Columbus Day Weekend is beginning to be one of my favorite holidays. It’s not a patriotic holiday, so nobody wants an Air Force Band to play particularly on that day. It’s at the height of autumn, when the leaves are painted glorious colors, yet the weather is still usually bright and sunny. The air is crisp, but not yet freezing cold. The kids usually get a four-day weekend, and it’s the perfect time for traveling not too far away.
This year we went to Alsace, France, for an overnight trip. Next, we went to the Frankfurt Book Fair. On Columbus Day itself, the boys and Steve went on a father-son go-carting trip with church friends, and this afternoon we’re having a relaxing day at home. I’m posting the description and pictures in backwards order, so you can start here and work your way down.
Monday, October 11, 2004
Monkey Mountain
Steve and I love France. I took two years of French in high school, which gives me enough help to read most of the signs. Steve studied French for four years, and he gets along great, even understanding what people say to him. Of course, he also has the experience of ordering food in many different countries of Europe, and the confidence that brings. So if he didn’t know what was being said, he knows how to fake it. When I tried to say something in French, German words would spring to mind, but Steve quickly came up with the necessary words. Magnifique!
Back in September 1997, we had one of our best vacations. We started in the Black Forest, then drove across the border to Alsace, France. The next day I had planned to visit a castle, Château Haut Koenigsbourg. It was a great castle, in a magnificent setting and with a rich history. On the road to the castle, we saw signs for Montagne des Singes (Monkey Mountain) and Volerie des Aigles (which we translated Valley of the Eagles). Volerie des Aigles was an eagle and raptor show at a castle, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Monkey Mountain was so great, we decided that this year we’d go back.
Monkey Mountain is easy to find, and well worth a trip. I’ve been saying that it’s great for anyone with kids, but I’m revising that to say that it’s great for anyone. It’s only about three to four hours away, and makes a super weekend outing. Go south toward the Black Forest. Before you get to Freiburg, cross the border into France toward Selestat. In Selestat, follow signs to Château Haut Koenigsbourg. On the way, you’ll see signs for Monkey Mountain (Montagne des Singes.)
We didn’t have our hoped-for glorious sunshine on this trip. We drove through a torrential downpour on the way, and the next morning we woke up to the sound of a vicious thunderstorm. However, we never got rained on when we were outside. At Monkey Mountain, instead of rain, we were in a mist. We decided that the atmosphere it provided was more wonderful than sunshine would have been.
Monkey Mountain is a forested area populated by Barbary Macaques. No, they don’t have tails and are not really monkeys, but apes. However, Ape Mountain doesn’t sound nearly as catchy, so please forgive me for calling the macaques monkeys from here on out.
The owners of Monkey Mountain let you inside the fence where the monkeys roam, and give you a handful of popcorn to feed them. They instruct you not to touch the monkeys, but to put one piece of popcorn at a time on your outstretched flat palm. The monkeys gently pluck the popcorn from your hand, keeping their distance from you as well. You can tell the monkeys who are in the mood for a treat, since they like to perch on the low railing by the path. The workers feed the monkeys their main diet of fruit on grassy areas outside the path.
I had forgotten how much fun this place is. (Of course, it helped tremendously that this time Timothy was older than three and not whining for a Monkey Cookie.) Josh got some fun video footage of an adolescent monkey who was clowning around and falling off a wet log. We enjoyed feeding the monkeys, and watching the monkeys of all different shapes and sizes playing in the forest. I especially liked seeing the baby monkeys being carried and the young monkeys chasing each other. The misty forest itself was a treat to walk through.
Only one monkey didn’t take his food nicely. Timothy accidentally dropped the piece he was giving the monkey, so it swiped a paw at his other hand and made him drop all his popcorn. That was when we had already gone around once. Timothy had already planned to get some more popcorn and go around again, but we avoided the mean monkey the second time. We spent two hours at Monkey Mountain and had a great time.
Back in September 1997, we had one of our best vacations. We started in the Black Forest, then drove across the border to Alsace, France. The next day I had planned to visit a castle, Château Haut Koenigsbourg. It was a great castle, in a magnificent setting and with a rich history. On the road to the castle, we saw signs for Montagne des Singes (Monkey Mountain) and Volerie des Aigles (which we translated Valley of the Eagles). Volerie des Aigles was an eagle and raptor show at a castle, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Monkey Mountain was so great, we decided that this year we’d go back.
Monkey Mountain is easy to find, and well worth a trip. I’ve been saying that it’s great for anyone with kids, but I’m revising that to say that it’s great for anyone. It’s only about three to four hours away, and makes a super weekend outing. Go south toward the Black Forest. Before you get to Freiburg, cross the border into France toward Selestat. In Selestat, follow signs to Château Haut Koenigsbourg. On the way, you’ll see signs for Monkey Mountain (Montagne des Singes.)
We didn’t have our hoped-for glorious sunshine on this trip. We drove through a torrential downpour on the way, and the next morning we woke up to the sound of a vicious thunderstorm. However, we never got rained on when we were outside. At Monkey Mountain, instead of rain, we were in a mist. We decided that the atmosphere it provided was more wonderful than sunshine would have been.
Monkey Mountain is a forested area populated by Barbary Macaques. No, they don’t have tails and are not really monkeys, but apes. However, Ape Mountain doesn’t sound nearly as catchy, so please forgive me for calling the macaques monkeys from here on out.
The owners of Monkey Mountain let you inside the fence where the monkeys roam, and give you a handful of popcorn to feed them. They instruct you not to touch the monkeys, but to put one piece of popcorn at a time on your outstretched flat palm. The monkeys gently pluck the popcorn from your hand, keeping their distance from you as well. You can tell the monkeys who are in the mood for a treat, since they like to perch on the low railing by the path. The workers feed the monkeys their main diet of fruit on grassy areas outside the path.
I had forgotten how much fun this place is. (Of course, it helped tremendously that this time Timothy was older than three and not whining for a Monkey Cookie.) Josh got some fun video footage of an adolescent monkey who was clowning around and falling off a wet log. We enjoyed feeding the monkeys, and watching the monkeys of all different shapes and sizes playing in the forest. I especially liked seeing the baby monkeys being carried and the young monkeys chasing each other. The misty forest itself was a treat to walk through.
Only one monkey didn’t take his food nicely. Timothy accidentally dropped the piece he was giving the monkey, so it swiped a paw at his other hand and made him drop all his popcorn. That was when we had already gone around once. Timothy had already planned to get some more popcorn and go around again, but we avoided the mean monkey the second time. We spent two hours at Monkey Mountain and had a great time.
Colmar
We found an inexpensive Comfort Inn in Colmar from Orbitz.com. We spent Saturday morning enjoying that city. I’d already noticed that villages in Alsace are so picturesque, they look like they were created for Disneyland. There’s even an official route in Alsace called “Route des Potiers et des Villages Pittoresques” (Route of Potters and Picturesque Villages). I want to go back and travel that route some day, since I can’t imagine villages any more picturesque than the ones we went through. Even Colmar, big enough to be called a city, has a picturesque Old Town (Vielle Ville) section.
I shouldn’t forget to mention that for dinner Friday night, Timothy had tartes flamblées (called Flammkuchen here in Germany), and Steve and I had Quiche Lorraine. The next day, we had crêpes for lunch, so we enjoyed the regional specialties.
Our first stop Saturday morning was the Musée d’Unterlinden, famous for its Renaissance masterpiece, the Issenheim Altarpiece. This museum was an amazing place for such a small city. It had a rich collection of medieval works, and an audio guide in English, so we could hear about the symbolism that such paintings are so full of. The museum is in a former convent, and they put the striking Issenheim Altarpiece in the former chapel, a fitting and beautiful setting for a powerful piece.
The altarpiece has three sets of doors that open up to give four different views, used on different church holidays. In the closed position is a painting of the Crucifixion. The artist, Mathias Grünewald, used disproportionately large and contorted hands to show Jesus’ suffering. Other views showed the annunciation to Mary and Jesus’ ascension into heaven. We had seen a little picture of the altarpiece ahead of time, and it simply doesn’t do justice to the power of the piece seen in the museum.
The rest of the museum had a wide variety of works, from Greek and Roman artifacts to modern pieces, including a painting by Picasso and one by Monet. The courtyard of the museum had bright red ivy crawling up the walls. A beautiful place.
We spent the rest of the morning wandering around Colmar. We tried to go to the “Museum of Toys and Little Trains,” but it was closed for lunch by the time we got there. Anyway, we enjoyed the shops and bought some tea and a couple of mugs. I kept snapping pictures of the half-timbered houses.
I shouldn’t forget to mention that for dinner Friday night, Timothy had tartes flamblées (called Flammkuchen here in Germany), and Steve and I had Quiche Lorraine. The next day, we had crêpes for lunch, so we enjoyed the regional specialties.
Our first stop Saturday morning was the Musée d’Unterlinden, famous for its Renaissance masterpiece, the Issenheim Altarpiece. This museum was an amazing place for such a small city. It had a rich collection of medieval works, and an audio guide in English, so we could hear about the symbolism that such paintings are so full of. The museum is in a former convent, and they put the striking Issenheim Altarpiece in the former chapel, a fitting and beautiful setting for a powerful piece.
The altarpiece has three sets of doors that open up to give four different views, used on different church holidays. In the closed position is a painting of the Crucifixion. The artist, Mathias Grünewald, used disproportionately large and contorted hands to show Jesus’ suffering. Other views showed the annunciation to Mary and Jesus’ ascension into heaven. We had seen a little picture of the altarpiece ahead of time, and it simply doesn’t do justice to the power of the piece seen in the museum.
The rest of the museum had a wide variety of works, from Greek and Roman artifacts to modern pieces, including a painting by Picasso and one by Monet. The courtyard of the museum had bright red ivy crawling up the walls. A beautiful place.
We spent the rest of the morning wandering around Colmar. We tried to go to the “Museum of Toys and Little Trains,” but it was closed for lunch by the time we got there. Anyway, we enjoyed the shops and bought some tea and a couple of mugs. I kept snapping pictures of the half-timbered houses.
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