Alsace borders Germany on the other side of the Rhine. For centuries the French and the Germans have been fighting over this region. Now it's French but still has strong German influences. The weirdest cultural hybrid is a famous regional dish which consists of huge quantities of sausages, a fair chunk of pig and sauerkraut (can't get more German than that) doused with sparking wine (only the French would douse perfectly good sparking over sausages and sauerkraut). Papa and Hanni were our hosts and tour guides, so needless to say we wined and dined in style.