Castles Archives - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Last Day in Alsace – A Castle, Palace and Restaurant Staeffele

(October 2016) During my time in Alsace I was kindly invited to stay with my Great Aunt at her house near Saverne. When I wasn’t visiting wineries, we had a chance to talk and she told me some of the family history. She grew up in both Alsace and Ulm, Germany, just over the border. I was surprised to learn that Alsace has changed governance five times in the last 150 years – being traded back and forth between France and Germany. She told me she learned not only to speak both French and German, but also the local dialect [...]

Delightful Dordogne – Land of Foie Gras, Truffles, Medieval Cities, Castles and Caves

June 12 – 15 – We departed Bordeaux around 10am on Sunday morning taking the toll way to the Montignac exit – one of the entry points to the Dordogne region. We arrived just before noon and were completely enchanted with the charming little town decorated with flower streamers above the streets. We found a quaint restaurant with outdoor tables along the river, and proceeded to order a foie gras salad and a half a carafe of Bergerac Blanc – made primarily of sauvignon blanc and muscadelle. After lunch we wandered around the town and found an ice cream shop [...]