NETS AND BOOK EXCHANGE

I know you do not think there is much correlation, apart from ......location. In Saverne recently and in an old maison de l'ecluse, lock house, someone had taken privacy nets seriously. I've never been into nets 'but'barge nets...... Now I'm getting into nets. Where did they buy them? Could I do nets? So many questions. The answer is probably no, but I was tempted!

That's what I call nets.

In the same town Margaret found her latest library/free book stall. A British telephone box. I'm surprised with all this Brexit they didn't have a more European/French street furniture icon a 'pissoire' perhaps, no no we've done urinals.

Margaret in her latest 'Book exchange'.

Nets and book exchange could never be so connected!

BATEAUX SPÉCIALISTES

Heath Robinson had nothing on these de-weeders. Weed can be and is a problem on some canals. However, on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin Est they take it seriously. Whether these craft are commercially available or custom built I have no idea. They are certainly effective cutting weed below water, pulling the weed up the conveyor and ejecting it into a waiting barge when full via the back conveyor. I do like the paddle wheel propulsion which is also the steering.

All full ahead.

The local waterfowl has to be carefull as the yellow and black sides to the conveyor ramp are reciprocating cutting blades.

Close range clearing in the port.

ART MOVES ON IN STRANGE WAYS

I'm sure you are all familiar with Marcel Duchamp and his famous piece 'Fountain'. The original was executed in 1964 more recently replicated as the original was lost! How you lose a urinal I don't know, perhaps the builders threw it into a skip. You may have seen it in the Tate.

'Fountain' by Marcel Duchamp, an iconic piece of 20th century art??

Urinal in the pub!

Imagine my surprise standing in the loo in L'appart in Strasbourg. I did not realise the Tate had got so riled with the comments about this iconic art statement they had given it to a bar in Strasbourg. Well things happen. It was a strange sensation p........ on a famous art piece. Usually you are not even allowed to touch art installations in a gallery.

AUTUMN NAVIGATION and DEGUSTATION

We're back on Soraya currently in Strasbourg about to set off to Luxembourg and southern Germany before returning to Strasbourg for winter. That is if there are no canal closures, breakdowns or whatever, time will tell. Before we set off, a few days of reprovisioning, checking Soraya, carrying out annual water related maintenance, after the hot summer and a bit of degustation of local fare.

You can't go wrong with a pub called 'Academie de la Biere'. It had to be tried.

The bar, should I say pump alley.

With that many beer pumps and the bottled beers, they had a dedicated beer menu extolling the virtues of every beer. It took a while. After all that beer we had to try an Alsace restaurant 'traditionelle'. We heard about Meiselocker, very historic. Verdict. You have to try these things. However, a large bowl of cold thin liquid cheese with cold meat, sausage, raw bacon, onion, garlic and chives with thin roast potatoes did not really hit the spot.

Gourmet Alsace anyone?

I must say the Pinot Gris was excellent.

Tomorrow we will cast off and set off east towards Luxembourg, weather willing as we have just had 2 days of amazing storms. Did I mention the beer?