We changed countries again today, moving on to France! Our first stop was an out of the way place up a long winding road: the Salm peace oak. This tree was planted by Mennonites in gratitude for being granted an exemption to military service in France during the Revolution. At the tree, we reflected on the importance of peace, and of continuing to act as peace-builders today.
Riquewihr, France
Because many places are closed on Mondays it took us some time to find a place to have lunch, and the food was very welcome when we finally were able to eat.
Isenheim Altarpiece
In the afternoon we visited Riquewihr, sometimes called Europe’s most beautiful medieval town. We had free time to explore the historic town centre–to shop, to admire the beauty, or to relax in one of the many cafés and restaurants. I walked in and out of many shops admiring the Alsace style pottery kitchen-wares, but in the end, the only souvenirs I bought today were edible.
Our last stop of the day was the Unterlinden museum in Colmar. Its most famous piece is the Isenheim Altarpiece, a beautiful piece of historic artwork. I also enjoyed watching staff working on cleaning and restoring two of the panels from the Altarpiece–it looked like delicate and painstaking work. The museum is located in an old cloister, and the setting itself was worth seeing too.
– Morgan Regehr
