Just exactly where am I?

Since 1989 when my friends bought a house in Rhinau, I've visited this Alsatian village of about 2500 inhabitants often. I have showcased other villages in this area but never this one.  I thought it was time to share a little info.  Rhinau is situated on the Rhine (which here forms the border between France and Germany) and is directly across from the German village of Kappel. The two villages are linked by a free ferry service and the crossing takes only about 5 minutes.  Rhinau is about halfway between Strasbourg and Colmar; the former, 40+ km to the north and the latter, about the same distance south. Lahr, Germnay, is roughly 20 km east. In France, villages are awarded "flower" designations depending on how prettily a village is bedecked with flowers. When I first started coming here, Rhinau had been awarded none but it has steadily improved and is now a "3 flower" village. There is a small river - more like a stream by Canadian standards - called the Brunwasser running through.  Near the banks of the Rhine, there is a statue of the Virgin Mary meant to protect  the village from flooding.

While there is some industry here (e.g. a company that paints the "spoilers" on big truck rigs), it is primarily a farming village. What is somewhat unique is that, rather than the barns being in the fields, they are located with the houses. Sue and Keith have a big one behind their house as do most of the older houses in the village. This does mean there is lots of farm-related traffic lumbering up and down the village streets. There is a white aspargus farm which ships the product to many restaurants as well as sell to locals.  Because it is the season, we wnet there yesterday to load up for a big "feed" of it last night. There are fetes d'asperges - and in Germany, Spargelzeitfests everywhere.

The village church was bombed during the war and the ruins have been designated a historic site.  Also just outside the village are bunkers which are remnants of the Maginot Line - and we all know how that strategy worked out!  Some of these bunkers have been given a new life, one as the headquarters for the Rhinau fishing and hunting club and another as a summer "cottage" (at least it would be cool inside!). Other than that, it is a typical Fremch village - 3 boulangeries, a weekly market, the always present tabac and PMU outlet, four restaurants, and a clock tower whose bells toll every quarter hour 24x7.  Besides its charm, it has a very special in my heart because of all the fabulous memories I have of being here with very good friends.