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ALSACE, FRANCE
227
January14
Alsace’s capital
Strasbourg
is the starting point for our
Wine Road Cycle trip. We
arrived ignorant of the city’s charms,
history and importance, having not so
much as leafed through our guidebook.
After setting down our bags in a pocket-
sized room at the well-located
Dragon
Hotel
, we met tour company
Utracks
representative Anne-Sophie, who gave
us a briefing in heavily accented French,
passed us a wad of maps and trip
instructions, and handed over our bikes.
Built for ease rather than speed, the
bikes had enormous padded seats
which, combined with our padded
cycling shorts, made for a comfortable
and chafe-free three days of riding. They
were equipped with panniers and a front
pocket; our suitcases were transported
from hotel to hotel by a faceless taxi
angel, and were ready and waiting for
us every evening.
We had a few hours that afternoon
to stroll the cobblestone streets of
Strasbourg’s Unesco-listed historic
city centre, but took a sudden dive
into the stunning gothic
Notre Dame
Cathedral
as relief from driving rain. I’ll
confess to lighting a candle inside the
breathtaking 800-year-old cathedral in
the hope that blue skies would reign over
us for the coming three days. Because
of the gloomy weather, we missed the
full magnificence of the stained glass
windows, but a fortuitous choir practice
showed off the cathedral’s incredible
acoustics.
DAY
1