So here we
are, definitively in Germany at last. Yesterday saw a few frustrations but was
ultimately successful. We set off early from our overnight spot, reaching the
Strasbourg basin in half an hour, Passing the European Parliament once again –
this time with a suitable (?) pumpout lorry parked outside.
Anyway, we
found find that the lock that refused to let us through the day before was now
blocked by a railway swing bridge – for the next hour or so. Then the lock
keeper came onto the VHF to say that a big passenger boat had to go through
before us: one of these monsters (how the other half lives on the Rhine):
Once
through, we bowled merrily down a very swollen Rhine, muddy and plenty of
debris, but no mishaps. Engine at little more than tick-over and making about 15-17
kph over the ground. Through the first big lock, but at the second, and last,
the lock-keeper wouldn’t let us through with a load of commercial barges, saying
it was all too dangerous. Fortunately there was a pontoon where we tied up, and
after a couple of hours chit chat on the radio finally persuaded him to let us through,
to stay the night in a very nice little harbour just off the river below the
lock. No WiFi however, so no updates, but we did manage to do a wash.
This
morning we set off again, river very swollen, and current running fast, but
plenty of traffic coming upstream – enormous barges and tankers thundering along.
Their wakes can kick up quite a confused wave pattern in the river. By
lunchtime we had covered some 65 kilometres in about four hours, so we stopped
at Speyer, which is where we are now. Some problem sorting out the security in
the port and how to pay, but managed eventually with some friendly local help:
not speaking German is – not surprisingly, I suppose – a bit of a handicap in
this country. But the natives are friendly and helpful.
We went
sightseeing – the 11th century Speyer cathedral is the largest Romanesque
church in the world and is extremely impressive. It was also pleasantly cool
inside. Here’s a pic
After that
we found a Vodafone shop which sorted out our connectivity problems – at a
price, of course. So we should be contact during the German part of our
holiday.
Tomorrow we
head further down the Rhine and then turn off up the Necker towards Heidelburg.
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