Doesn't this town look like the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary?! 6 year anniversary, to be exact! Last July, as the first of three heat waves made its way into Europe, D and I took a 3 hour drive from Wiesbaden to the beautiful village of Riquewihr, France. This too-cute-for-words cobblestoned town is part of the famed Alsatian Wine Route and is just about the epitome of French charm. Colorful houses, wine-filled shops, and flower boxes bursting at the seams with fresh blooms…if France ever had a storybook village, THIS WAS IT. One of my favorite things about living in Europe these last 3 years have been quaint towns like these, nestled in between vineyards and oozing picturesque scenery. The only other town that I could compare to this would be Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany…also one of my very favorites. Riquewihr, while also walled like Rothenburg, was much smaller and surrounded on all sides by lush, green vineyards. This place was practically begging me to stay there forever! We stayed just inside the old walls of the town at the most adorable hotel with the most lovely views (Hotel à L'Oríel, in case you were wondering). Everyday we had a traditional European breakfast in the sitting room with the owner's friendly cat. Every night we dined al fresco with chilled wine, stinky cheese, and under the romantic ambiance of the French countryside. Sounds like a total dream, right? It was. Granted, it also reached 108°F one afternoon (no, seriously…I have photos of town thermometers), but with such sweet scenery surrounding us on our weekend of love, we almost didn't notice. Allllmost. 3 cold showers a day kept the heat tolerable, but I digress. We spent the morning of our first full day in Alsace wandering around the alleyways of Riquewihr, stopping in for wine tastings at various winery stores and shopping for French treats unique to the region. The rest of the afternoon was spent a short drive away in Colmar…the widely-known "capital of Alsatian wine". More French fun to come!