STRASBOURG

Arrived in Strasbourg to find nothing much had happened on the boat and it was an extended long week end in France. We had a boat noise diagnosed as a bent propeller shaft and we were hoping to have repairs well under by this time. The yard said they could find out about costs from Holland “in a few days” and it could take around a month before any real action could be expected. After lots of grumbling from us they suddenly remembered that a place 15km away in Germany might be able to straighten it, however Monday was a public holiday in Germany, so another delay. Peter and Katie were arriving in about a week and were looking forward to a couple of weeks boating so I was getting a little anxious. Wednesday the shaft was taken to Germany and straightened that day, however the owner of the yard announced they were having an open day at the marina over the week end and would not be able to pick it up until after that. – then their mechanics would be busy on other things. I ended up taking their truck and Lynda and I headed off down the Rhine to pick up the shaft. The trip was made all the more interesting as the truck was full of booze for the open day and at every corner crates and kegs went rolling all over the place.

I ended up fitting the shaft and boat yard mechanics did the fine tuning.

In the middle of this initial chaos we had some German friends drop in and take us out for a day in the Black Forrest. It is a beautiful place with lots of small villages, quaint farms and lots of pine trees. I think I also caught a glimpse of Julie Andrews singing in one of the meadows – it was that sort of place. It was also good to catch up with our friends who now live in Poland ( Magda is Polish) and we have an open invitation to visit them in Krakow.

Two days later. John and Sybil Fowler, long time Victorian friends, came to Strasbourg to see us for a couple of days. J and S had rented an apartment in Paris for a month and as keen boaties were interested in seeing ‘Deerste’. Unfortunately for them she was still high and dry. The day J and S were leaving Katie and Gabi’s god mother arrived. Charme was travelling around France with her son, Guy and his girlfriend Beck Again, they are all keen boaties and they also agreed that Deerste would look better if it was in the water. Two days later Katie and Peter arrived and we moved aboard Deerste in the boat yard. Not quite as planned but we were comfortable and the price was right. They did a couple of days sightseeing around Strasbourg and were very impressed, it really is a wonderful city with lots of half timbered house, narrow winding streets and canals. We then hired a car for a couple of days and visited the Vogues Mountains, along the “Route de Vin”in the Alsace area. The area is famous for its’ old castles and forts, quaint villages and fine white wines. This reputation is well deserved on the first two accounts, however we still have several bottles to go before giving the giving the final nod to the third.