Mont Ste Odile & Champs de Feu

On our last full day in France we took the opportunity to get some hill climbing practice. While Gill put in a few hours (feeding baby bats!) at the wildlife care centre in Roswiller we took the opportunity to walk up to the ancient monastery and pagan wall at the top of Mont Ste Odile (764m, 500m climb) where we had lunch with a million dollar view across the Rhine Valley.

In a sudden shower we descended steeply into the village of St Nabor where Gill collected us and took us to a bird banding evening at nearby Champs de Feu. The extra height here (1010m) was enough to expose us to mist, wind and intermittent showers but it wasn't enough to deter Francois and his bird banding colleagues, especially after the barbecue was lit and the inevitable bottle of wine was produced! We were most impressed with the great care these hardy enthusiasts took as they identified, banded and released the birds. A new species was observed here (a Crossbill) which will cost Francois a bottle of bubbly!

NB: First post using my new iPad (which has also signed up for the Coast to Coast walk).