Canals in France Germany and Luxembourg May 8th to May 25th 2008 Thursday May 8th Dave Manners picked us up and so along with Tom, Phyllis, and Lorrayn, we were on our way to the airport. Our plane was on time (6pm) and we got to Paris, France on time. We took a bus from the airport to the train station. From there we took two trains to get to Sarrebourg, France near the German border. We couldn’t find a taxi and couldn’t find a phone to call one. A German gentleman came up to us and he tried to help us. However, he could only find one taxi which he and his three friends needed as well. Lorrayn and Phyllis walked to find the hotel while we waited with the luggage. The ladies cameback and told us that the hotel was only several blocks away and we asked the Germans if we could use the taxi first for our luggage. They agreed and made should the taxi driver understood to come back for them. So we packed the luggage and Dave, Phyllis and Tom into the taxi and Rudy, Lorrayn and I walked to the hotel. We finally made it with only 22 hours of traveling!!! After we settled in our rooms, we found a great restaurant and Lorrayn bought a fantastic cake for Dave’s birthday. When we returned to the hotel, the guys went to their rooms and the girls played Dominoes!!! Saturday May 10th (we lost Friday somewhere over the Atlantic!!) The next morning after breakfast (bread, coffee, tea and OJ), we went to the marina to pick up our canal boat. The taxi had to make two trips which was only a few miles away. Since the boat wouldn’t be ready for us until 3 pm, we walked to a restaurant for lunch. After they went through the boat with Rudy and I, we started on our way at about 3 pm and drove thru the locks (4) until they closed at 7 pm. We went thru a French learning curve concerning the locks. No-one explained in detail how to use the little yellow box to open and to close the locks!! But with 6 smart people on board, it only took about 7 locks and some non-language communication to figure it out!! That night we stayed in Bataville, Fance Sunday May 11th HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!! Since it is Sunday and since we are in France…..the town of Einville-au-Jard was closed. We hoped the restaurant would open at 8pm, but on luck!! So we ate left-overs on board. I tried to use my calling card again…no luck. But I persisted and after 12 tries, 4 different phones and a lot of frustration, Dave helped figured it out and I was able to make a phone call!! YEA!! Monday May 12th Today, Phyllis, Lorrayn and I took turns driving the boat thru the locks and down the canal. Rudy does most of the driving, it was fun. We traveled to Nancy where we took our first train to get to Strasbourg. We have gone thru 20 locks and found a Super-Super Market and stocked up!! Tuesday May 13th We arrived in Pagny-sur-Moselle near Pont-a- Mousson. We found another pastry and great restaurant….All we eat is pastries, baguettes and cheese!!! I am gaining at least a pound a day!!! Wednesday May 14th We arrived in Metz and stayed in a marina with a beautiful park. The bonus was that the showers were clean and hot!!! Thursday May 15th Today was unique because every lock had its own story!!! 1st One side was broken and we weren’t sure if we were allowed to go into the incoming side. The red lights were on and finally Dave went to find out in English what the problem was to an only French speaking gate keeper. He seemed to want to wait for more boats to arrive since the lock was 100 feet long. He finally opened it when more boats arrived. 2nd We were turned away from a lock and thought they were telling us the lock was closed, but we did not know why. After speaking to a French woman who spoke a little English, we found out that we could go next. However, the French were having a strike so all the locks would be shutting down as soon as we go thru. The canal barge the Red Dragon came behind us….Were they telling us something??? 3rd Now all the locks were closing down because of the strike. We waited as a Tanker (Luna) came thru the oncoming way. We were still waiting and finally we were allowed in after the Luna went thru. We stopped at a town just beyond Thionville. 4th We drove to the next lock knowing we would have to tie up until the next morning because of the strike. However, we didn’t expect about 8 commercial tankers and about the same number of pleasure boats to be tied up already!! Since we couldn’t find a place to tie up, we went upstream to a little dock and asked if we could sped the night. Lorrayn and Phyllis were our spoke persons because they knew some French and we got thumbs up and he said yes in broken English. A friendly young French young man gave us directions to the grocery store and mailed some postcards for us. We all got on our bikes and rode to the grocery store to get more supplies. All we seem to do is EAT!!! Friday May 16th Today we learned that the Germans and Luxembourg’s wanted us to go behind the Giant Tankers instead of going first as the French wanted. We also were in their hands to when and if they opened the gates to the locks!!! We stopped at a Yacht Club in Saarburg, Germany for the night. (no hot showers!!) Rudy inquired about where the best Veal Schnitzel could be found. (Rudy and Dave were talking about it the whole day!!) We all got on our bikes and went to this cute German restaurant and Lorrayn and I had it too!! To get to the restaurant we rode along a bike path along the river, then crossed a busy road, under a bridge and we were there!!! (Klostermuhle) A young German who taught English in a German school was a fantastic help with the menu. After dinner he also brought us to the winery on the premises and the owner explained the process with some help from our private interrupter. Rudy, Tom and Phyllis went back to the boat and we started to go to the boat, it was extremely dark!!! If Dave hadn’t had white socks on, I wouldn’t have been able to see him!!! Saturday May 17th Every lock another new experience……. The last lock of the day and as we are waiting, a German voice came over the loud speaker and tells us something in German. Since we didn’t understand a word, we sent Dave to try to find out what we should be doing to get into the lock. Dave found out that we couldn’t go into the smaller lock, we needed to go into the larger commercial lock because six other pleasure boats were on their way and he wanted to put us all in at the same time. Rudy is doing all of the driving of the boat. I try to give him mini breaks to give him some rest. Tonight we docked at Dingen and rode our bikes to find a restaurant. Since it was pouring raining and we weren’t having any luck, we decided to ride back to the marina’s restaurant. When I entered, it looked like it was a private party. There was a huge roasted pig with sauerkraut, potatoes and bread on a table. However, I got the sense that only the marina customers were allowed. Then one man who knew a little English recognized me from the marina and told the owner that we were docked there. The only problem for Tom and Phyllis (who don’t eat meat) is that was all they were serving. Therefore, they went back to the boat and the four of us had a great meal. It was all you could eat, but they gave you so much the first time that none of us had seconds. The rest of the night, the girls played dominoes before we went to bed. Sunday May 18th It was still raining the next morning and the guys had to put the bikes on the boat. It was slippery, but they did a great job. Since we ate Veal Schnitzel and roasted pig in Germany, Rudy and Dave decided they needed to eat Magaret de’ canard (duck) and profiteroles almost every nite we ate out. They were trying to fine the best in the country!!! Now the locks are very small and tight. We had two other boats in several of the locks with us with about 4 feet in front of us. We stayed in Sarreguemines, France for the night. Monday May 19th As soon as I took the helm from Rudy, I passed a boat tied on the side of the canal. I thought maintaining my speed was the correct thing to do to make less wake, I was wrong. While we tied up for the lunch, a French policeman told us in broken English that we were going too fast when I passed the boat. He wanted us to understand that we should almost be in a standstill when passing a boat. Also, we should not speed thru the locks. Rudy apologized and the canal policeman went on his way. Lorrayn and I took our bikes off the boat and rode our bikes passed several locks. The bike path was straight and well paved. We couldn’t find a restaurant again and so we had a feast on our leftovers; soup, spaghetti, garlic bread and for dessert, apples and brie. We spent the night between Sarralbe and Mittersheim, a place called Bissert. Tuesday May 20th Today we went thru 14 locks (#15-#2) and they were all manual….manual meaning literally by hand!! The information book told us that the boaters were encouraged to help. So I started to help by pushing the bar to open and close the locks. It was similar to a subway turnstile which in turn turned a wench. The gate keeper had to set the lock brakes by turning a handle, then open up one door to the lock watt around the lock and open the other door. After our boat came into the lock, he then had to close each door to the lock. Then the water came into the lock, he had to open the brakes and then open each of the two doors to let us out. At first I worked in tandem with him, copying his moves with one door as worked the other door. After that was finished and Rudy drove the boat out of the lock, the gate keeper jumped into his car and drove to the next lock and I jumped on my bike to ride to the next lock. After a couple of locks, Lorrayn, Tom and Dave tried their hand at opening the locks too. So the gate keeper was just supervising for awhile. These 14 locks usually take at least 4 hours; we did it in less than 3 hours!!!! What a team!!! We gave the gate keeper a bottle of wine at lock #2 and he seemed pleased. We spent the night near Hemig just before Hesse. Wednesday May 21st HAPPY BIRTHDAY STACY!!!!! We have completed the loop and passed the marina that we started from today. (Hesse) We stopped at Lutzelbourg for the night. It was a beautiful town and it had a telephone, two bakeries and several restaurants!!! We pigged out on pastries again!!! We experienced the Barge Transverse-Elevator. The difference of levels between this lock and the next is 44.5 meters, a 41% gradient and replaces 17 locks!!!! It was very interesting and saves a great deal of time!!! Thursday May 22nd We ate breakfast at the Boulangerie Patisserie which had wonderful pastries and great hot chocolate!!! At 11 am Lorrayn and I traveled to Saverene to do laundry. I had a duffel bag on my back and another bag on the back tire both packed to busting with dirty clothes!!!! Lorrayn had a bag with some of her dirty clothes tied to the fender behind her. Rudy and I were traveling for another two and a half weeks and Lorrayn was going home in two days. We traveled 10 kilometers (5.3 miles) to Saverene and another mile uphill to the center of town….way up hill!!! We found the Tourist Office as it was closing and pleaded with the young girl to answer one question. I guess she saw this old woman with all the bags strapped to herself and wanted her to go away as quickly as possible. After we found where the laundry was located, we started our chore. Since we were the only ones there, we filled most of the machines. Lorrayn went in search of more pastries and to take pictures and I stayed and read my book. I realized we were in a Turkish area and one of there sandwich shops was right next to the laundry. I got myself a Donner (wrap with chicken and veggies and a delicious sauce) and an ice tea and thought how ironic….eating from a Turkish restaurant in France!!! After our laundry was completed, we strapped the bags on ourselves again and started our trip back to the boat. We stopped to take a picture and someone tapped me on the shoulder…it was Rudy!! He came to help us return with the bags of clothes. HE IS SO GOOD!!!! I was happy because at each lock we had to go up a hill. Friday May 23rd We traveled back to Hesse and the home of our Canal boat. In total we traveled thru 82 locks, two tunnels twice and the transverse elevator down the canal and up the canal. Rudy arranged for a driver to pick us up at the marina to drive us to a restaurant that was recommended. We had another fantastic meal and it was the last meal we were all together. I had so many pastries, baguettes and profiteroles that I know I gained at least 10 pounds….but it was worth it!!! (How do the French make their bread and pastries???!!!) Saturday May 24th Travel Day and Departure Day Rudy and I took a train east to Frankfort traveling on three different trains to get there. (On one of the trains saw SCHWENKER written on a truck) The rest of the party took a train to spend a night in Paris. After we got to our hotel, we had a great German dinner in an Italian restaurant. One of the best pasta dishes I have ever had!!! I was so happy that most Germans speak English on trains and planes and the menus are written in English…. what a relief!!! Sunday May 25th Another travel day …..we took a plane to London, Heathow and rented a car to Rotterham and stayed at another good hotel called Isis.