River Cruising Water Cooler

[Coral]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

Oh my goodness, Coral. With such scenery "nearby" I cannot imagine why anyone would still come to see autumn in Western Europe! Just plain beautiful.

 

Now which one should I use as a screen saver? Or perhaps a printout for the office wall?

 

Well, I do not own any rights to the photos so I will not do that, but you get my point.

 

Enjoy your time there, it looks so good for the soul.

 

notamermaid

 

Definitely beautiful here. About 9 hours plus from my house. Feel free to use any images or email me and I can send the original, higher resolution picture when I get home. I thought I would be too late for colors as this was the only week that I could go due to a variety of reasons but it worked out great!

 

Tomorrow taking Cog railway to Pikes Peak. I think it is going to be cold!

[notamermaid]

Thank you Coral for permission.

28 minutes ago, Coral said:

Tomorrow taking Cog railway to Pikes Peak.

Cog railway! This is getting better and better.

 

We now have mists more or less every (early) morning and it is getting cooler. Night frosts coming soon to the valley.

 

notamermaid

 

[Coral]

9 minutes ago, notamermaid said:

Thank you Coral for permission.

Cog railway! This is getting better and better.

 

We now have mists more or less every (early) morning and it is getting cooler. Night frosts coming soon to the valley.

 

notamermaid

 

The cars are new and from Switzerland: 

 

[14ersco]

"Oh my goodness, Coral. With such scenery "nearby" I cannot imagine why anyone would still come to see autumn in Western Europe! Just plain beautiful. " notamermaid

 

"Tomorrow taking Cog railway to Pikes Peak. I think it is going to be cold!" coral

 

Glad to see folks enjoying our backyard.  Yes, it is tough to leave, but we do like to see the rest of the world, and in only a few weeks it is off to autumn in Central Europe.

 

Pikes Peak Summit forecast for tomorrow (winter woollies time):

 

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 22. Wind chill values between -10 and zero. Windy, with a west wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.

 

[Coral]

3 hours ago, 14ersco said:

"Oh my goodness, Coral. With such scenery "nearby" I cannot imagine why anyone would still come to see autumn in Western Europe! Just plain beautiful. " notamermaid

 

"Tomorrow taking Cog railway to Pikes Peak. I think it is going to be cold!" coral

 

Glad to see folks enjoying our backyard.  Yes, it is tough to leave, but we do like to see the rest of the world, and in only a few weeks it is off to autumn in Central Europe.

 

Pikes Peak Summit forecast for tomorrow (winter woollies time):

 

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 22. Wind chill values between -10 and zero. Windy, with a west wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.

 

Thank you for the reality check. I knew it would be cold but didn't think it would be that cold. I have one of those poofy winter jackets I got at Costco last year for $25 and I have no clue how warm it is. I guess I will find out tomorrow. I will have a sweatshirt on underneath.

 

Right now - Colorado is stunning! You truly live in a gorgeous place! Today did feel a tad nippy I have to admit. Approx where do you live?

 

I wish you great weather in Europe!

[Canal archive]

Silk long Johns are the way to go!

[jpalbny]

Our Silversea parkas (from polar expeditions) are what we use when the weather gets chilly. They have kept us warm for years, both at home, and whatever cold weather trips we have taken. The new design from 2018 on are really nice, with a separate inner insulating layer and an outer weatherproof shell. 

 

Looking at Northern Finland in January for the Aurora. The parkas may just come with us.

[Coral]

2 hours ago, Canal archive said:

Silk long Johns are the way to go!

Well - I didn't pack that much for this trip. Most of the time, the weather on this trip has been in the 50's.

[notamermaid]

@Coral Thank you for the video, very interesting and stunning scenery. New cars from Switzerland? Makes you want to say "from where else?" . The Swiss are masters of this kind of travel and the cable car in Koblenz was built by a Swiss company as well. Again, the Swiss are experts in this. Here is the company info on Koblenz (for the engineers and transport fans among you): https://www.cwa.ch/en/applications/urban/detail/project/koblenz-cable-car/

 

Hope to hear from you soon about your railway ride.

 

notamermaid

 

[Ritabob]

We were fortunate when we rode the cable car in Koblenz to have the car to ourselves.  Both ways.!  Don't think I'd like to be in there with 35 people.

RB 

[notamermaid]

Revisiting Grenzau

 

Earlier this year I had a short trip to the village of Grenzau not far from Koblenz. I wrote about it in post #638: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2765759-river-cruising-water-cooler/page/26/

 

I was back in August with the foliage in full bloom in bright sunshine (which gave me a hard time taking decent photos). This is an almost identical shot to early Spring:

The small brook "Brexbach" runs through the village:

 

The curious thing about this place is the fact that it is well-known in parts of the sporting world as it has a first class table tennis club. The club house and adjoining hotel are huge for this small valley. The photos show the quiet old part of the village with the chapel on the right in this photo, up the hill towards the castle ruin.

 

The regional industry of jug baking and earthenware products is present everywhere. This is the sculpture called "Gänseliesel", a peasant girl looking after her geese:

 

And part of this information panel is also made from the local product:

The special nature of the raw material and baking mean that the finished product is grey with the blue having been applied for decoration pre-baking, the typical combination of colours. But variations exist.

 

The restaurant I mentioned in Spring was open on the day we visited but there was not enough time to sample the food. A sign on a renovated house next door indicated a shop of local produce. I spoke to the owner of the restaurant who explained that they had bought the restaurant and house next door, started renovating, "then Corona hit". So they are behind schedule but the restaurant looks lovingly done in old style with modern amenities. There is also bed and breakfast available. This is the entrance:

 

They sell produce and products made regionally, like oils, jams and liqueur. We got jam and Schmalz, which is lard, this one being spreadable, in earthenware pots. Very reasonable prices, seeing that you can reuse the pots:

 

I hope they can keep up the renovation work and be successful, it certainly looks an inviting small place with the beer garden at the stream:

 

 

I am not saying this is a place that much warrants a detour but if you happen to be in the area and want to see something different you can get there from Koblenz Moselle river dock by car in 25 minutes.

 

You can buy the grey and blue wares in shops in Höhr-Grenzhausen, possibly also in Koblenz. The "Bembel", jugs, that are used in Frankfurt are of the same material and made around Höhr-Grenzhausen as well.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[lyndarra]

 

mistake

Edited October 14, 2021 by lyndarra

[Canal archive]

We have a few watery villages especially in the Cotswolds, Bourton on the water and the Slaughters for instance as with Brexbach so very pretty.

[notamermaid]

13 hours ago, Canal archive said:

We have a few watery villages especially in the Cotswolds, Bourton on the water and the Slaughters for instance as with Brexbach so very pretty.

I have heard of Bourton-on-the-water in the Cotswolds and seen some photos. Have looked it up again and seen that they also have a motor museum. I think I should go there some time. Unfortunately, my travels having concentrated to the East of the country I have not been to the Cotswolds yet.

 

notamermaid

 

[lyndarra]

UK canal cruising has beauty around almost every corner.

[notamermaid]

Thanks for those photos, so very English. I have learnt from a quick search that this pub is on the Thames in Oxfordshire. I only know the canal in the Peak District close to Manchester. I think I should continue my little series about travels through Britain...

 

notamermaid

 

[lyndarra]

The King's Lock pub is at Middlewich just south of Manchester. I have cruised the canals several times in that area including Peak District.

[notamermaid]

6 hours ago, lyndarra said:

The King's Lock pub is at Middlewich just south of Manchester. I have cruised the canals several times in that area including Peak District.

Oh dear, must have found a wrong caption under photo information. I guess you have been to Stockport then. Love the railway viaduct. Friends of mine live in the area. Have you navigated the Marple locks?

 

notamermaid

 

[lyndarra]

Yes, have done the Marple. Last time over there in 2017 we were going to go there a second time  - Macclesfield Canal anticlockwise, but there was a breach so ended up doing the Four Counties Ring again from Stoke-on-Trent. 

Have cruised Macclesfield, Ashton & Peak Forest, Bridgewater, Leeds Liverpool, Rochdale,Trent Mersey, Weaver, Caldon, LLangollen, Shropshire Union and possibly one or two others I can't remember. Would like to get over there again and do Warwickshire Ring.

Picture below is me winding at Whaley Bridge which is near Marple.

Narrowboating, IMHO, is the most relaxing cruising ever.

[notamermaid]

I have been to Whaley Bridge in a car... I walk along canals and villages when I am there so have never navigated the locks. Australian narrowboat enthusiasts on the Cheshire Ring, now that is unusual! Must get back to the canal subject with a bit more time, now I am off to work.

 

Quite misty again this morning, the veil of mist descended upon the valley late last night where I am. I expect not so good for castle viewing this morning, again.

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

Guess why my tag is Canal Archive, I’m involved with a southern canal the Kennet & Avon but have cruised almost the complete system plus hiring in Scotland, they don’t join up worse luck. It keeps one interested considering that our canal covers a world heritage site, scheduled monuments, listed buildings SSSIs  ancient battlefields, you name it we’ve got it. I’ve just finished arranging film locations and old photo graphs, I love it.

[Canal archive]

No pictures of the K & A on my iPad but here are a couple taken in Scotland.

 

 

The Kelpies at the top a fantastic homage to the horses that pulled the boats and below the Falkirk wheel that replaced the original lock flight. Enjoy!

[lyndarra]

15 hours ago, Canal archive said:

No pictures of the K & A on my iPad but here are a couple taken in Scotland.

 

 

The Kelpies at the top a fantastic homage to the horses that pulled the boats and below the Falkirk wheel that replaced the original lock flight. Enjoy!

That's a fascinating piece of machinery. I have done the tourist ride up and down in the orange boat on left. It's amazing how they can get all the gerbils inside running in the same direction to make it revolve.

[Canal archive]

Do you know I thought they were the Faerie dogs or Cu Sith , Black Angus their little legs going 19 to the dozen. It is an amazing structure. For some reason a friend of mine found it utterly confounding and became quite upset riding in it.

It is also a representation of a Celtic Axe very appropriate.

Edited October 17, 2021 by Canal archive

[Coral]

We seem to be missing @dogs4fun. It has been 3 months since they posted. Has anyone been in contact? I sent an email earlier today.