Germany by Accident

The Howse family from Wolfe Island arrived in Strasbourg on June 17, having spent a few days exploring Paris first.  After wandering Strasbourg we set out up the Canal de la Marne au Rhin connecting Strasbourg with Nancy.  Unfortunately, the canal had sprung a leak several locks up the system and was unable to keep enough water in lock number 47 to actually lift the boat.  Several commercial boats, a few vacation rental boats and a handful of cruisers and barges were stuck in the system.  After consulting with a variety of folks tied on to the canal banks in a wonderful mix of French, English and German, we decided not to wait around for the lock re-opening which might be a whole week away.  The other option available to us was to head for the mighty river Rhine flowing fast through Germany. 

Serendipity.  After eight months travelling in France we have discovered that Germany has just as much to offer!

The Howses are now on their way back to Canada and we are heading north on the Rhine, dodging cruise ships, heavily laden barges and rocks in the middle of the river.  The Rhine will take us to the Netherlands via German cities such as Bonn, Cologne and Dusseldorf. 

Had we turned east a while back, we could be heading to Berlin and Budapest.  Maybe next year.

A Minor Eggsident

We were motoring along happily.

Tom passed the helm over to me so he could eat his lunch.

I wobbled the boat out of the channel.

A rock was struck. The boat lurched backward.  The eggs went forward. 

No injuries.  No leaks.

Lesson learned. 

Even when you can barely see them, the channel markers are there for a reason.

And put the eggs away after you've taken what you'll use.

Time Flies

Long story short, the girls attended school in Marseillan for a total of 34 days.  It was an experience that they will look back at with a feeling of...well, something positive I hope. 

They finished up on April 25th and we moved out of our apartment and back onto the boat the same day.  On the 26th we drove to Marseille where we picked my parents up at the airport. 

We stopped at the medieval walled city of Aigues Mortes for lunch on the way back to the boat and used the rental car the next day to do a circuit of the lake/etang. 



South of Carcassonne, in the Pyrenees foothills

La Cite at Carcassonne from the graveyard across the valley

Tuesday morning after market we set off up the Canal du Midi.  This is a much written about canal in France and is populated almost entirely by rental boats.  It was pleasant, but not earth shattering, and after about 60 locks we decided to stop at the town of Carcassonne rather than go all the way to Toulouse as planned. 

Carcassonne was excellent, both the real city and the medieval walled city/tourist attraction.  We rented a car to explore the Pyrenees to the south, including natural hot springs, and the Central Massif to the north, including a town devoted to used book shops.  Book lovers heaven!!!

On May 10 we drove to Toulouse, wandered around a bit and had an excellent Asian meal before leaving my parents at their hotel to catch their early flight next morning.

We returned back down the canal (always more relaxed going down than up) and set out for the wide open sea.  Ultimately, we spent one lovely day swimming in the brisk waters of the Mediterranean among the rocks a little to the west of Marseille.  Then we headed back north, braving just a couple of extremely sea sickening hours to get off the pitching sea.



Rennes les Bains where the water runs hot

Going north on the Rhone means working against the current, but in our case the wind was on our side (which is to say at our stern) and it took five days to get from the sea to Lyon.  At Lyon we stopped long enough to get City Cards these amazing inventions that allow you to pay a flat fee for entrance into any and all museums and many attractions.  This means two things: one, you go to museums you wouldn't normally dream of because they are all "free"; two, if you aren't interested, you turn around and leave.  In addition to wandering the Roman ruins on Fourviere hill and walking through the Gallo-Roman museum, the girls and I did the Textile museum, design museum, museum of miniatures and cinema, and the puppet museum.  We also fit in a funicular ride, a couple of cathedral viewings (Georgia and I check out stained glass windows and organs wherever it's convenient), and a narrated cruise.

Above Lyon the river is called the Soane, rather than the Rhone, and after a few days of that we moved to the east onto the Canal du Rhone au Rhin which follows the River Doubs.

Currently, it is June 6 and we have left the boat at a marina in Montbeliard, a week's motoring from Strasbourg.  We rented a car and drove just under five hours to get to Versailles, just outside Paris.  Yesterday we spent a full 6 hours wandering the Palace of Versailles and grounds and some of us will return today to wander a little more with Tom's neice, Becky, who arrived by plane and train from England yesterday.


Bathing beauties in the Mediterranean calanques