Mulhouse
We started the day with another continental breakfast at the hotel. I love the soft-boiled egg appliance they've had in each hotel since Malmedy. It can hold up to 8 egg baskets, and you set your timer. Gabe had this dialed! 5 minutes. Voile! A perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg. I prefer this over the scrambled eggs from the often unappetizing hot pans. Our destination - Mulhouse, France, where we reconnected with Jacques and Julie Hayme after not seeing them since 2002, when we spent time together on the Yuba River. Jacques had worked at Casanova in 2001. They now have two children, Victor (11) and Elise (10). The reunion was wonderful, and the kids formed a strong bond.
We enjoyed a delicious lunch prepared by them, followed by a walk in the nearby forest. Mulhouse's water; there were spigots along the trail with clean, chlorine-free water, which was refreshing. Later, we ate at a unique restaurant named La Guinguette. Nestled in a small corner of nature along the canal, it's an eclectic place filled with odds and ends. Open only in the summer months and accessible only by bike or foot, it felt like stepping into someone's French grandma's house with lamps, China plates, and lacey, flowery tablecloths and wallpaper. This is the place to eat the Alsatian specialty, tarte flambée. Similar to pizza, it's a flatbread topped with tangy créme fraiche, caramelized onions, and crispy pancetta. Amid other choices, we decided to stick with the classic tarte flambée topped with Gruyère cheese. Served on wooden pizza boards with a side salad, it was a delicious.
The kids arranged mattresses on the floor for a fun sleepover. The following morning, we awoke to Julie preparing breakfast, even though she had to head to work. Their hospitality was truly touching. I thoroughly enjoyed Jacques' discussions about food. He has a deep understanding of the science behind it all. Jacques is a culinary school teacher at a public high school in Mulhouse, a job that's incredibly difficult to get. As he put it, he "won the job lottery!"
