Over the top

A long hot day to get over the top and down into Alsace. In all it has been about 185 kms and 72 locks to get up the hill – done in under a week on the water. Now its downhill all the way to Koblenz.  The first 15 locks only took two and a half hours, which was a relief. When we were here last, it was a question of two hunky young men on scooters dashing from lock to lock and winding gates and sluices by hand: now it’s pretty girls on bicycles pressing buttons.

Here’s a picture of a canal bridge, just outside Montbeliard.

Here’s one of Nick chatting to one of the pretty girl students doing summer jobs as éclusières.

And here’s a sight of the lock staircase, as best we could manage.

We are now settled in the port at Dannemarie, enjoying a refreshing beer, and  should make it to Mulhouse tomorrow – another long and not very interesting day as I recall. Then it’s onto the Rhine on Sunday.