Strasbourg - Hochfelden 5 June

Could not decide whether to spend another day in Strasbourg or to start on the canal. After consultation with the Capitainarie, who is closed on Saturdays and Sundays, but is here today certainly to collect money, we could fill up with diesel, and so decided to set off on the canal.

It is a beautiful hot day.

Start of the Canal de la Marne au Rhin.

The European Parliament is at the start of the canal.

We planned to go as far as Hochfelden today. The last 5 locks before Hochenfeld are synchronised so that after going through lock 46, the next 4 open automatically. Once started you have to go all the way. We have also been presented with a new locking method. Most of the locks today were operated by pulling a cord hanging over the canal about 300 metres before the lock.

The port in Hochenfeld has no facilities. The town lies 1 km from the port. So on this beautiful evening we walked into town.

Where we found that Meteor Brewery has been going strong for last 400 years in Hochenfeld but obviously not in this building.

Of course we had to try a Meteor. Found this wonderful restaurant/bar in the town, full of local people out on a Sunday evening.

And we had  pfannkuchen, the speciality of Alsace.

The Stammisch, where people of all ages gather on Sunday evening. Met a lovely little 2 year old, Sasha, whose mother told us that they speak German and French in this area.

The colourful town of Hochenfeld 

Passed the overflowing river Zorn on the way back.

The way back.

One of the original engines used to pull the barges up the canal.

Seems like a plane friom the Royal Air Force exploded over Hochenfeld during the last year of the war. This commemorates the pilots who died.

A view of Hochenfeld from Lellebelle