Left turn at Strasbourg

Strasbourg is as far to the East as we can go and still remain in France, This year the plan has been to stay in French waters. We also have to make our way towards the Marne river, Paris and eventually Migennes where Antiope will sleep for the winter. Simon Evans boatyard has looked after Antiope before, and this winter we need to replace the ageing Teak deck, a job which has been put off for several seasons.

The European parliament building, Strasbourg, just huge.

Old town Strasbourg.

The cellars of Strasbourg hospital house a rare hoard of wine casks dating back to a time when patients could pay for their treatment in produce, and wine was dispensed instead of water.

A rare cask contains wine from 1472, and is reputed to be still drinkable, although a touch acidic.   

The hospital cellars

Wine from 1472

We share the route  out of  Strasbourg with the TGV train to Paris

Saverne, We are climbing int the hills.

Lutzelbourg. and we are high in the Vosges hills

We take the Arzviller lift, up the final 90 metres, 

Avery smooth ride takes only 20 mins, 

The Arzviller lift was completed in 1968 to replace 17 locks which took a full day to work through.

16m deep lock at Rechicourt.,

Once over the summit, we descend towards Nancy, and familiar territory for Antiope. 

Up the Rhine into Switzerland

Mulhouse is only a few kms from the Rhine and its' navigable limit in 'Basel' Switzerland, the temptation to venture into yet another country, too much to resist.

Heading up the Rhine to the Swiss border

Basel is the navigable limit for these massive Rhine cruisers 

We are able to push on right up to the old Basel bridge

Basel town hall

The old trams still run around the city

A bizarre sport is floating down the Rhine through the city bridges

From Basel we head downstream through two massive Rhine locks before turning off onto the little known Colmar canal.

We share the Rhine locks with these two huge barges

The quiet Colmar canal

Picture book Colmar