Tuesday October 16 (Strasbourg)

Well, this morning was a bit different, thick river fog down low and we could not see very much at all! 

 I was up early today as I was on the tour to Strasbourg and it left at 8.30 am, so after my usual in-suite breakfast I went along to where we would disembark. 

Much of the crew were busy dealing with a supply truck that seemed to be very full!!

We left on time, there were only 13 of us plus the guide to Strasbourg, it was a three hour drive from where the boat was docked. 


It was a very pleasant drive and as soon as we had climbed to the hills above we were in sunlight, again! It was a slightly cooler day but not cool enough for me to put a jacket on, lol!

Our guide, Andrea, told us much of the history of the region we were headed into, Alsace (Lorraine). 

The older inhabitants have changed their nationality six times over the past 80 or so years, between French and German. At the moment it is French but not a big issue these days with the European Union. I remember learning about this when I studied history at school!

The borders of France, Germany and Luxembourg are very close together around this area. We passed through Saarbrucken and not long after, crossed the border into France. 

These days the old custom hoouse is no longer in use with the European union. The thing I find fascinating is that even people travelling on non-Europen poassports seem to be covered, is this a flaw in the system that certain groups expolit?

The people in this area speak three languages, French, German and Alsation. Generally, the older people speak German as their first language whereas the younger generation speak French as their first language.

We finally arrived in Strasbourg and were dropped off in the Place de la Republique. 

We had only been there a matter of seconds and three gendarmes turned up to make sure our driver did not hang around too long, lol! This area is outside the old part of the city which is on an island surrounded by the river Ill and a couple of canals. 

There is a great tram system and cars are now not allowed in the centre of town. As we wallked along we passed a Roman Arch with two faces of a Roman God, a symbol of the roots of the city. We walked to the Cathedrale Notre Dame which is styled after Notre Dame in Paris. 

It is difficult to take a photo, just as with Cologne, it is very tall. There is only one tower and this is because a fire destroyed the original, wooden, part and only the foundations were left. they built the new cathedral using those foundations but they are not strong enough to hold the weight of two towers.

We went inside and also learned some of the history of Strasbourg. When WW2 started it was in German hands and much of the population was moved to a place in the south of France. 

It was well organised with sreets being told the date and time of departure, they all left by train on their appointed day. 


The stained glass windows of the cathedral were removed in eleven days and stored below the crypt. 

The people who were left were treated very badly, and many ended up in a concentration camp set up not far away. Most were never heard of again.

At the end of the war when Strabourg was liberated the people returned and were horrified at the damage. 


The cathedral windows were finally restored but a few were put back in the wrong order, they told the strory of Christ and it is clear that the order is incorrect! 

There is a beautiful wndow shaped as a rose and also a sculpture of a small dog near the, out of use pulpit. one of the pastors from many years ago used to bring his small dog with him so the dog has been immortalised. 

There is a story that it is lucky to touch the dog's nose, so everyone did, lol! The pulpit is not used any more as the cathedral has reverted to Roman Catholic. 

There is also an astronomical clock but it is currently under renovation so we only heard it striking.

We then had some free time for lunch and a wander, I had some lunch and then used the time to top up my phone, for my UK sim card. 


I could not top up on-line so I had to phone the company, it was an automated system but one of the best I have ever come across. We then all met up again and went for a boat cruise, yes another one, lol!! I just wish we had been in the open aired boat as many of the photos were no good due to reflections.

It was an intereesting trip, almost right round the island, and one of the strangest stories was of an old area, way back in time, that was developed to house all the folk who caught syphillis from King Louis XIV soldiers!!!!!

Due to the history of Strasbourg chaning nationality, it was chosen as the seat of the European Parliament and we passed the very modern buildings that replaced the older ones a few years ago. 

The representatives meet for four days at a time, nine times a year, I think! The European Justice Court is a little bit further along the river.

We passed a variety of different housing styles as we returned to our starting place. 

The bus picked us up at a nearby church and we set off for our floating home. It was a lovely drive especialy as there was a beautiful sunset and the autumn colours were beginning to stand out. 

The Moselle valley is famous for its wines and most of the grape harvest finished last weekend although there is still some going on not far from the boat. There are rose bushes scatter throughout the vineyards, their main purpose is to indicate that all is well with the vines as well as adding beauty!

This year is an unusual year, there is a great volume of wine coupled with a top vintage. The weather has seen the harvest occur earlier over the past few years, although the grapes can have too much sun. At a certain point they might stop ripening until they have some rain! most vines have roots that go several metres deep so they can often find water except in very dry summers such as this one has been. 

We passed a 2000 year old Roman Villa when we were close to our boat, there are mosaic floors that have pictures depicting life back then so much has been added to what the world knows about those early Romans. This is one of the oldest finds of its kind!

Back home, tired but happy, I ate dinner in my suite before working on the blog.

As a footnote, the effect climate change is having on river cruises is of real concern for the towns that are on the schedule as well as all the tour guides and cruise boat staff. If summers continue to be this dry, there may be few rivers with enough water to cruise. This year the Danube, Elba and upper Rhine have all been badly affected. It is a sobering thought for all those who make their living from them!