Ten minutes ago, I opened our fridge and the distinctive aroma of very strong cheese wafted out as I grabbed the milk for my morning coffee.  It’s hardly a surprise because we bought an armful of the stuff yesterday morning.

Quite a lot has happened since Nancy where we left our city centre location.  The convenience of the site was unparalleled but, my word, cities are noisy and it never stops.  So, we decided to go rural, and found a lovely spot deep in the heart of the Alsace region, on a farm…. Beside the raucous cow shed. Still, mooing is actually quite soothing and we all had the best night’s sleep of the trip.

When you stay on a farm that produces its own fromage (that’s French for cheese, one of a few words my little brain has picked up), and you actually see the family making everything that morning, then you buy whatever your tiny fridge can store.  And if it smells a little bit, then you just crack on and get that cheese ate.

Alsace villages are glimpses into the past with their quaint half wood houses, sandstone drinking troughs and orchard filled gardens.  I’d say we’re here at the perfect time too with cherry blossom in full bloom, and gardens filled with tulips, daffodils and masses of colour from spring wildflowers. 

Yesterday we visited Strasbourg, Kerry has gone on about a desire to return to the city after visiting on a school trip as a fourteen-year-old.  It felt nice to make those dreams come true as we occupied prime seats in front of the cathedral with a beer, a glass of red wine and a bowl of complimentary pretzels.  `

However, not everything is perfect and it’s fair to say we have broken our dog.  We’d upped her food again and she was now getting two and a half meals to offset all her walking, but a tour of Strasbourg has pushed her over the edge and she now has a gamy leg and a small limp.  Initially, we’d thought cities would be off limits to us, but free public transport, city centre parking and close by trams have meant we’ve ventured into three within the last week and Greyhound can’t cope with the pace. 

We’re due a few days of lounging and book reading, after breakfast we’ll cast our eyes over the map at Liechtenstein, Switzerland or Southern Germany.