This is a post about a long-distance cycling itinerary. But I was not cycling it. The most famous cycle route in France, the Tour de France, has an itinerary that changes every year. Fortuitously, in a perfect storm of time and place, I was able to watch it as it passed.
Fortunately too, there was a short vineyard hike I could do in the area that day. It began in the center of Rosheim, an Alsatian town in the department of Bas Rhin, and a town where the Tour was scheduled to pass through in July 2019. Rosheim is a delightful small town, with a lot of town spirit as I would find out. The trail leading out of town passed several well-maintained buildings of great historic value. In fact, the trail through town followed along the car route Route Romane d’Alsace, or Romanesque Alsace Route, demonstrating that this town has had a long and illustrious past, worth a detour in any visit to lower Alsace.
Additionally, Rosheim’s history also includes vineyards. The trail passed along or through many named parcels that have a long history of producing quality wine. As I followed the trail uphill, the broad valley of the Rhine came into view, and then, the village of Rosenwiller. My trail’s itinerary joined that of the De Collines en Vignoble discovery trail, a four-kilometer long circuit devoted to educating the public on the geology, as well as the flora and fauna of the hills overlooking the village. France and Germany have many such trails, usually very short, easy and well-maintained, with bright and colorful explanation panels designed to engage kids as well as adults. They provide nice hiking alternatives for families with young children, as would this one.
Rosenwiller is a small village of vintners and farmers. Hidden on a little rise in a side valley, I had never seen this village before. But it is famous for the unusual Jewish cemetery on its outskirts, partially along the trail. This site is yet another reminder of the earlier centuries-long presence of vibrant Jewish communities in the Rhine River valley.
But being so small, the trail soon left Rosenwiller, and entered more vineyards. Very briefly in the shade, the path went downhill, then uphill as it approached Rosheim. Once I crested the slope just above Rosheim, I could hear music in the distance. With the whole town seemingly there, I hustled to claim a spot on the sidewalk just outside Rosheim’s historic section before it was too late.
The music came from a national police (Gendarme) car, decked out with loud speakers transmitting music perhaps best described as rap rock. (Never have seen that in the U.S.) The crowd – young old, everybody – went wild! The police preceded the “caravan,” dozens of improbably decorated cars and trucks. The corporations that sponsor the Tour also sponsor these vehicles. They drove past slowly, tossing free samples into the crowd. I stood next to three or four elementary aged school kids who dove in behind the crowd to collect the treasures, but they were not the only ones eagerly amassing, and then comparing, their haul about 15 minutes later, when the last of the vehicles finally drove out of town.
About 45 minutes later, the crowd perked up again for the arrival of the cyclists. Wearing their free tee shirts, with their regional colors waving in hand, they jostled for position to see the approach. I probably would have missed the peloton had I not been waiting on the far side of a really sharp corner. Here, the cyclists really had to slow down. As my video recorded, the whole event, deafening and exciting as it was, lasted only about 32 seconds. But it provided a lifetime of memories, and inspired more than one of us, to take to the road soon again.