My ride today started on the canal (directly behind my hotel from last night) as I wanted to go first to the ship incline. Most of the day was cloudy and cold (low 40's). I wore four layers of upper clothing. I bought some warm bike pants before I left Alabama. That has proven to be a smart purchase. An easy ride uphill at the locks and then level between then. The ship incline was kind of anticlimactic after I had build it up in my mind. I could not get close at the bottom. I could get to the top but that involved a 2.5 km climb up a steep hill. So I went the long way around the ancient canal as they call it.
The canal on the way out of town
The canal out of town with boat.
A crystal shop by the ship incline. This area has a lot of crystal shops. It must be a historical production center for fine crystal.
Te ship incline. It is actually a self-contained lock (think really big shoe box) that will hold a number of boats. It moves up and down the hill on rails kind of like an elevator. The boats wait at the top or bottom in the canal for it to let the other boats out and then it before it goes to the up or down to the other location. I am sorry I could not get closer and get pictures of it working. I found out that it does start moving boats until 9:45 am during May. I was there at 8:45.
Parts of the bike path went straight down the middle of the ancient canal.
Again down the center.
A sign post. The path was easy to follow until...
.... the canal when underground, or into a tunnel. My problems started when I came into an urban area and it did not match my bike maps. Or at least so I did not think. Who knows?
From there the day's experience went down hill or I should tell the truth and say it went up hill, and up hill, and up hill, and more up hill. I pushed and pushed and pushed. I got lost in Arzviller and could not get on the right trail out of town. I push up some hills twice. The maps that are supposed to be in my GPS have unloaded. I had this same problem a week ago in Austria and pushed up and up a hill. I have learned that I need to double check them before I leave Alabama.
On the way to the hotel, I passed a large Military Cemetery. It was from WWI. It contained over 13,000 graves of French soldiers from that war.
My hotel. I am on the top floor in a room with the small window. It is very nice, clean, warm, and functional. Not much luxury. A nice low price with a good breakfast, per the reviews.
There is a small restaurant 300 yards from the front gate. I will Eat there tonight. - No food tonight. I fell asleep studying French and slept through the evening serving hours. Oh well, it will not hurt my fat body to miss a meal. Breakfast will come on time and I will not miss that. Au revoir.
What can I say? Photography is great as usual (lots of buildings, canals but not many people or selfie's), food really looks goods, don't know about beer and wine at the same seating. Interesting place, never seen a ship go up hill.
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