cyprus, been there?

We train to Turkheim Tomorrow and start hiking the next day.

Safely ensconced in turckheim reviewing the route instructions and map for day 1 to Riquewihr. Looks like we skirt foothills through Neidermorshwir, Katzenthal, Amerschwihr, and Kayserberg.

Being with Sherpa we're on half board and intrigued by our coming dinner options.

I've just arrived in Lisbon!

Just in time for dinner?

Where are you staying? We had a hotel in alfama and found the most awesome lunch in a restaurant that was basically an old couple's front room. If you want to be a normal tourist the aquarium is pretty cool and has otters. A trip to belem for some pastel de nata is a good idea too.

I was Amazed how many strangers approached me in the street snd said hashish?

You've waited for friends doing such?

Friends do it all the time.

... and you're up quite early - premier arrivé, premier servi

In Riquewihr now after 5.5 hours of hiking. Ready to crash post dinner. Źzzzzzzzz

Now in thannenkirsch after turning a four hour hike into five by getting lost around les trois chateaus above ribeauville.

Mrs hinge has a new habit: early in the walk we see a castle on a mountain top and she says I'm glad we're not going there, then later 'I'm not effin going up there'. Then we go up there.

Been to Saint-Hippolyte as well? And then there's the castle in Beblenheim, and the one in ...

(There's a lot of Kirsch to drink, but Thannenkirch means 'church in the fir trees' in German )

Not yet walter. Today is haut konigsberg then chatenois. Thannenkirch is pretty but empty. Doesnt even have a marche that we could see- nust two auberges and the hotel.

Plenty of people in the hotel though, mostly doing the route de vins by road.

Haut Königsberg is nice ...

Most villages don't have a shop anymore, the closest might be in Bergheim, and Ribeauville, Riquewihr

Chatenois has a coop. It eas closed by the time we thought about looking. It's samedi, big medieval fete here tomorrow. A local wedding featuring a huge wagon with sheep, men in lederhosen, alpenhorns and the bride and groom, accompanied by ribbonned cars tooting horns was a highlight. As was a chat with a guy and his wife about the slow resolution of tensions in the region ( he is german his wife french and both old enough to hsve felt threatened on either side of the border) - now; 'it's just europe'.

Just about to head of on a 6.5 hour hike to Andlau. Lots of townspeople already in their medieval costumes and enjoying themselves.

THAT really will be a nice ride! Enjoy, and bonnes fêtes de Pentecôte / fro Pfingste!

34°C ... I hope, you've got enough l'eau mineral(Carola is a known local source from Ribeauvillé, but there a lot of others)

We think it was closer to 36 Walter.

We hike with camelbaks on our packs but today for the first time my 2.5 litre ran dry. Surprising lack of filling places. My least favorite phrase currently is 'eau non potable'

'Eau non potable' in such weather is as bad as "toilette en panne" in others.
Tomorrow, it won't be cooler at all ---

38 today. We had an early start in anticipation of the heat. Got to the abbey at st odile at 11 too early for lunch but we had notes saying there was a water point (tap in the wall) as I filled up mine a wad of russian tourists swamped me in front of mrs hinge a weird shark frenzy on free water. They didn't suspect it was potable until I turned the faucet.

We had planned to lunch there until we saw that it was a tray cashier restaurant (think coles cafeteria if you are australian) so we just grabbed deux bier pression grande and because we had made good time thought we could grab lunch in the nect ville; Ottrot.

We got there about one after doing a circuit of the aabbey's great views of the Rhine valley.

Hotel/restaurant L'Ami Fritz was used as a placwmarker in our walking notes and we figured it wouldn't be closed on lundi. It wasn't and was actually a great upmarket restaurant that didn't mind our sweat and backpacks.

Beautiful meal of pike quennelles and wild bass. Then two hours along the river L'ehn. Very hot and tired. More later.