Journey down the Rhine

One of the items on our bucket list has been going on a small cruise preferably with land either side, so when the opportunity arose to take a cruise down the Rhine, in the company of two of our favourite bands, (Show of Hands, and India Electric Company) our names were among the first ones on the list!

On the first day the sun shone and we all sat out on the top deck enjoying the warmth of the sun. We glided along the winding Rhine river, admiring the ever changing scenery of quaint villages and old churches, some lining the water;s edge and others clinging to the sides of the hillsides. Crowning the top of the hills are many ruined castles that were once maintained from the tolls that were charged to allow access along the river. Vines also terrace the steep hillsides, it must be quite a task to maintain and pick the grapes!

The journey wasn't all plain sailing however, as we were sitting at dinner the third evening there was a sudden change of plan, due to the conditions on the river. An accumulation of melting snow on the Swiss Alps and heavy rain had caused a huge rise in water levels, We set out immediately for Strasbourg but during the night all boats on the river were ordered to moor up. After breakfast many of us ventured out to investigate our new surroundings only too discover that even the roads out of the hamlet were flooded too and we were stranded! At least the swans were enjoying the additional swimming areas and we had plenty of musicians on the boat to keep us entertained,

Half-way through the afternoon it was decided that it was safer to allow our boat to proceed down river rather than stay where were. We were apparently the only boat out of the 1,600 vessels that on average use the Rhine on a daily basis who were given permission! We proceeded slowly as there were concerns that due to the high water level that we might not be able to fit under the bridges, some did look quite close!

We reached Strasbourg and although the boats weren't allowed further for a few days it did allow us to get out and visit other places.

From a wine tasting in a French village

Seeing many storks nesting and feeding.....

We also visited the Rhine Falls in Switzerland,  which is the largest waterfall in Europe and felt the power of the water has it thundered past us! We were told that it was at it highest flow level for 100 years!

 The two ducks sitting on the rocks (mid-right of the picture didn't seem to mind the noise or spray!

Despite the high water levels and eating too much food we had a wonderful time. It was a relaxing way to travel and see so much. It's amazing how many goods are still transported along the river and despite passing some industrial areas we won't forget the wildlife we saw. The storks flying over head were a highlight for me. Have you been on a cruise or visited this part of Europe?

Returning home, everything has grown so much in a week, so we shall be busy this week in the garden and catching up on other blogs. Wishing you a happy week, sorry for the long post!

Sarah x