2018-07-01 Alsace Wine Route Trier to Ensch

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Alsace Wine Route Trier to Ensch

Alsace Wine Route by Motorhome

We sleep well with the windows open at Trier, with a cool draught blowing through the Hymer.

The days of driving are tiring and being on the move is catching up with both of us. I want to stay put for a day or two, catch up with myself and have time to consolidate what we have seen… so much! We sit outside under the shade of the trees, resting and writing journals. We watch as a few other campers leave and more arrive.

We have an early lunch and decide to find a quieter spot further down river. Taking the B53 out of Trier we follow it along the river for about 26km to a small town called Ensch. We pass many Stellplatz along its route, some are packed and very busy. Ours, when we find it, is set down among the vines and on the bank of the Moselle, it is perfect.

There are places for about 40 campers but only about eight of us are here. We choose a spot next to the river with a grassy area under the trees and set up. It is €6/night plus €2 for electricity. We sit all afternoon under the shade and enjoy the river and its many different boats, including a l-o-n-g gin palace, floating by. We eat Sausage salad outside and drink a bottle of Fritz Pinos Gris and agree that this is the only decent bottle of wine from Fritz!

The following day is still hot, and we make the most of our quiet spot by the river. We breakfast outside and sit in the sun while it is still cool. Later we wander into the village. Nothing is moving, not even a cat or a dog. It is hot and still with the occasional breeze. Some of the houses are old and have been renovated, others are new build and of considerable size. Much bigger than we would see in England and with large spacious gardens and decks. This was once a wine village as there are many old wine presses in gardens and by the road, now filled with flowers.

Lines of vines extend almost vertically up the hillsides and one can wonder how people make a living out of what is left. In the afternoon we write journals and read again, watching the ever-flowing river with its working barges (containers, coal, scrap metal). They are long, taking almost a minute to pass.