10 September 2026

 On the road again!

Leaving in the dark of early morning (but later than planned, thanks to an alarm fail), we were in the heavy traffic of the Brussels péripherique as the sun was rising at 7.30. And about four hours later, here - somewhere near Strasbourg - under blue skies and sunshine -

Destination for day 1 was Colmar. After installing ourselves at the hotel Le Colombier, we walked through the vieille ville and found a place to enjoy a local beer and - appropriately for the region - flammkuchen.

First stop was the Unterlinden museum to see (for the second time) Matthias Grünewald's Isenheim altarpiece, or what I think of as the poxy Christ - 

It's certainly the most compelling portrayal of the crucifixion I've ever seen, and perhaps ever painted. Macabre and horrific, it takes the 'suffering' element to a whole other level of discomfort. 

Unlike the usual, more anodyne, images we see of a Christ on the cross who appears to be suffering but in a somehow visually acceptable, genteel sort of way, this Christ is horribly disfigured and distorted as he writhes in agony.

The hands - both his and the others' in this central panel - seem to be a whole story on their own.

Things lightened up from then on as we walked through the old town - past the Dominican church here -

and around La Petite Venise. Here a café on the canal attached to the Marché Couvert -

and here a lady in red with an old-fashioned wind-up music box was singing chansons on a bench next to the canal -

French-German with a touch of Venice sums up Colmar, and the old-worldy ambience is played up for visitors. 

Which is not to say it isn't very attractive and its history kept very admirably unspoiled -

This was the street outside the Colombier where we stayed -

A few streets away, at L'Epicurien, we had a good dinner of foie gras, poached egg with vegetables, and a shared cabillaud, with (obviously) a bottle of Cremant d'Alsace -