Day 10 - Hesse to Sarrebourg to Strasbourg to Paris to New York

We all got up by 8:30, had breakfast and then finished packing.  We ate or threw out the little bit of remaining bits of food and then stripped the beds.  The lady in the base office was nice enough to print out our boarding passes (which was quite a lengthy process) and then we had a taxi bring us to the train station in Sarrebourg.  There, we got an 11am train to Strasbourg. 

All packed up and ready to go

We arrived in Strasbourg and took some seats in the sunny glassed in area of the station because our train to Paris wasn't until 3:10 pm.  David wandered around Strasbourg for a while.  Outside, there was some kind of protest march happening, but we decided to stay in!  At one point, while on line in the ladies room, I started chatting with a Muslim woman.  She was from North Africa.  She asked where I was from and I told her New York (I have to add, you can't imagine how many people don't realize that NY is a state, and not just a city!!).  She was so excited by NYC!  She told me how she'd saved for many years to visit there.  Then she said she saw a naked man in Times Square!  I said, "That must be the Naked Cowboy!" and we both laughed about it.  She'd also visited Washington DC, and was hoping to get back to the US again some time.  She was a teacher and hoped to bring her daughter who was completing a degree in English.

Outside the Strasbourg train station

Hard to see, but protest march in the background

For lunch, there were several snack bars in the station, but they only sold sandwiches made of mystery meat, and we were craving chicken, so I went to Burger King and got us both chicken sandwiches.  It was nice to know exactly what we were getting when we ordered!!  
One thing we'd noticed throughout all our days in Strasbourg were heavily armed soldiers patrolling in groups of four or five.  I found it very disconcerting.

Armed soldiers taken through the window of our train.

Scenery taken through the train window (this and next picture)

On the train to Paris

The train to Paris took about two hours, and we got through security quickly, although they pulled both David and I out for "additional screening" for no discernible reasons.  The flight home was over 8 hours - we all watched a lot of movies and were quite achy by the time we reached JFK.
We got our car and drove home, arriving about midnight.  Another great trip is done!

Day 9 - Niderviller to Xouaxang to Hesse to Sarrebourg to Hesse

We left the marina in Niderviller early in the morning and took the very short ride to the LeBoat base in Hesse. We saw the area but decided to move on to the next town just because it was so early. The guide book said Xouaxang had an old church and described the town as “charming”. When we arrived, there was already a boat docked in the area and a young lady helped us tie up. It was a quiet and pretty spot. We headed into town, but there was no town to see! A closed restaurant was all there was. We did find the church which was surrounded by a cemetery with some unusual headstones, but there was nothing but private homes. So, we got back on the boat and headed to the base in Hesse. 

Leaving the marina in Niderviller

Passing by the small village of Schneckenbush

I took a turn as captain

The canal passed over a road

Narrow waterway!

Church and cemetery in Xouaxang

At the base, we were backing into a narrow space, the boat next to us decided to pull out and almost hit us. We tied up and spoke to the people at the base briefly. Then we got a taxi and went into Sarrebourg. There, we went into a museum with beautiful tapestries. This artist made tapestries out of famous paintings, many of Chagall's and a few Picassos. The tapestries were stunning.

Tapestries (this and next three pictures)

Archaeological exhibits in the museum

Next we went to see the Chagall windows in a former church.

The outside of the museum where the Chagall windows are

After that we wandered around but most of the stores were closed for lunch, so we found a nice restaurant and ate. Then we walked around a bit more, stopping in the Tourist office and a wine shop.

A Synagogue in Sarrebourg

The main drag in Sarrebourg

Deena and I had this lovely salad as appetizers

Lunch entree

A sculpture in Sarrebourg

Any idea what this means?

Finally we went to the train station and waited for a cab to show up. Oddly, the same driver we'd had before picked us up! Back at that base, Deena and I hung out while David wandered around. Then we all started chatting with the German people on the next boat. They'd been in the lift with us and we'd passed them several times along the way. We shared wine and they shared chocolate and bread and cheese.

Enjoying the first really warm day

Hanging out with our friends from Germany

Across from the base

Still smiling on the last day.

Then we all got ready for dinner. The restaurant was the only one around so everyone from the marina was there, including the family we were next to in Strasbourg, and the Swiss man we'd met in Saverne, along with our new German friends. I was so sick of beef so I ordered fish, but forgot to ask if it was filleted. It was not. So I had to play with fish bones – Yuck! To make up for it, I ordered dessert, which was delicious! Then we walked back to the boat in complete darkness to pack.

David's veal entree

My fish

Peach melba that made up for the fish!

Day 8 - Saverne to Niderwiller

We got up very early again this morning and were disappointed that the weather was still damp, chilly and cloudy.  A neighboring boat asked David about the upcoming lock, which was right at the edge of the marina.  We'd seen it the day before and it was a bigger and slightly harder lock to operate than we'd seen before.  We went in first and we shared locks with that boat for the next several hours.  At one of the locks they were selling jams and honey on the honor system!  David bought a jar of peach jam!

Inside the Saverne lock, with another boat

Inside the Saverne lock

We traveled to Lutzelbourg, where we stopped for a while around 11:30.  There was a crystal shop and the man who owns it makes all the crystal right there!  Then we found a little patisserie and had quiches, and then we were back on the boat again!

Serge Wurm, the crystal maker

We went through more locks until the afternoon when we got to the Arzviller Lift.  This is a giant boat lift that takes several boats up at a time, replacing 17 locks.  This large "tub" carries the boats over 146 feet uphill! This was one of the main reasons we wanted to take this trip!

Approaching the boat lift

Entering the boat lift

Pulling into the boat lift

Riding up (this and next three pictures)

Exiting the lift at the top

Minutes after the boat lift, we entered the first of two tunnels.  This first one was over a mile and a half long, and pitch black in some places.  The second one was just a few minutes after the first one, but it was only about a quarter of a mile long.

Entering the first tunnel

Looking back at the tunnel

Then we traveled through a pretty, woodsy area until we reached Niderviller, where we pulled into a marina for the night.  Deena and I took long, hot showers and then David walked into town.  About an hour later we headed into town as well, and found David.  We visited the Faience porcelain factory store and looked around but didn't buy anything.  Then we bought tomorrow's baguette at the patisserie, and headed back to the boat.  We all had some wine and sat around talking.  We went to the local restaurant at about 7 and had a nice dinner.  Then we came back and David and I did some laundry at the marina.  David fell asleep while the laundry was still going and Deena and I chatted till it was done.

Porcelain store we visited

My dinner

Deena's dinner