Marne-au-Rhin canal

After looking around the old town and a collection of old bikes, we headed for the gap in the Vosges mountains where the Marne-au-Rhine canal comes through on it's way to the Rhine at Strasbourg.

It's 40 degree's today so we checked into a motor camp in Severne. 

   There's a lovely harbour here and we were chatting to an Aussie from this barge who had been here since last October. He's waiting to go to Paris but the sliding lock on this route had a major catastrophe and so he waits !

 Saturday morning and an early start to beat the heat. We're going to bike the 15 Km's west to the 'Plan Incline',as the sliding lock is called.

  As the canal climbs up into the hills of this region, the Lorraine, it goes up a lot of big locks. This one is in the main street of Severne

The canal follows the Marne valley and there's still plenty of shade. After 10 Km's we pass through Lutzelbourg.

This little village was swamped by a wave of water when the Plan Incline malfunctioned.

  Before it was built, canal traffic came down a huge staircase of locks . They are now ghostly remains and part of the cycle way even goes up the middle of it .

Without it working , the best I can show is this model of the lift.45 meters of lift!

  The catch on the top right malfunctioned while a tourist boat was half way in. They couldn't close the lock gate so 30 kilometers of canal water, surged down through the valley.

Enough drama, but the Aussie may have a long wait.

   Yesterday we followed the canal westward and ended up camped next to a cemetery near mouacourt. Quiet neighborhood but I bet I could never find it again. I do remember this stork on someone's chimney though.

This morning we explored the lovely city of Nancy. At the port we met these lovely kiwis, Ruth and Roger from the Bay of islands who winter over in France in their barge. They were able to replenish our book supply thank goodness! 

What a boat,  I was green with envy , but Roger was complaining about the harbour master charging 22 euros a night to berth here.

Tonight we are just outside Nancy in a camp on the Moselle, at Villey-le-sec