Mick and I decided we’d go on another picnic today, this time not along the Routes de Vins d’Alsace, but rather to a ski resort, to the town of Gérardmer and its lake that forms part of the park area on the edge of the town. Gérardmer is only 22 Km away from where we are staying at Mandray.

The lake was originally formed by a glacier and is the largest natural lake in the Vosges.

It is claimed that Victor Hugo’s brother Alfred gave Gérardmer the title of the “Pearl of the Vosges”.

Gérardmer and its lake have been popular tourist destinations for many years, dating back to the 19th Century. There is a walking track around the lake that is approximately 6Km long, and as it was great weather today, there were lots of people walking or running around the lake. Many of the people were German. It is not very far to the German border from here, and only 11km away there is a ‘pass’ that allows cars through the Vosges into a valley that eventually leads to the German border.

There were many different types of boats to hire and even a tour boat that took passengers around the lake for about 40 minutes.

Mick and I decided just to look on this occasion. The water was so clear and very shallow near the edge. In the distance, you can spot houses climbing up the hillside. These had a typical ‘chalet’ look about them.

It does snow up here and the ski fields are quite close.

Gérardmer had the feel of a tourist town with loads of hotels, some quite fancy advertising expensive rooms, and loads of restaurants, which all looked like they were doing a great trade at lunchtime.

Plus it had one of these, which was actually going.

Yesterday was the Feast of the Ascension and a public holiday in France, and schools are now on a four-day break, taking in that holiday. Mick and I saw the most children we have seen in our stay in France so far. Lots of families were enjoying the lake and the parks and the restaurants.

Mick and I enjoyed an hour wandering the streets of the town enjoying the smells of great food, as well as enjoying the sites. This window displayed some typical Alsatian cuisine. We also noticed many shops dedicated to the selling of local linen.

We also smiled at this poster advertising some wine we had not heard of before. But, we understood the translation – Le Vin de Merde – Shit Wine!

When I later researched the winemaker, I learnt that it was a deliberate strategy designed to encourage people to try wine that perhaps they had tried before and did not like. He believed that winemakers had worked hard to improve the quality of their wines and consumers should give them a go.

I’m unsure if his strategy worked, or is working.

The church in the centre of town – Eglise Saint Etienne de Kichompré – stands out with its newly paved foreground and steps.

The church was damaged during WWII and underwent significant restoration in 1954. It was obvious up close to the walls where the new work started and the original stonework was intact.

Like many towns and communes in the Vosges, large numbers of Jewish people made their homes in Gérardmer. By the late 18th Century, 75% of France’s Jewish population resided in Alsace-Lorraine.

This fact is important because many Jewish businessmen contributed significantly to Gérardmer’s prosperity, in particular to the establishment and development of the local textile industry. For example, in 1936 a textiles factory built by Nathan Lévy employed 216 people.

Once WWII was declared, many of the Jews fled the area, and sadly those who remained, around forty people, were arrested by the Germans and later murdered in Auschwitz.

Not a cheery not on which to end this post, but nonetheless important.

No wine for Mick and I at lunchtime today, as Mick is hoping desperately that a local bar, located only two kilometres from our house sit in Entre-Deux-Eaux will be open for a beer tonight.

We will see.