Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites - Chef & Hotel Profile

It is difficult to pull up the appropriate words that describe the whimsical charm of Strasbourg France, where walking the line

between Germany and France with ease is the expected art. It is a destination that

speaks so beautifully of the history of France & Germany, overflowing with Grimms like wooden structures, featuring tempting winstubs (original Alsace dining establishments located primarily in Strasbourg historical center) calling visitors to savor the traditional dishes of the area paired with one of many renowned beer or ale’s selections locals know and love. There are thirty-three Michelin starred restaurants in Alsace.

This totally charming city is considered the Paris of Munich by many, offering the best in French and German cuisine. Some favorite dishes included in area dining establishments include Choucroute tarte flambee (a Strasbourg dish shared as a family meal during the holidays), also Le Foie gras d’ Alsace, Lewerknepfle (old fashioned liver dumplings), Spätzle (Alsatian noodles with jugged hare, game meat or other meat simmered in a sauce), Balcksoffe (3 types of marinated meats slow baked with potatoes), delicious Kougelkopf (pastries), Bredle (little biscuits in a variety of shapes), as well as choices of deli meats prepared by artisan butchers. These items are considered ideal to enjoy with delicious Alsace wines and are served in charming venues like Winstub Meiselocker.

There is an ancient wine cellar located under the city hospital that

holds a cask of wine from 1472, believed to be the oldest white wine in the world. It contains beautifully carved casks from the 16^th, 18^th, and 19^th century. This historic wine site is highly recommended to tourists during their time in the city, along with Taaka Beer Spa, where the ingredients for making great beer provide a great soak, and patrons serve themselves sips of Taaka beer to enhance the enjoyment of their soak. As in most European cities Alsace also has a beautiful Municipal Bath for visitors to relax in warming waters.

The wine route through Alsace country is beautiful and features grand crus, some from small terroirs, and the entire area is blessed with a variety of outstanding white wine grapes. It is said the Vosges foothills on the Alsatian Wine route provide grapes that also produce some surprisingly fine red wines.

Art is a major attraction in Strasbourg, and The Cathedral Notre Dame de Strasbourg is their beating heart, located steps from Musee de L’Oeuvre Notre Dame, featuring a premiere collection of priceless

sculptures and paintings as well as the oldest stained glass in France the “Christ de Wassembourg.” The digital tour of Musee de L’Oeuvre Notre Dame has become very popular with visitors. The Palace Rohan, an 18^th century miniature Versailles designed by Robert de Cotte is filled with a treasure trove of historical art, including paintings by El Greco and Botticelli.

Petit France is the heart of this key European city demonstrating values of peace, democracy, and reconciliation between peoples. Strasbourg is renowned for their cosmopolitan aura of rich cultural institutions featuring a variety of creative choices which are suited to all tastes. The 5e Lieu Tour of Strasbourg offers visitors who love architecture a special opportunity to experience the history of Strasbourg city planning through a study in architecture.

Shopping matters, and visitors will enjoy the many areas of the city offering a variety of choices that include Grand Rue, Rue des

Grandes Arcades, Rue de Haute-Montie. Luxury items can be found at Rue de Hallebardes, Rue du Dome, and trendy shops and artisanal boutiques are on Rue de Juefs and Rue Sainte-Madeleine. Food service businesses are grouped on Rue des Oeuvres. There were Gift shops located everywhere throughout the Cathedral area when I was visiting, as well as lovely restaurants to enjoy French pastries and espresso. A great walking area, I don’t recall seeing any cars. Hotels, bed and breakfasts, and Inn’s are many in Strasbourg. My preference runs toward the centrally located Hotel Spa Regent Petit Strasbourg featuring a lovely Champagne Patio Bar overlooking the river Ill that serves food, and their fabulous Le Point Restaurant with a menu of fine French cuisine for dinner. Visit: www.hotelsparegentpetitstrasbourg.fr.

For a sweet beginning or sweet ending remember this city not only has a Chocolate Museum located on its outskirts, but also is home to the award-winning Weiss Chocolate Factory, makers of fine chocolate since 1882 in Saint-Etienne, Maison.

Train travel on Strasbourg TGV high speed rail. Train ride to Strasbourg is 1.46 hrs. from Paris, 4 hrs. from Munich, 3.5 from Lyon, 6 hrs. from Amsterdam and 7 hrs. from Berlin. Strasbourg Train Station offers luggage lockers at plat 1 gate 8 at top of escalator from 7 to 9 pm. They except cash only. Coins €2, €1, €0.50. 24hrs for small €5.50, med €7.50, large €9.50, for additional 24hours @ €5.00. Airport, Strasbourg-Entzheim International Airport has flights landing from 40 cities. www.strasbourg-aeroport.fr.

The tourism office of Strasbourg Offers a complete list of room/hotel accommodations, restaurants, attractions and more at www.visitstrasbourg.fr and I always recommend getting a city card to travel around the cities I visit. They offer best ways to organize seeing the city, maps, and discounts to save money and tips on how to save precious time, as well as passes for double decker busses. For information see www.visitstrasbourg.fr/en/organising-my-stay/strasbourg-city-card. Photos: VisitStrasbourg, B.Carroll.

Viking® (www.viking.com) announced that its the Viking Saigon℠, has begun its new season in Southeast Asia. Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the 80-guest ship sails between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and Mỹ Tho, Vietnam as part of Viking’s popular 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary. With the 2023 season now underway, regular sailing dates are available through March 2023; the 2023-2024 season begins in July 2023.

“The fascinating cultures of Vietnam and Cambodia have always made this region a favorite destination among our guests,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We are also pleased to welcome back to Southeast Asia our first guests since early 2020. With arrival of the Viking Saigon, we look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to this iconic waterway in the coming years.”

Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the new Viking Saigon hosts 80 guests in 40 outside staterooms. Featuring the clean Scandinavian design for which Viking is known, all staterooms have hotel-style beds and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a Veranda or French Balcony. Guests on the three-deck Viking Saigon also enjoy a Spa & Fitness Center, Infinity Pool and open-air Sky Bar on the Upper Deck.

During this 15-day journey, guests explore the cultural treasures of Vietnam and Cambodia with 16 guided tours. Hotel stays in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) bracket an eight-day Mekong River voyage on this unique itinerary, during which guests can enjoy exploring the Old Quarter of Hanoi and attending a performance by Apsara dancers; tasting the distinctive fresh ingredients from bustling markets and local restaurants; wandering the Khmer temple complex of Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; visiting Ta Prohm, where jungle vines embrace ancient ruins; and seeing the sights of Phnom Penh by cyclo rickshaw. On the river voyage portion of the itinerary, guests can discover silk towns, fishing villages, monasteries and floating markets.

Viking is offering special savings on select river and ocean voyages, with a limited-time $25 deposit as part of the company’s 25^th Anniversary Sale. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel advisor for details.

Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, and lakes around the world. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences for The Thinking Person^SM. Viking has more than 250 awards to its name, including being the first cruise line ever to be simultaneously named the #1 Ocean Line and #1 River Line in Travel + Leisure’s 2022 “World’s Best” Awards. Viking was also rated the #1 River Line and #1 Ocean Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.