Niderviller, and Mittersheim Along the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, Plus our New Moroccan Table Arrives.

 

Wishing you all good health

We met a fellow woman bargee Anja and had a lovely visit.

Our daily walk took us along the canal that bisected a large lake.

It's fun seeing someone's art along the canal.  These people had a sense of humor.

One day we need to follow the path

When we were in Morocco we visited a fossil factory.  These intrepid people excavate stones filled with fossils from a quarry and turn the stone into beautiful furniture, plates, and a variety of other items.  I decided we needed a new dining table for Rabelo.  Fortunately delivery from Morocco to France is supposed to be straight forward.  The two week delivery date came and went, but eventually our new table arrived.  Part of the arrangement with the factory was that the table would be delivered not just to the boat, but placed inside.  Instead we had an extremely disagreeable delivery man.  We found helpers and were able to get the top onto the deck of our boat.  (Unfortunately there was damage to two corners from rough handling). The two bases were left on the grass.  This isn't what we had agreed to.  Fortunately Bernard from the boat yard where we were tied up used his brain and came up with a "Come-Along."  Two grey haired men and a woman (our captain) managed to get the top into the boat and in place.  They were brilliant.

It was a struggle getting the 250 pound slab of stone on board.

Our delivery man didn't even bring the base of the table on board.

The delivery man made it very clear he would NOT bring the table inside, even though that was the original agreement when we made the purchase in Morocco

Our new table was delivered only as far as the deck.

A Come-Along was devised to lower the table into the boat through a skylight

This is how the table top was going to be lowered into the boat

Here comes our new table

It was quite a process moving this heavy table top into the boat.

Here it comes

Tom and Estelle are moving the table top into place.  It came with stone stands.

Our new table from Morocco with 320,000,000 year old fossils embedded in the stone

It s time to find new chairs for our dining table.  We are thrilled with our purchase.

The canal is so peaceful and picturesque.  We never tire of the scenery

Sunset along the canal with bales of hay

Farmland along the canal

Tom and I made a new friend during one of our walks.

With the heat we've had, being able to walk in a forest makes it more pleasant

A common sight in France