When in Alsace, you must visit the remains of the Maginot Line, that Sinclair C5 of fortifications. The young Charles de Gaulle did suggest that hard-earned francs might be better spent on some aircraft, but André Maginot was having none of this modern nonsense and built a system of defences all the way from the Med up until Belgium. No need to defend against the Belgians, who are, after all, friendly people who eat chips with mayonnaise. And waffles. Maginot was outraged when the ungentlemanly Germans either flew OVER his Line or walked through Belgium.
The pretty town of Colmar is the second driest town in France (in terms of climate, not alcohol. There are plenty of bars.) Charles the Fat held a Diet there in 884. No, really. Actually I think it was some sort of parliament.
One of Colmar's most notorious sons was Georges-Charles de Heekeren d'Anthès, the man who shot Russia's favourite poet Pushkin. Pushkin caught d'Anthès looking at his wife "in a funny way," Pushkin's wife Natalya did nothing to discourage d'Anthès and, in an early example of cyber-bullying, d'Anthès circulated an anonymous letter at court, casting doubt on Pushkin's abilities in the bedroom department. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but it's no match for a state-of-the-art 1837 duelling pistol. Especially when fired by a trained soldier with so many names.
Colmar was also the birthplace of Frédéric Bartholdi, the sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty. Apparently he modelled the face of the Statue after his mother and the body after his mistress. Worrying.
La Résidence - THE French Property People
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