The Saint-Lewis Arzviller Inclined Plane, Chateau de Lutzelbourga, Colmar and Wine Tasting in Alsace, France

We had visitors on Rabelo

We ate a little of everything and enjoyed a few bottles of champagne

After dinner we had a beautiful walk along the canal and were rewarded with a sunset.

It was a stunning sunset.

Someone's waterfront castle

The Arzviller inclined plane is an inclined plane on the Marne-Rhine Canal that enables the canal to cross the Vosges Mountains.  It was built in 1969.  This solved the problem of boats originally needing to go through 17 locks!  There had been an international contest to determine the best method of traversing this area.  At the time of the Arzviller Inclined Plane there was only one other work in existence, Foxton, Leicestershire (1900).  This system works by basically lifting or lowering a caisson (what I call a bathtub) containing a boat on a carriage along a slope using a balancing counterweight.  According to Archimedes’ principle, the barge which enters the caisson drives back towards the canal a quantity of water equivalent to the mass of the barge.  Thus the caisson always weights the same, whether or not it contains a barge.  Thus you’ve now had your physics lesson for the day.

A painting of the Arzviller Inclined Plane

Looking down the Arzviller Inclined Plane as we descend

Looking up the Arzviller Inclined Plane after we had exited.

Russ was re-living his navy days making sure the boat lines were coiled properly after going through each lock.

We had a lovely dinner in Saverne

What year is this?

The girls went for a walk along the canal while Rabelo was on the move

We were cruising along when Tess happened to look up and was surprised by what she saw. The Chateau de Lutzelbourg is a chateau founded in the 11th century on a rocky promontory overlooking the Zorn valley.

Our view from the canal of the Chateau de Lutzelbourg

Of course we had to go exploring.  Here is our group at the base of the ruins.

Dramatic ruins of Lutzelbourg Chateau

We were rewarded for our efforts by experiencing this view from the top.

The intrepid explorers

At the end of the hike Bruce and Russ were heroes and brought back goodies from a boulangerie

Next we visited the delightful town of Colmar with its typical Alsatian character of streets lined with picturesque flower-decked houses and its Little Venice district.

Colmar is a popular tourist destination and its architecture is charming

A half timbered building in Colmar all decked out

Half timbered building in Colmar

Church Saint Martin in Colmar of Gothic architecture

The ladies went shopping in Colmar and all bought new rings

We enjoyed a quick visit to Colmar and then it was time to go wine tasting.  After all, we were in Alsace which is a famous wine region of France.  Here you can find some of the most noted dry Rieslings in the world.  We went to Domaine Albert Seltz.  Tom and I had visited and tasted these wines 10 years ago.  It may be that they are even better now than they were 10 years ago.  The tasting was fun and we purchased more wine than we needed to take back to Rabelo.

We had a great time at Domaine Albert Seltz

Bruce and Tess enjoyed the tour and tasting

Tom had a hard time resisting those dusty old bottles in the wine cellar of Domaine Albert Seltz.

Food coma after our last meal together

Morocco: Hot Air Ballooning and a Little More of Marrakech

Hot air ballooning at sunrise. An incredible experience. 

Our very experienced pilot for the morning. He does this around the world as he follows the seasons.  There were 16 passengers in our basket.

Getting the balloons ready to soar.

The balloons are ready to fly and we scramble aboard.  Men hold the balloon in place until we’re all in the basket.  They let go and suddenly we’re airborne. 

Sunrise viewed in a hot air balloon outside of Marrakech. 

Floating on a ray of sunlight. 

Fascinating view of the countryside.

It’s very dangerous having two balloons touching.  These were inexperienced pilots.

Too close together.

A local baker.  People bring their uncooked loaves of bread and he bakes them.  He charges the equivalent of 10 cents per loaf.
  

There’s a great deal of excitement at the Marrakech Square. Many people trying to make money off the tourists. Snake charmers, monkey handlers with a collar around their necks, tons of sunglasses stands, Knick knacks of all kinds, and every evening the square fills with portable restaurants and countless people. 

Creative fruit arrangements. 

A little local color

There’s plenty to buy in the town square.

The square in Marrakech in the evening.  Once the sun sets everyone comes out and the square is a mass of humanity. 

 

Morocco, With Endless Things to See and Do. Our Adventures Continues

Taking a break in the Sahara Desert

We went for a camel ride.

Leading our group of riders

Everyone had fun!

Shadows

Hang on tight when the camel gets up or down. 

We were enjoying our camel ride.  We rode for an hour which was enough!

Tom found some new friends.

Searching for his lost camel. 

We climbed the dunes to find the perfect spot for watching the sun go down.
 

A farmer demonstrated how he climbs up each of his date trees and hand pollinates every single one…and there were a lot!

This darling girl walked with us while her father showed us around his amazing farm with all the fruits and vegetables he grows. 

Sunrise in the Sahara Desert.

The beauty of the Desert

We listened to music 

Of course we visited a rug store.  No rugs for us this time. 

The nomad life 

A stop to admire the view.  The scenery in Morocco is varied and stunning.

Some of you may be aware that I love playing matchmaker. The Berber on the left is 18 years old. She loved school but was forced to quit at a young age.  She seemed to have a lot of personality.  Meanwhile our driver was a charming, ambitious and single 28 year old.  We told him he needed to meet this young woman.  We worked hard to persuade him and he said he would go back and meet her.  Hopefully he’ll follow our advice. 

Our guide Malek with a nomad who spent time answering our questions about her life. 

The women put henna on their hands.  The color of the henna ranges from red to black depending on how long they leave the tint on their hands. 

Peeling the nuts to make Argon oil. 

We learned about how Argon oil is obtained. It’s hard work.  No wonder it’s so costly. 

It’s overwhelming the number of things you can purchase in a souk. 

So many things to look at

We went to a spice shop and learned about all the spices, what they are used for, and what they smell like.  I purchased a few spices I use regularly. 

Good buddies!  The tour consisted of Tom, Bruce and 8 women. 

The aisles are narrow and people share the space with motorcycles, donkeys, carts and bicycles.  It’s hot, crowded and filled with exotic sights and smells.