Day 9:
Good morning! Breakfast at the hotel before we check out.
We are the only people at the breakfast place and the staff was almost cleaning up already but the moment she saw us, she bring out the bread again. We are there within the breakfast timing but I guess everyone is very early except us. Haha!
Yogurt!
Last breakfast in Switzerland!
Time to check out! Look how "big" is the elevator!
Leaving Switzerland today so we need to get our train ticket at the Aarau station.
Our Swiss travel pass expired yesterday night so we need two different train ticket, 1 from Aarau to Basel (still within Switzerland) and 1 ticket from Basel to Colmar (Switzerland to France).
Off we go!
Transfer train at Olten. There is direct train from Aarau to Basel but the timing when we are at the Aarau is the one that we need to transfer so we just take that.
Here we are at Basel station!
First thing we reach, we checked the timing for our train to Colmar but bad news is, Our train to Colmar got cancelled but good news is, they only cancelled that train, so meaning we can wait for another train which is nearly 2 hours later. As long as we can get to Colmar, I guess 2 hours wait is consider a win.
Not sure what to do so we went outside the station to see where can we go.
But we decided to stay within the station to keep track on the train to Colmar to make sure there is no more cancellations of our train.
Lunch at Migros eatery to kill some time.
Coffee first!
This looks so good! I regret for not getting!
Lunch and people/train watching!
Time to say good bye to Switzerland and hello to France!
The moment we saw the condition of the train to Colmar, we know we are leaving Switzerland.
Off we go!
After for less than 30 minutes, here we are in another country, France!
Here we are at Colmar! The train ride from Basel is around 1hr 15mins.
Feeling like Christmas already!
Walking over to Petite Venice Colmar where our hotel is at and also where the famous La Petite Venice is!
You know you are in France when you start seeing graffiti!
Soon we will wake up to reality when the vacation ended...
Interesting building!
Saw a cute train while walking! Look like we travel into a fairy tale!
After walking for about 10mins and finally we saw the signage of our hotel, Le Maréchal.
Tada! This is our hotel for the next 2 nights!
Check in!
Our room!
View from our window.
Bathroom.
Our room are located at the other building beside the lobby. Everything is good but the only thing is our room are at second level and there is no elevator!
Quickly settle down off we go explore the place before it gets dark.
The buildings here are the iconic of Colmar ! It looks like we walking into a fairy tale!
This town is a touristy area so there is many souvenir shops area.
Nice vintage looking tin!
This bus is so cute!
Many people are starting to do Christmas decorating on their restaurant or hotel!
So many cute little shops here!
Oh ya, also there is many shops selling Christmas decorations! Not sure if it's because Christmas is coming or these shops are selling the Christmas decorations all year long.
So many choice of Christmas decorations!
Wanted to go in to Marché Couvert Colmar to have a look but today is Saturday so they are closing early. Well, maybe we will come back tomorrow.
Operating Hours: 8am - 6pm (Tuesday to Thursday)
8am - 7pm (Friday)
8am - 5pm (Saturday)
8am - 2pm (Sunday)
Closed (Monday)
Website: https://www.marche-couvert-colmar.fr
So many building with cute decoration.
Another shop selling Christmas decorations!
Saw this dried fruits shop and the fruits looks good!
Operating Hours: Unknown
All the dried fruits looks good and I just have to get some! I love their dried apple and cranberry!
Smell so good and looks yummy! Maybe we will come back to grab some on our last day here.
Look at the chocolate car!
We don't drink but out of curiosity, we walk into this liqueurs store to have a look at their colourful liqueur. They do sell chocolate as well!
Operating Hour: 1.30pm - 6.30pm (Monday)
10am - 12.30pm, 2pm - 6.30pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
Closed (Sunday)
So colourful!
Gift shops hidden inside!
Operating Hours: 2pm - 6.30pm (Monday)
10am - 6.30pm (Tuesday to Friday)
10am - 6pm (Saturday)
Closed (Sunday)
So pretty but they didn't have my name.
Looks like this Maisons du Monde have many interesting things! Went in and there is so many interesting stuff, making us spending a far bit of time inside!
Operating Hours: 2pm - 7pm (Monday)
10am - 7pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
Closed (Sunday)
I feel like bringing this pet bowl back! But it's a little risky, it might break if I store it in the luggage.
This plate is so pretty!
Dog treats container is so cute too!
I love this standing lamp so much but it's impossible to bring home!
The Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar at night.
More Christmas decoration but it's all not open yet.
These buildings looks like Christmas gingerbread house!
Many people taking pictures with the life size gingerbread house!
Specially wanted to dine at this restaurant but unfortunately it's not open (even though google map says it's open)!
Couldn't eat at the restaurant I planned so we walk around and randomly pick this Restaurant Au Chaudron after looking at their menu.
Operating Hours: 12pm - 1.30pm, 7pm - 8.30pm (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday)
12pm - 1.30pm (Thursday)
Closed (Monday & Sunday)
Website: https://www.auchaudron.fr/index.html
The menu. They serve traditional Alsace (northeastern of France) food.
Let's dig in!
I didn't expect the food to be so yummy since it's just a random restaurant that we picked.
After 8 days in Switzerland, now we felt the price is finally slightly more acceptable! Haha!
After dinner, we went to carrefour to grab some water. The carrefour is actually located opposite Maisons du Monde but we didn't want to carry the water with us everywhere so we only come back after we are ready to back to our hotel.
Operating Hours: 7.30am - 8.30pm (Monday to Saturday)
9.30am - 12.30pm (Sunday)
They sell bubble tea here but the bubble (pearls) looks weird!
Anyway, after carrefour, head back to hotel and good night!
Day 10:
Morning greeting from the beautiful swan!
Lover lock?
I saw these colourful building on a Chinese variety show and Colmar went straight to my bucket list! So happy I get to tick this place off my bucket list!
Breakfast time!
How can we not eat croissant when in France right? I will never say no to a croissant!
This Au Croissant Dore is famous for it's freshly bake croissant and we just have to try it!
Operating Hours: Unknown
Everything looks good but my mind is all about croissant!
Very traditional style!
Thanks to 2 lady who saw us waiting at the door for a table and the table beside them is empty so they wave to us and alert us about the empty table.
The menu.
The croissant smell SO GOOD!
Within minutes, the croissant is in our tummy and we order another because it was so yummy! But that batch of croissant is all sold so the staff ask us to wait for 10mins for the next batch.
Enjoying our coffee and Pain Au Chocolate while waiting for our second croissant.
The new batch of freshly bake croissant is out!
SO GOOD!
Their staff is mostly elderly and can't speak English, but they are all friendly and smiley!
Look at that vintage cash register!
Didn't expect to be able to get a croissant at 1.40euro (=SGD2.10) in France!
It's Sunday today, people are going in Collégiale Saint-Martin de Colmar for service so I didn't go in.
Its the cute train again!
So this cute train is not for free...
Sitting here while waiting for Wen (she went in for church service) and this cutie came to me!
Nothing to do while waiting, so I went around to take pictures of the church.
The bretzel looks yummy!
More and more shops are done with their Christmas decorations!
Not Zara but Zapa!
That looks like a castle but not sure what exactly is it.
This is so cute!
So many bear sitting by the window!
Pretzel as Christmas tree decoration! So cute (and yummy)!
Wondering why is the street so quite?
The answer is, today is Sunday! Most of the shops are not open on Sunday and it's quite common in Europe!
The autumn leaves is so beautiful!
I want this for my house! Haha!
I'm not even a "Christmas" person but with all the cute Christmas decoration everywhere in Colmar, it makes me feel happy too! I'm sure for those who love the Christmas atmosphere would love to come here during the Christmas period, especially for their Christmas market!
Marche is open today for a short operating hours so since we didn't manage to go in yesterday, we quickly went in to have a quick look before it's close again.
Let's see what they have in there!
Operating Hours: 8am - 6pm (Tuesday to Thursday)
8am - 7pm (Friday)
8am - 5pm (Saturday)
8am - 2pm (Sunday)
Closed (Monday)
Website: https://www.marche-couvert-colmar.fr
The vegetables looks fresh!
There is a cafe inside and sells many different kinds of coffee bean!
I didn't get any so I can't give any feedback on the beans.
In Switzerland we saw bench made from skiis and now we see Christmas tree that is made out of skiis!
Walk over to the bus stop next to Colmar train station and ready to head off to explore another town!
Bus stop location: Pl. de la Gare - Google Maps
(please check the actual bus stop when you are there because there is 3 bus stop next to each other)
The bus only come once every hour so we got to wait for awhile before the bus leave the bus stop.
We are heading to Riquewihr and the bus ticket are at 4euro (=SGD$5.90) and journey is about 30mins.
Riquewihr is a town on the Alsace Wine Route in eastern France so you can see winery around.
Not going to check in to a new hotel but in order to explore the town, we have to walk through the hotel!
Riquewihr and Colmar is part of Alsace so they looks kind of same in their buildings!
There is quite a few wine shops here so wine lover maybe can do some wine tasting here!
The wine shops will display their price outside the shops!
Christmas decoration everywhere in Riquewihr too!
There is actually more shops and restaurant that is open here on a Sunday as compared to Colmar!
I think the nougat here are also famous.
Apparently, there is only two nougat shops here (that I saw), and this La Nougaterie de Riquewihr is one of them. Very eye catching exterior because of it's pink building.
Operating Hours: 9am - 5pm (Monday to Sunday)
I didn't get any for myself because I don't really like sweets but I got the nougat as gift and the feedback is it's nice and not too sweet.
Continue exploring the place!
Pinocchio?
Musée du Dolder is the city landmark tower that is once used as defensive gateway, watchtower and belfry.
Operating Hours: 11am - 5pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Closed (Monday to Friday)
By right today is open but when we try to go up, it's close so we have no choice but to skip this place.
Another popular item from Alsace is their Macaroons! I see a lot in Colmar too.
Au Petit Délice is right beside La Nougaterie de Riquewihr. The staff is very friendly and patient with us and we got convince by his Macaroons.
Operating Hours: 10am - 6pm (Monday to Sunday)
And did you realise that the Alsace macaroons not the French macarons we know?
Apparently, the macarons are like sandwich cookies. They consist of two halves of delicate, airy cookie, like the texture of meringue and with a layer of filling in between.
While on the other hand, macaroons are fairly dense, ambiguously shaped dollops of coconut-flavored cookie, baked to a moderate shade of golden brown.
I'm totally not a macarons person because it's way TOO SWEET but I could eat 2 to 3 macaroons even though it's sweet too. Maybe without the layer of filling like macarons, the sweetness is more acceptable. Macaroons comes in different flavors too but the flavors are blend into the process of making unlike the "jam" on the macarons.
While talking to the owner/staff, I keep seeing something wiggling near my feet and when I look down... tada! So so so cute!
Haha and when I look in, I see the dog's butt!
I ended up getting a pack of mix flavor macaroons for my family!
Pass by this shop and looks like there is many interesting things inside, so we decided to go in to have a look!
Operating Hours: 10am - 6pm (Monday to Sunday)
Seems like a antique shops but also they do sell new modern artisan products. I got myself a handmade candle that was poured into the glass jug that looks similar to the Bonne Maman jam spread.
Hello~ I really love how dog friendly is the countries and places we've been to for the past 10 days!
No information of this well but there is quite a few around the town.
Another well and the colour of the building behind is very eye catching!
White Christmas?
Late lunch time! Many restaurant around and we choose Alsace restaurant again since we are in the land of Alsace!
The menu.
The beer drinking glass is actually a shape of a boots!
First time I see a restaurant Europe provides so many different type of sauce/dips.
Ordered a roesti and it's not bad!
Pizza was good too.
Sun is setting and we decided to head back to Colmar. Still have plenty of time before the next bus arrive so we went around outside the town to have a look.
The grapes seems like they are grow on slopes! I wonder how they harvest the grapes?
Waiting for our bus at the bus stop.
Bus stop location: 68340 Riquewihr, France
Super windy and cold while waiting at the bus stop!
Back to Colmar! This Les Bateliers restaurant is also one of the restaurant that I wanted to try but for some unknown reason it's not open since we arrive Colmar (google maps says it's open though)!
Since Les Bateliers is not open and we had late lunch, so we decided to skip dinner and just cook our ramen to share for supper. We are heading back home soon so time to clear all the ramen we brought from Singapore!
After supper, watched some tv show that we can't understand (all channel in French), and time to say good night!
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