From Lalique Museum to Germany

It was another grey day when we left Strasbourg and drove to the Lalique museum in the little town of Wingen sur Moden that Glenn was very excited to see.

We arrived in more foggy weather and went straight to the bistro for a coffee to warm up.

We then went into the museum to see lots of amazing pieces of jewellery and glasswork. The audio guide gave us a lot of information about René Lalique who grew up in Paris and became a goldsmith. He was very talented at drawing but additionally spent 2 years studying art drawing in the Uk. He was also interested in nature.

He focussed on jewellery initially and became famous producing beautiful unique pieces in the 1880s and 90s.

He presented his jewellery at the 1900s world expisition in Paris. One of the pieces of his presentation stand was in the museum.

He then started to use glass in his jewellery and create glass items like perfume bottles, vases and even car mascots.

Lalique bought the glass factory in Wingen-sur-Modem in 1921 after WW1 in an area famous for glass production from the Middle Ages.

He was a major part of the French exposition in Paris in 1925 with a large glass fountain as the centerpiece. Pieces of this fountain were on show.

Some more modern pieces were on display - and the stages that they go through.

Lalique’s son and granddaughter followed him and designed their own pieces here.

That was the end of the main exhibition and there was a walk past the garden to the foyer.

We then went to the temporary exhibition of Lalique pieces owned by 2 collectors. There were many interesting pieces and a display of how the small pieces are made using a tool.

We then headed off for a 2 hour drive to Mainz in Germany to visit Angela and Oliver.

We stopped at the castle at Bitche to empty our toilet and grey water.

We then enjoyed the autumn colours through the forests. There were a few signs when crossing into Germany about speed limits but not much else.

At one point we overtook a Ferrari that had entered the motorway - the first one for Gus! It overtook us soon afterwards.

We soon arrived in Mainz and were welcomed by Angela. Oliver was out on a works event but saw him next morning.

We had a night in a normal bed - about a month after the last one in Venice!