren’t sure what to expect, but it was highly recommended as a must-see town, and I have to say that we were not disappointed. Colmar is sometimes compared to Bruges, principally I think because of the attractive canal that runs through it and the small tourist punts that go along them.

It is definitely very attractive and not to be missed. Sophie was keen to get on one of those punts in their “Little Venice” area, a subject she’d actually done some research on. At the point she unknowingly tried to negotiate the price up from €6 to €7.50, because of what she’d read in an article about Colmar, I had no choice but to intervene, and so we enjoyed a very reasonably priced and excellent boat trip, with only a few other trippers as company. Our “driver” was very good and unlike most places we visit, actually knew where Jersey was, having wanted to visit last New Year when in Normandy, but there were no boat services at that time of year. We’d recommend the “Promenades en Barques” in Boulevard Saint Pierre.

Next on my agenda was food. Having had two less than impressive attempts so far this trip, we were keen to put that right. Having spied a pleasant, but not too busy terrace overlooking the canal we found our way to the restaurant by firstly going through a butcher’s shop. Some people don’t make it easy to use their services. The main course was excellent, as was the Riesling, and then we indulged in desserts too. We’d highly recommend Le Comptoir de Georges in “La Petite Venise” area.

The rest of our time was just wandering around enjoying the attractive parts of the town.

*** Just to mention that our blogs can be up to a few weeks behind reality, as we’re always in catch-up mode ***