Bouxwiller

The weather took a cold turn today, with dense clouds and heavy rain rolling in by mid-afternoon. But in the morning we made it out to the Hanau-Lichtenberg castle, with fantastic views across the French countryside. This 13th century family castle, later used as a battle fortress, is now quite cleverly converted into a cultural arts center, that offers outdoor theater, and uses unique spaces to display theater costumes and props. I would have loved to have been there for an evening performance!

Later, during a brief respite from the afternoon storms, we walked around the neighboring town of Bouxwiller, with it's incredible array of original half-timbered houses on tight cobblestone streets. I love the colorful cascading flowers that bloom almost everywhere you look, in window boxes, along fences, in the middle of divided streets, and from lamp posts. They manage to brighten even the most dismal of days!