ALONG THE WAY… TURCKHEIM - by Gerald Clark

We have recently returned from a visit to France and Germany. Along the way we spent a few days at Camping Les Cigognes, Turckheim, a small village on the outskirts of Colmar in Alsace, France.

“Cigogne” is French for “Stork”. The campsite has special facilities for storks which nest in what looks like a concrete bowl at the top of a high pole. The birds are very noisy and give off a loud clicking noise which at first made us think that we were camped in a colony of woodpeckers. They are graceful in flight and, like hawks, seem to seek out warm air currents to ease their ascent. The ones at Turckheim are quite tame and seem ready to pose for photographs.

Turckheim itself is a pretty village nestling at the foot of the Vosges Mountains in the wine production area of Alsace. The village could just as well be and, from time to time has been, in Germany, a few miles away across the Rhine. When serving customers, shop assistants switch effortlessly from French to German though the official language is French and the church has a different line in noticeboards leaving you in no doubt about the times of Masses and where they will be celebrated.

Entry to the village is protected by archways, no doubt for historic reasons. The Tour de France cycle race swept through the village this year en route to Munster and thence the tough climb up the Col de la Schlucht (3,737ft).

Train and bus services connect Turckheim to Colmar and from there you can travel by fast train to Strasbourg with its magnificent cathedral.

Visit Turckheim at www.Turckheim-Alsace.com