[AlanHo]

Between Libby and I we took 520 photos during the holiday. We boarded the ship in Cologne for a cruise down the river Rhine to Basel in Switzerland.

We had cloudy skies and some rain for the first two days – which was a pity beause on the second day we sailed through the famous Rhine Gorge where there are many ancient castles built on the hills alongside the river. I have had to tweak those photos with Photoshop to minimise the gloom and lack of contrast.

This is our ship – the 5 star Riviera Lord Byron.



Open spoiler for more......

(click to show/hide)

Now for a few of the castles – some being fortified dwellings – we saw along the way. Many of them are privately owned and adjacent to extensive vineyards.







As you approach Strasbourg (France) there are locks the ship must navigate. Our ship was 110 metres long – but some river ships are 135 metres long – hence the locks are impressive.



In the small towns and villages a high proportion of buildings have window boxes in which grow red geraniums. There is an old legend that it deters flies and other insects and the practice lives on.



The most impressive of the places we visited was undoubtedly the mountain train journey from Widerswil to Schynige Platte to an altitude of 2076 metres. The average incline is 25% with some parts as steep as 38%. For obvious reasons it is a cog and rack railway with the engine at the rear on the way up and at the front on the way down.
Schynige Platte ? romantic rail - Switzerland Tourism

Here are some random shots of the trains and the scenery.





This shot gives you a rough idea of how steep it is.






Our first glimpse of the north face of the Eiger.



Now some random views of the train trip







As you can see the weather was perfect for the mountain trip – our guide told us that we were very lucky – only 30% of visitors enjoy such clear views and most of those are in the spring. In the summer it is foggy quite often

[eye30]

Thanks Alan.

Really enjoyed those especially the railway ones

[CraigB]

Beautiful scenery, thanks Alan

[Asterix]

 

 

[Shambles]

Sensational memories for you both

[AlanHo]

I can't remember what I posted on the forum less than 12 months ago - so there's not much chance of me remembering the holiday in the future from my cell in the HOS.

[Dazzler]

Excellent post thanks Alan. Loved the photos and (as usual) the interesting dialogue. .. If only Trish and I didn't have to travel so far to do those trips. We will be doing a sort of similar rail journey on our west coast sooner rather than later though.  http://www.wcwr.com.au/

[asathorny]

Very nice Alan 

[AlanHo]

One thing I meant to include in the original post - but forgot – was photos of a ferry that crosses the river Rhine in Basel taking about 10 passengers at a time. It only used its engine for the last 20 metres or so before it docked at the end of the crossing.

The modus operandi is interesting. Near Basel the Rhine flows at a speed of about six kph and the boat uses this flow to power it across.

There is a taught wire stretched across the river from two high poles. Running on the wire is a small carriage containing two pairs of opposed wheels with semi circular grooves on their circumference which run on the wire rope. Attached to this carriage is a light wire rope – the other end is attached to the side of the ferry near the front about 50 metres downstream.  Our ship was docked under this wire which enabled me to photograph it.

The ferry operator crabs the boat at an angle to the flow and tacks across the river much like a sail boat. It seems to need some power at the end of the crossing to berth smoothly.

I have never seen one of these before – clever innit.

[Dazzler]

Nifty!

[rustynutz]

Nice lot of photos, Alan... 

We will be doing a sort of similar rail journey on our west coast sooner rather than later though.  West Coast Wilderness Railway | History that moves you

I've always wanted to do that trip too but when I see the price I usually change my mind..   

Seems you've rubbed off on me, Daz...
(hmm, actually, that sounds a bit rude) 

[The Gonz]

Seems you've rubbed off on me, Daz...
(hmm, actually, that sounds a bit rude) 

Not the time for me to do my usual and add an illustration of a concept, then?

[asathorny]

It's brilliant Alan, till the string breaks 

[AlanHo]

It's brilliant Alan, till the string breaks 

It's fail safe - when the string breaks you get a free river cruise until he uses the engine to get to the beach.

[CraigB]

Excellent post thanks Alan. Loved the photos and (as usual) the interesting dialogue. .. If only Trish and I didn't have to travel so far to do those trips. We will be doing a sort of similar rail journey on our west coast sooner rather than later though.  West Coast Wilderness Railway | History that moves you

That looks like a nice tour Dazz the full day train and rafting tour sounds interesting.

[AlanHo]

Here's another factoid from our trip.

For the past 20 years or more I have always carried my trusty Swiss Army pen knife with me with both blades honed razor sharp. It is approaching the end of its useful life because I have sharpened the blades so often they are a mere shadow of their former selves.

Whilst waiting for our flight home in Zurich airport I had a wander round the so called Duty Free shops and came upon a Victorinox shop selling the whole range of their pen knives. My flabber was gasted because this was air side and I was already through security. There is no way you can climb on a plane with any sort of knife, scissors etc in the UK and most other airports. The sales guy insisted that the Swiss Government allowed knives with a blade shorter than 15 cm to be sold and taken on board aircraft - so I bought one. The same model as my previos knife - the Swiss Army Climber. I find the scissors and corkscrew indispensable.

I paid the equivalent of £24.60 for it and have just Googled to see how much cheaper is was than in the UK. To my surprise Amazon sell it for £22.45 plus postage...... so it was not a bargain after all.

[eye30]

I paid the equivalent of £24.60 for it and have just Googled to see how much cheaper is was than in the UK. To my surprise Amazon sell it for £22.45 plus postage...... so it was not a bargain after all.

Well if postage is £2.15 or less yes otherwise a bargain

[Dazzler]

That's crazy you are allowed to take that on board!

[AlanHo]

Whilst cruising the Rhine they served German sausages at breakfast - they were simply the wurst.

[Dazzler]

Whilst cruising the Rhine they served German sausages at breakfast - they were simply the wurst.

Wrong thread..

[AlanHo]

Whilst cruising the Rhine they served German sausages at breakfast - they were simply the wurst.

Wrong thread..

It is a statement of fact about our river cruise - right thread.......

[The Gonz]

Right tread in Dazz speak.