On the Lake

Before heading back to New Zealand, we take time out to visit friends in Friedrichshafen on the shores of Lake Constance and use the time to explore the area.

We take a cruise on the Rhine !

It seemed bizarre to be to be on a cruise ship almost 400m above sea level. We were on Lake Constance known as the Bodensee to the locals. The lake is fed by the infant Rhine river close to where it flows from its source in the Swiss alps. Glaciers during the last ice age carved out this 536 sq km lake. The river then takes shape again after spectacular waterfalls and becomes the commercially navigable Rhine waterway to the sea just a few kms later at Basel.

The infant Rhine winds its way up this valley to the foot of the Swiss Alps. 

 In recent years we have cruised Antiope in stages from Basel to the sea, so it was an experience to explore these upper reaches.  

 The 'Santis' mountain peak seen from across the lake

On a day trip to the Swiss alps, we take the gondola to the peak of 'Santis mountain', 2502 metres above sea level and one of the highest peaks in Switzerland that is accessable by cable car. While there was October snow on the distant peaks, we learn that the alpine glaciers are receeding at an alarming rate.  It is no wonder that the lowland waterways, which are fed from the Rhine and Rhone rivers and rely on the alpine spring melt, are drying up each year.    

     

On Santis peak, among the clouds at over 2500 metres 

We are well rugged up 

 

                                                  

Global warming has left this alpine ridge with scant snowfall in recent years.  

               

              The Santis 'Schwebebahn' cable car

'Aescher' restuarant literally clings to the side of a mountain. 

Before flying back to New Zealand, we have been staying with friends on the German side of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen and taking day trips up and down the lake and across the water to Switzerland and Austria.

The Bodensee is the German name for Lake Constance, the Swiss alps beyond

In 1900, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin made his first ascent in a rigid airship from Friedrichshafen. By 1935, the massive airships Hindenburg and Graff Zeppelin were circling the globe, carrying passengers in luxury.   

This 33m replica of the Hindenburg hangs n the Zeppelin museum in Friedrichshafen.

An Airbus A380 size compared to Hindenburg

Hindenburg and liner Queen Mary in same scale

         A modern small airship does tourists daily tours over Friedrichshafen .

A passenger boat trip down the lake took us to a bronze age archeological site showing a recreated stilt village. 

The materials needed to built the original dwellings would have all been found nearby.

This pile dwelling site dates back more than 3,000 years, and the recreated stone to bronze age village seemed eerily authentic. The remote area and shallow lake shore has revealed pile stumps, tools and pottery which all indicate a once extensive settlement.  

    

The remains of crude dugout boats were also found in the lakebed silt  

   

Another 2 hour lake cruise took us to the medieval town of Lindau.  It is now very much a tourist destination, however without the summer crowds we were able to take the time to absorb the atmosphere of lakeside life through the centuries. It was once a fortified island and to walk around the island would take less than two hours.    

Our lake cruise ship approaches Lindau 

The iconic Lindau lighthouse. 

 Lake Constance last froze over completly in 1963

                                         Next stop Paris before boarding our long flight home. 

Lest We Forget

 Our plan had been to finish our season at the end of September in Diksmuide where we had arranged for Antiope to be hauled out and hopefully tucked up for the winter inside a big boat store.  However the lack of rain all summer long was about to upset our schedule. 

A quiet evening mooring along the Zeebrugge waterway

A few kms north of Brugge, we turned off the main commercial waterway which continues to the coast at Zeebrugge. There was an eerie lack of cruisers or even hire boats around as we followed the lonely Passendale canal to Nieuwpoort where we would lock through onto the river Yser. We had intended to visit and introduce ourselves at the boatyard at Diksmuide, then continue up river before joining the Ypres canal to revisit the historic city town. 

Market square Diksmuide. "The little man from the moon" is from a local folklore tale.

It is hard to believe that this town hall and the market square has been rebuilt twice since 1917. Determined to retrieve the historic character of Diksmuide, apart from new bricks the archecture is true to a time prior to 1914. 

Diksmuide viewed from the top of the 'Peace Tower'.  Antiope is centre frame.

The Peace Tower overlooks the Yser river

The Peace Tower built following WW1 dominates the surrounding landscape. It  has 22 levels and houses a multi-level museum, the overwhelming message being- Peace, Tolerance, and Freedom. 

The Peace tower did not escape shelling in 1939

With some spare time, it seemed only right to visit the nearby 'Oerbier' brewery in Esen. This small brewery started brewing in 1835 and little seems to have changed since. It is now run by two brothers who endevour to follow traditional small brewing practice with all natural ingredients with understandably exellent results.    

This century old traditional brewery mixing vat is still in use 

Some special beers are aged in used wine barrels in the cellars 

Their regular brews range in strength from 4% up to 12%.

This is Belgium after all.

It has been a dozen years since we last visited this region. However, back then we did not spend enough time exploring and fully absorbing its turbulent history which spans many centuries. It is a sobering experience to walk through the preserved WW1 trenches lining the banks of the Yser river. This was the front line for three years, the opposing forces being only a few meters apart across a narrow stretch of water. The town of Diksmuide was totally destroyed by 1917, completely rebuilt, only to be largely destroyed again in 1941. 

Opposing trenches lined both sides of the Yser river

A section of the original sandbagged trenches  

This time out has been forced upon us by the drought and lack of water in much of Belgium's  canal system and effectively a widespread closure of navigation to all but commercial craft. Our own efforts to reach Ypres were thwarted by water too shallow even for Antiope. On the positive side, we have been able to secure an inside undercover spot for the winter as several regulars have been unable to get their boats home again to Diksmuide. 

Sept 15th, Antiope is hauled out at Diksmuide

'Lest we Forget'    

  

        

Classic Belgium

 We have come North again and crossed an invisible border from Wallonia into Flanders, which is the Dutch speaking region of Belgium. To greet someone here in our rudimentary French is likely to invite a bit of a frown. Fortunately, in Flanders, English becomes our default language as it is commonly used.

Seagoing vessels once offloaded here on the Ghent waterfront. 

Ghent historically marked the headwaters of the tidal river Schedt. The old town made rich by river trade is now encircled by a large deep commercial waterway with links to all of Western Europe.

  

Street mural. Belgium has a proud railway heritage.

Belgium once boasted more railways than any other European country. Even today, the frequent trains run on time and oldies, (65 and over) can travel countrywide all day for no more than € 8.50 ( NZ$16 ) 

Ghent castle, in the centre of town, was built in 1180. It has a dark feudal history.

We moored close to the centre of Ghent and spent a few days soaking up the classic architecture. Then cruised on towards Brugge, via the old Leie river, which is a delightful meandering river it was here that we were met by an international flotilla of 'amphibious vehicles'.  

We were warned to expect 80 'amphibians' coming our way!

Truly an international rally.

Along the Leie, we tie up at the picture postcard village of Sint Martens-Latem

Back on the main canal to Brugge, we spotted a bird floundering and near exhausted in the water. Once rescued, we noted it had a leg ring with a phone number. A phone call established that he/she was on a homing flight from France back to the Netherlands.   

This pigeon was making a poor job of swimming.

Turned out that this soggy pigeon had ID.

Dried out and ready to find its way home.

A week or so later we got a call back to say that this little pigeon had made it home. 

Next stop Brugge, and summer weather is still with us

Brugge is the classic Belgian waterway town. With the luxury of time this year, we spent a full week here.

Classic Brugge.

Touristy bit of Brugge

Ah, the 13th century Belfry. Yes, we climbed all 366 steps

 

The carillon drum at the top of the Belfry. 

As this massive brass drum rotates slowly, the pegs trigger a medly on the 47 carillon bells, quite magical to watch and listen.

Just a few of the 366 steps.

For a day out we took the touristy little paddle boat along what was the original waterway route from Brugge to the sea and stopped at the town of Damme.

 

 

        Damme, once a seaport, is now many kms inland. 

From Brugge we will cruise the less travelled waterways of western Belgium to Diksmuide and Ypres.

  

Farewell shipmate

 Paul Antrobus, a long time shipmate, has sailed away. Paul was the 'first mate' aboard the classic ocean  racing yacht, Evenlode, when I joined the crew as a young novice deckhand. The memory of his firm and steadying hand on my shoulder during one scarey and stormy night at sea has remained with me. 

Paul Antrobus 1943-2025

 A commradeship founded at sea has survived since then. In more recent years, Paul and I teamed up to write and publish the book 'Swatchway Magic' which celebrated our old sailing haunts of East Anglia. This was a theraputic and nostalgic time for both of us. Paul was well respected among the old guard of the British yachting community, many of whom rolled up for his funeral. Annie and I traveled by Eurostar to be there.

After the event and while in London we also took time out for a walkabout. Did you know that there is still a public cobbled landing below tower bridge?

The boatman's landing 

in the shadow of Tower Bridge

  

I once fed pigeons here in Trafalgar Square. 

Years ago, vendors in the square could sell bags of seeds.

 

Back aboard 'Antiope', the Strepy lift looms over the landscape at dawn.

Once back aboard Antiope, my task has been to set up our own AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponder. It has been on the Antiope agenda for a year or two now. Having such a unit operating is likely to soon become mandatory for all vessels using the commercial inland waters of Europe. An AIS provides the ability to see and be seen by other craft on a charting screen. We can also now be be tracked on various phone Apps such as 'Marine Traffic' by searching for 'Antiope'.  

The Cathedral at Tournai was built in the 12th century.

It is slowly emerging from its shroud of grime. 

We have been here before! 

The 'old' three arched bridge in Tournai back in 2012.

The 'new' bridge,

 rebuilt to accomodate the barges of today.

I have a fascination for the history of the waterways, and cannot resist exploring the derelict and forgotten navigation highways. In a previous post I have mentioned Napoleon's decree to build an East- West waterway from the Scheldt to the Meuse. The legacy of that plan exists in the form of the Canal du Center that now carries many thousands of cargo tons daily up over the high lands of Belgium. Remnants of the original narrow waterway are still there to be found. 

  

The old lock at Peronne,

where the man made waterway started its climb from the Scheldt river. 

Until the late 1960s 

lock no 3 would have accomodated a 300 ton Peniche  

A lift bridge is preserved along the original waterway

The final boat lift at the summit of the old  canal. 

121 m above sea level. 

It finally completed the route in 1919. 

As I write we are moored up in Oudenarde, in the same spot as we visited in 2012.

Update- Wednesday 13th   AIS aboard Antiope is up and running.