Colmar, Alsace Lorraine
It was an easy, highway drive from Genève to Colmar. It took three and a half hours, with
no lunch stop. From then on, our car stayed in the hotel’s garage, except when we took it out
to go to our 2-star Michelin lunch at Auberge de l'Ill or to go hiking along the canals. Mostly, we walked
everywhere. The center of the old town of Colmar was decorated to the MAX. It
was very kitschy but not really overdone. It was Festive, it was Fun, and we
were glad we came to experience it all.
Colmar's old town was extremely crowded; there were throngs of people walking around when we arrived on the 22nd, and it remained that way until Christmas Eve. That
night, the town went quiet and dark until Christmas Day at 3 pm, when it woke up
again. Day after day, we walked "Les 6 marchés de Noël de Colmar" and saw all of the stuff, but, as usual, bought zero. We ate choucroute once, but not charcuterie which we do not like. Audre loved the half-timbered houses and wants to go back to Normandy again to see them there.
Colmar's half-timbered houses along Le Quai de Poissonnerie
We did all of the touristic things we were supposed to, including the Bartholdi Museum--you know, the Statue of Liberty guy (as well as the Bartholdi fountain in Lyon). One day, we walked 7 km to a park and around the outskirts of town. Compared to the old town, it was very quiet and suburban. Other days we walked along the canals, also in the outskirts of town. The 19th century buildings in the old town of Colmar were much more interesting than the newer buildings on the outskirts.
Audre had been wanting to go to the Auberge de l'Ill since the 1970's when she was first told about it. The restaurant had 3-Michelin stars then. In 2025, it had 2, but we had a delicious and entertaining lunch on the day after Christmas; we loved the terrine de foie gras and the salmon soufflé "Auberge de l'Ill". In Alsace, the day after Christmas is a holiday, and most shops were closed, but the restaurant was packed. We were told that most guests were from the region, and we were probably the only English speakers that day.
Alsace is a land of foie gras preparations, and we ate it at many meals. The literature says: "Goose Foie Gras Remains a Symbol of Alsatian Gastronomy." We have decided that we like the preparation of a terrine de foie just as much as (if not more than) we like foie gras poêlé.
We stayed in an apartment at L'Esquisse Hotel & Spa- MGallery (2 Av. de la Marne, 68000 Colmar Grand Est, France, 33 0367682000), and the location of the hotel was good. However, we were not happy, particularly because we
were paying about US$1000 a day. At 62 square meters, it was big enough but functionally inadequate, and not
well designed or furnished. In a hotel that calls itself a gallery, there
was no art whatsoever on our walls. The walls were bare, and the apartment was stark. When we arrived, the technician,
housekeeping, and the staff from reception helped us to make the apartment work
for us. Actually, the staff was wonderful to us, especially Hector, the General Manager.The lighting in our apartment was not good; in the bathroom, it was awful. A standing
lamp was brought, which made it better. There were no towel bars, so we had to rig some. There was soap, shampoo, and conditioner provided, but absolutely nowhere in the shower to put them, except the floor. Is that 5-star? We asked for stools and a rubber mat for the shower, and thus made it functional ourselves.
The kitchen
counter could not be used as our desk because the bar stools were too high,
difficult to move, and they were uncomfortable. We were brought some small, square bistrot tables which we
put in the corners of the living room with some conference room chairs. Those were
our desks for our laptops. The living room had enough space for them, and we could do our
yoga/stretching and toning in the living room space too.
The climate control system did not work. The temperature
range was set at reception with the supposedly controllable temperature within
+/-3°. The apartment during our
stay was either too hot or too cold, never right for us. The hotel had no
humidifiers, and it was very dry; we had to deploy our own.
The two bedrooms were small, and the second one was so small that it did not have a bed; it had only a sofa. We used the second bedroom to store
our suitcases and as a dressing room. The closets and storage space were too
limited for our 10-day stay. And, the lights in front of the closets blinded us when we
opened the doors. The master bedroom needed a chest of drawers and a chair or two.
The kitchen was a good size and had enough equipment. We
liked having an oven to heat the tourte de canard au foie gras we bought for lunch. There was also
a microwave, a stovetop, and a dishwasher. When we arrived, there was a gift of stollen in the room (a favorite of Dimitri's) and mandarin oranges. However, the stollen had a glob of marzipan in the middle, which Dimitri does not like, so he had to cut that part out.
In front of our apartment was a park with a sequoia, and it was beautiful. We could see the town's Ferris wheel and also the church Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar. We had nice views, particularly on a (rare) clear day when we could see the Vosges Mountains south of Colmar.
We asked and asked for the hotel's Jacuzzi temperature to be raised
from 36.5° C, and Hector, the General Manager of the hotel, granted our request. At 37.5° C, it was comfortable
for us, and it was enjoyable. The changing room in the spa was so dark that it was dangerous to use.
The hotel's breakfast buffet was good, with mostly lovely staff. We had not had a breakfast buffet for two months, and we liked having one again. We could order porridge and eggs the way we wanted them from the menu (but not Eggs Benedict for some reason). The kitchen made excellent French toast! We were glad to be back in France with French croissants, baguette, and cheese (even Munster)! On Christmas Day, the buffet included oysters on the half shell and a terrine de foie gras--our old and new favorites.
We tried to use the hotel's gym, but the equipment was old and poorly maintained, so it was not enjoyable. We did not eat at JY's Restaurant at the hotel because we had an awful experience eating at the sister restaurant Bord'eau.
Zurich
After 11 days in Colmar, we drove to Zurich for one night. The highlight of our stay was meeting up with Adel Tagher, a schoolmate of Dimitri's from Port Said. Adel left Egypt after Dimitri did and went to Switzerland where he has stayed ever since. Adel took us on a driving tour of Zurich (it was a light traffic day) and then to a restaurant overlooking Zurich. We had coffee and admired the view. Dimitri and Adel talked about their lives since Egypt.
Dimitri and Adel catching up after 65 or so years
We stayed at the Park Hyatt Zurich on points (Beethovenstrasse 21, Zurich, Switzerland, 8002, +41 43 883 12 34), and we were glad we could use our points in the most expensive city in Switzerland (according to the hotel's concierge).
At 36 square meters, the standard king room was functional but very dark, even for 1 night. We had a big window with a view of the hotel's courtyard area. There was a thin layer of snow out there. The room had a round table, and it was outfitted with two chairs so both of us could sit at it and work
on our laptops. Next to it was a curious power tower for our laptop
plugs, but it kept collapsing. We were brought a standing lamp for the area near
the table, which made it easier to see in the dark room. There was a divan in
the room, and it was only sort of comfortable for sitting (why didn’t they have
a sofa?).
The bathroom with only one sink was okay for two people. The shower
area was weird, but outfitted the way we requested with a seat and rubber mats.
The toilet was separate, which helped, but it was too low for even us. The mini
bar area worked well, and the closet was big enough for 1 night.
On
Saturday morning, we got a late check-out and walked by Lake Zurich toward the
old town. We took a snap of the bridge and the Limmat riverbank, with the statue of Hans Waldmann (from 1489) and the Fraumünster Church in the background. The buildings were solid and without elegance. The 2nd of January was a holiday in Switzerland, so the city was still empty on that Saturday after New Year's.
For dinner in Zurich, we went to the Parkhuss restaurant inside the Park Hyatt. It was a good restaurant; we enjoyed our dinner (at about double the price of the restaurants where we ate in Genève), and breakfast was in that restaurant too. That buffet breakfast was really good.
Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
The drive from Zurich to Bad Ragaz was nice and easy. There was new snow on the ground and trees, but not on the road. Plus, there wasn't much traffic on the Saturday following New Year's. As we approached the foothills of the Alps, there was more snow, and it was pretty, with a gorgeous blue sky. We drove through Liechtenstein, but we can't count it as a country we have visited--a "drive-through" just doesn't cut it as visiting a country.
We stayed four nights at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, (Bernhard-Simon-Strasse 20, 7210 Bad Ragaz, Switzerland, +41 81 303 30 30). It was a wonderful resort; we had chosen it because of the thermal baths. It did most things right, and it was a shame that there were annoyances.
Selina in reservations had worked with Audre to provide us with a room large enough for us at a price we were willing to pay. With her arrangements, we paid for a Deluxe Room, and we were upgraded to a Grand Deluxe Room based on availability (our price per night with breakfast and parking was US$1004). The room was decorated in an idiosyncratic way with a wooden canopy over the bed and globe lights hanging from it (that provided very little actual light).
The Grand Deluxe Room was 55 square meters and comfortable (except for the climate control, which we could never get to the correct temperature for us). We had a view of the snow-covered hill behind the hotel, and it was very quiet. We did not use our balcony--it was too cold out. We did use the hotel's gym, and it was adequate. We thought that the Mobility and Stretching Class with Jürgen was great.
The resort had two sets of thermal baths, one set for the public and another set for hotel guests only. Because one of the public baths was a hot tub at 39° C, we went there on our first day. It was a Saturday, and it was really crowded. With limited seating, we were lucky to be able to sit. While the temperature was good, it wasn't a pleasant experience. Before we left the public area, we went to the outdoor pool, which was 36° C. It had a lovely (snow-covered) mountain view and was hot enough after the 39° C tub.
We liked the private pool and Jacuzzi area much better, even at 36.5° C. The bubbles in the Jacuzzi turned on automatically from time to time, and they were pleasant and fun to anticipate. We even talked to other guests in the Jacuzzi.
Audre in the Jacuzzi with bubbles, reserved for hotel guests
The nearby pool was set at a temperature that was not inviting for us. There was a relaxation area, and we even had naps lying on the chaise lounges one day. That area had a view of a snow-covered outdoor courtyard.
We ate at the hotel restaurants each night. They were all very expensive, and it was great that the package Selina provided us included a 100 Swiss Franc credit against the cost of meals. The Thai restaurant, Namum, was the best. The 1-Michelin-starred restaurant, Verve by Sven, was by far the worst. Olives d'Or for the extensive breakfast buffet was excellent (and for dinner, it was okay Italian). At breakfast, dishes are made to order, too. We enjoyed having something different each morning.
Our last dinner was at Zollstube. To get there, we were told we had to walk outside and then 10 meters (unlike all of the other restaurants at the hotel). Well, that was awful in our bedroom slippers, without our coats (we didn't want to go back to our room and change. Why doesn't the hotel build a heated, covered walkway for the winter? The hotel otherwise thinks of everything for its guests.)
Zollstube annoyed us by bringing us water without telling us that it was fancy, expensive water. During our stay, we had been drinking the free, celebrated thermal water (with all of its mineral benefits). All of a sudden, at Zollstube, we are confronted with a server who didn't ask and said we would have to pay for the water he brought. Dimitri told him in no uncertain terms that we would not pay for the water and told him to bring us the complimentary thermal water. That worked, but it annoyed us.
Our room was personalized for us to our liking; a second desk was brought so both of us could sit at our laptops. The room was very dark, and a standing lamp was brought, but it only helped a little bit. The room had a sofa and a coffee table too. The TV was movable so we could easily watch it from the sofa. The bathroom had two sinks, and it was easy for the two of us to use them at the same time.
One day, we took a long walk along a snow-packed path called Taminastrasse, along a creek, to the Rhein River. It was very nice, it had nice trees, we got our exercise, and we even talked to a lovely woman who took our picture.
Us walking by the Rhein River in Bad Ragaz, with the Alps in the background
The hotel had a lobby bar with a fireplace and music that was lovely. While we didn't get to talk to any other guests, it was pleasant to sit there before and after dinner. Dimitri liked fixing the fire to make it roar. With our complimentary drink vouchers, we had nonalcoholic pina coladas that were very good.
The Grand Resort Bad Ragaz got most things right, and we would recommend it. There were two poorly-trained people who interfered with our enjoyment--one in Zollstube who wanted to charge us for water. The second one was the concierge who wanted to charge us for the newspapers delivered to our door over 4 days, which we had not asked for (they were exorbitantly expensive, too). When we said we weren't paying for them, the concierge wanted them back. Fortunately, Audre had them in pristine condition to return to him.
Our four days were enjoyable in spite of those employees.
Outside of Innsbruck, in Telfs, Austria
We had a one-night stop in the Interalpen-Hotel Tyrol (Doktor-Hans-Liebherr-Alpenstraße 1, 6410 Telfs, Austria, +43 50 80930). Getting there was easy until we got off the highway. Then there is a story! We had input the hotel's address. Somehow, Kia navigation navigated us to a hiking trail! Dimitri had initiated the 4-wheel drive feature and with his excellent snow and ice driving skills, got us going on the trail, up a steep, snow-covered, narrow, and icy path. Then he said, "This has got to be wrong" and somehow turned Kia car around. We got back to a main road, reset navigation to the hotel, and swiftly and without problems drove on real roads to the hotel. Dimitri said that he was glad that he was able to test Kia car's 4-wheel drive on the steep, icy road with our all-weather tires, and with good results.
Interalpen was a very good hotel. We had booked half-board in a Double Deluxe room (US$1094.13, with dinner and breakfast--parking was complimentary) and the hotel had personalized our room for us. At 68 square meters, it was plenty big. In the large room, after the bed area, there was a Tyrolean table, a sitting area, and a nice balcony (too cold to use). We had lunch at the Tyrolean table with the fruit that the hotel had provided and the cheese and bread that Audre brought. The hotel gave us a lovely flower arrangement for the table. The Tyrolean table was Audre's desk, and the room had a proper desk for Dimitri.
There was a second room with only a twin bed and lots of closet and drawer storage. We opened our suitcases on the bed for our overnight. The bathroom was large with a very small shower (that leaked all over the floor) and two sinks, which worked well for us.
The hotel had a schedule of activities, and we went to the ("textile-free", meaning naked) Mango Cream Steam with Henry. It was fun; the steam bath was full of guests who came for the program, with Henry guiding us. We applied the mango cream and then steamed. Afterwards, we went to the saltwater grotto where the 36° C water was surprisingly pleasant. There were outdoor/indoor pools that were set at temperatures too cold for us (and were not textile-free). Although we didn't have time to use it, the gym/fitness was large, and the equipment looked very good.
The half-board dinner was very good. We had a nice table in a separate stube, away from most of the children. We chose our 6 courses from a menu, and it was tasty and served hot. One of the courses was a cheese buffet and, boy, was it impressive! It was not just Austrian and Swiss cheeses but some of the French cheeses that we love too, like Époisse and reblochon. We ate and ate and then also downed dessert!
Breakfast the next morning was very impressive as well. We sat in a room full of windows and were partially served, with a full, huge buffet too.
After a leisurely breakfast, we packed up and drove uneventfully to our winter, three-month home at Cendevaves Hotel.
You might need to open a Google account to see our photos. Click on the "i" in the top ribbon and look at the Description.
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