July 28 - continued from last week’s log.

This paragraph got left off the very end of last week’s log, when Albert was being driven single handed from Saverne, arriving at Port de l’Hopital in Strasbourg mid afternoon of about the 4th day, having spent 1 complete day moored up on the canalside doing boat type jobs.

No "ship’s" or daily log was kept during this period, Albert remained moored up in the Port d’Hopital at Strasbourg, but moved on Monday morning to a finger pontoon, end on, in the main moorings. Allan (and Denise) of Back o' the Moon gave a hand - one had to pick up a stern (or for most boats, a bow) mooring rope from the shore end of the mooring, the other end of which was securely anchored to the canal bed about 20 metres out from the shore, and tie the "free" end of the boat tightly with it.

On the whole, throughout this period, it was very, very hot - blazing sun striking back from the pavements and buildings, or thick and muggy.

On Monday S. re-joined ship after a traumatic journey from Southsea (Portsmouth) by British Rail to Waterloo, Eurostar to Paris, and SNCF to Strasbourg, taxi to quite close to the moorings, and foot.

British Rail broke down twice, resulting in all connections being missed. Eurostar was late, so further connections in France were missed. Eventual arrival was at Strasbourg just after midnight (she left Southsea at 10.00 a.m.). Her taxi driver at Strasbourg did not know of the Porte de l’Hopital - a well known institution and on city maps - and wrote off a tyre on a demolition site trying to find it. The relief taxi driver also was unable to find the Porte, and "dumped" S. some 300 metres from it on prostitute ally.

The last bit of the journey was completed on that most reliable of means - feet - and she was duly seen through the port security fence by husband at about 00.45 on Tuesday.

The next day was spent recuperating, relaxing, sleeping, and generally recovering in extreme heat.

The rest of the week was spent site seeing, and generally enjoying Strasbourg.

However, detailed description of site seeing is dull, and will not be given a place here in the "ship’s log", but two points:-

Strasbourg - by reason of it’s incredibly longsighted bicycle policy - is the tourists’ dream. If there is no dedicated cycle track in the road - and on a lot of roads and streets there are parts of the road given over to bikes both ways - one uses the pavements (there are even signs on one way streets excepting cyclists)! The city is level, the tracks and pavements are mostly smooth tarmac (there are quite a lot of old cobbles, though) pump your tires hard, and go. You can, of course, hire good strong bikes, if you have none of your own. However - beware - bike theft is endemic, and the thieves have good bolt croppers.

Secondly, the Porte de l’Hopital is a boat club. Members’ moorings are rented - I think - on a donation basis during the summer on behalf of the club when they (the members) are away. You are asked - after a first night or casual passer by fee of Ffr50.00, to donate what you think appropriate. Water and electricity are available as part of the deal. Members are welcoming and helpful to us visitors. The club also runs 6 or so moorings at the end of their site for overnight hire boats. The club is 10 mins - on a bike or feet - max from the city centre. It has a busy main road running along the canal right opposite, but only cars use it, the noise is continuous, and one quickly becomes totally used to it.

Thus we had pleasant, safe, reasonably priced moorings, living, and transport in the centre of one of the most wonderful cities in Europe.

We enjoyed ourselves!

Strasbourg to Rhinau.

Went down the final 20 kms of the Canal de la Marne au Rhine to see what lay at the end.

The canal is dead straight, but except for the odd optical illusion one can only see the next 1.5 - 2 kms anyway, so it really does not matter (except possibly psychologically) whether it is straight or curved.

Down very quickly through some 8 automatic locks - every one set for us. The weather was disgusting up to mid-day with rain and cold winds. In the afternoon it improved and we stopped for a spell.

Cycled to Obenheim, one of the very pretty villages around these parts. They had a marvelous display of flowers everywhere - every space that would take a hanging basket, or a flower bed, had one. Looked a bit like those villages in Switzerland where they seem to put it away every night, and get it out in the morning, dust it over, tidy it up, then put it on display.

Arrived at last lock that gives out on to the Rhine, and moored up on the lock mooring. Too shallow, so stuck about a metre out and used gang-plank. Perfectly comfortable - surrounded by fishermen. However, they were the quiet friendly type camping out for the week-end with their families, and having asked politely if we could use the mooring jetty to moor our boat, and received agreement (!) all was total joy and friendliness. It seems to be the form here, a "s’il vous plait" as you approach before you get within rod’s reach, and a "merci", and that’s it. Just do it quietly, with a min of propeller thrash. Seems silly - moorings are for boats (??) - but everyone remains happy and friendly, and it is such an improvement on England's verbal - and at times - physical abuse. Perhaps some of the English boaters and fishermen should come over and see the batteries of rods some of these guys put out. 4, 5 and even 6, at times.

Walked out past the lock to see the Rhine. It has 2 channels here, so we only saw half, but even so, it is enormous and flows fast - 6 kms per hour plus. Frightening.

Lovely quiet night away from the traffic noises.