Riding through the Vosges
July 18, 2005My wife has a sister who once had a farm on the foot of the Ngong Hills - er sorry - it’s really on the mountains of the Vosges. (A nicer setting anyway, than Nairobi). The Tour de Lance had just passed through these same mountains a week ago (I missed it, because I was so busy with the ICANN conference). So I did what any able-bodied tourist would do caught up in the Tour de France frenzy. Why, I picked up a mountain bike, and went ahead full-steam for one of Cols! (Boy, was I ever sorry - or more accurately, was my body ever sore!)
Meet Angelique, her son Hans, and her Canadian-German husband Rick. Angelique is a University of Illinois - Chicago graduate, who has given up her life in the US to live on a farm in the Vosges. They make their own cheese, grown their own herbs, tend their own sheep, and cook some of the best lamb I have ever tasted. Seriously. Behind us is their home, a 200 year old structure.
There’s something that has to be said of Angelique and the quality of life here. On our way up to their farm, she waves at a lot of her neighbors - and they wave back. If she meets someone she knows while driving on the road - they stop and chat. (Never mind that the two cars are blocking oncoming traffic) Her friends - they are simply some of the warmest people I have ever met. I don’t understand a word they say, and they don’t understand a word I say - but the affection is just so palpable - that I keep visiting her friends everytime I drop by this part of the world! It’s a good life - and I do envy them sometimes.
Here’s the outdoor barbecue Angelica prepared for us on the day we arrived.
And here’s the view from her farm. Believe me, this mountain looks a lot higher than this picture shows. As far as I’m concerned, it’s Hors Categorie! (OK - maybe it isn’t, but I had to stop and get off the bike four times (to recuperate) before I could make it up from the town of Cornimont to Angelique’s farm). Next time, I’ll get my legs in shape before I attempt this again!
We also stayed for a few days here. Wow! What solitude! (that’s a ski slope by the way, at the top of the last picture) That’s Hans (aka “tout”) trying to evade the camera.
The weather got warm one day, so we decided to cool off on this lake. I don’t know about you, but all I could think of when I was swimming on this lake was - MY KIDS WOULD LOVE THIS. It really is as pretty as it looks, and sometimes I wonder why we Filipinos have to live with so little. Why don’t we have enough parks so our kids can kick a football around - barefoot, or play w/ frisbees? Why don’t we have any clean lakes or rivers close to Metro Manila that we can swim in? (Ok - so we have Caliraya and Taal lake - but, it just isn’t the same, you know?)
Sigh. I can stay on this topic forever. So I’ll leave it at that; There’s only so much we can do about the situation in the Philippines. There’s no reason why the sins of our forefathers (or more accurately, our politicians) should be visited upon our children.
Incidentally, Angelique and Rick conduct biking tours of the Alsace-Vosges-Switzerland area in the summer, as well as skiing tours in the winter. The Alsace-Lorraine area is also known for its wine tours. The Vosges area is known for its FOIE GRAS. So if you’re a high cholesterol type like me, go for the biking tour and pig out on the cheese and foie gras! (If anyone is interested, contact Angelique Molzahn at angelica.molzahn@tele2.fr) Feel free to cc me (jed@i.ph) if you have difficulty contacting Angelique.
