2023 September: Little Surprises Are the Best Part of Life!

Exactly one hundred days, over one hundred locks (the heights we’ve ever done was 19 meters), 65 anchoring spots, 310 engine hours, 3000 kilometers, 1500 L of diesel…what an experience!

I was not looking forward to the long trip home, but we had some nice surprises along the way. We’d been so hurried to get to Berlin that we missed touring some of the cities we passed. At least on our way back, we were able to take a little more time to check out some new spots. The one great surprise was having Lutz’s son, Dominik, join us for a week. It was so enjoyable to have him on board.

Let me catch you up on our new stops as we headed home and what we discovered. We passed Lüdenscheid on our way to Berlin and took a picture of one of the oldest locks of four locks/lifts in the area. On our way home, we stayed at the harbor and walked over to get a better look at the two locks and two lifts close up.

The harbor was perfect for walking to the old lock museum. 

The old lock was a walking path, but you can see the height and the length were huge.

This is the view from the other side. It’s a pretty cool old lock but has been replaced with a new one for quite some time.

A new stop for us was in Duisburg. The harbor was nice and centrally located, but the city was not impressive. It’s quite busy and not that memorable.

We were there for three or four days since the rain poured down. At one point, it stopped, and we took our bikes and headed to the German Inland Waterways Museum. This was a great museum. The original town indoor swimming pool was turned into a shipping museum.

The history of shipping from the Roman day to the present in this area was fascinating. The advancement of ship mobility was impressive. From rowing to horse-drawn, man-drawn to sails (which I could stitch up a few), and on to engineering motors, it was well presented.

Of course, Lutz needed an up-close inspection or motors!

The next day, we toured the Art Museum. It was an old wheat and corn storage building. It was crazy cool. The inside architectural design was radical. This was looking down from the top floor…and no, I did not walk up; I took the elevator!

Okay, just one more…sorry the building was fantastic! This was taken looking down to the entry hall.

Of course, we all found our piece of work to purchase…in your dreams. Click on the arrow to see mine!

Even Lutz was dressed for the occasion!

Dagmar’s was a definite for us both!

After the rain stopped, we were out on the Rhein, going upstream 3.5 km per hour to Düsseldorf. Now, this place was awesome. I had never been here before and was totally impressed with the architecture.

Frank O. Gehry created this building. Just spectacular. Downtown was just as crazy. It had every designer shop known to man. I felt like I was on Rodeo Dr. in Hollywood. Even the same prices!

The evening views were super cool.

The rain that came down on our way home was terrible. It held us up in some places for days. But we were ready to get out of dodge, so to speak, and see some new locations. Off we went to Cologne! I never knew a harbor existed on the other side of these memorable buildings along the Rhein.

It was a cool harbor and perfect for exploring the nearby strip that housed the Lindt Chocolate Museum at the end!

Of course, samples for all! It was the end of the day, so I’m guessing the employee had had it for the day. This museum was very interesting and shared facts about the cocoa bean and its evolution.

There was even a real rainforest with a real cocoa tree!

The kids would enjoy this stop for sure. Lots to do, see, and eat! Dagmar and I sure enjoyed the tour.

One day, I made pulled pork sandwiches, and I have to say I was totally impressed to see our German friends eating them with their hands instead of cutting them with a knife and fork!

Driving up the Rhein is a slow process; once you’ve been down it, it can become rather boring. But once in a while, your day is brightened with a surprise! A new sight to see. A whaleboat!

Plus, the strength of the current is really strong. Why these people would take a chance to battle the river is beyond me. They turned a 360 when they got caught in the swirls.

While in the Cologne area, we visited one of Lutz’s dearest friends, Hans Jörg. Thanks to his daughter, Nichole, and her friend, she came and got us from the harbor to enjoy a great barbecue with wonderful friends—another great surprise on the long haul home.

We finally got off the Rhein River onto the Moselle in Koblenz—Awwww, a calm river finally.

This time, we decided to take the lift that crossed the Rhein and visit the fort at the top of the hill in Koblenz! Lutz and I are not fond of heights, but when would we return to do this again? Right?

The view was spectacular! That’s where the Moselle joins the Rhein.

Downtown Koblenz was sprinkled with new and old buildings.

We were so excited to be in this area because it meant visiting Lutz’s cousin, Elly. She and her husband were shippers and raised their kids on a tanker until they went to boarding school. Hardy has passed away now, and Elly lives near her daughter, who owns the best restaurant around these parts. I posted about her restaurant in Andernach, The Restaurant Weinhouse Merowingerhof, a while back under my Resources. It used to be the local spot for shippers back in the 1800. Click here to check this place out. Great wines and super chef! I’m so glad we introduced Dagmar and Peter to this delicious eating establishment and our wonderful family!

Our time with Dagmar and Peter was coming to an end. They had guests arriving, and we had Dominic arriving. We parted and continued our journey for the best surprise on this trip! We were so excited. Dominik has never been aboard Virus. Lutz rented a car to pick him up in Cologne, and I prepared the guest room and a meal. Per his request, Grilled Shrimp Tacos!

We not only ate, but we laughed our heads off,

Went for wine tasting, and

Swam. Click here to see the full-length swan dive! Click arrow back after you watch the dive so you can contin ue with the post.

Even Lutz laid back and enjoyed the company instead of fixing things!

Dominik had a surprise. We made a rescue. Thanks, Dominik, for being the photographer. Apparently, this couple came out of their harbor, and the motor stopped. They were waving their hands, and I thought they were upset we were driving too fast and causing waves. Now I know why we have a red flag. Wonder where theirs was? Lutz held on to their boat as I drove them safely to a small dock nearby.

Dominik even posed for the official guest picture. What a sport!

The saddest part of the trip was saying goodbye.

Well, back to reality for us. Our time on board Virus for this year was slowly ending. Time to start cleaning!

Still, more surprises arrived. We had been to this next harbor in Mittersheim, France, on the Saar-Kohle canal. It must have been three years ago, and we were surprised by the weekly meat truck filled with goodies that would sustain us for the remainder of our trip. This time, we were surprised to see a French Food Truck show up that served French dishes. Of course, we had to try them both!

The next day, we sat at the little cafe in the harbor that only served drinks, and in Lutz’s broken French, he asked if the tiny store in town was open. She said it is closed for two weeks for a holiday. Yikes! Then, this angel shows up speaking English, French, German, and Spanish (not all at once, LOL) and selling fresh goods. Perfect! Eggs for dinner, honey for breakfast, and a bit of jam! Definitely a tasty surprise.

It was so good to see our friends Annelise and Marcus. When friends come to us, it is another one of those cherished moments. They drove two hours to spend the day with us and eat dinner at one of our favorite restaurants along the canal.

It’s time for a treat of snails and…

Frog legs in a cream sauce!

The next day, we had another wonderful visit from Gaby and Erich for the day. I love chatting with Gaby. She is such a hoot. Plus, she helps me with my German, and I help her with English. We always have so much to say! Erich is our in-house philosopher, always prepared to help sort out our conversations. It’s always a joy to see them.

Traveling six hours a day through previously seen territory with ten to twelve locks daily was becoming terribly boring. I was ready for home. I felt sorry for Lutz because he had to go up and down our boat steps to do the locks while I drove. And most were 1Km apart. Creeping along at 8-10Km per hour, five to six hours a day, means about ten locks or more.

So I took pity on him, and this is the only time you’ll see a picture of me doing the locks. For one, I can’t reach the mooring to get the rope off when they go down and get it on when we go up. Plus, they don’t have pooper vacuums in France, and guess where it goes? Yep, right into the canal and on the walls of the locks.

On the last night, we stayed along the canal in this cool little park with an old boat converted with a grill, picnic tables, and a covered area for campers or bikers to pitch their tent.

The sunset was gorgeous!

At last, we arrived in Kehl the next day. We spent two nights in our harbor to clean Virus, wash clothes, and load the car. We celebrated with a well-deserved dinner at our harbor restaurant and a visit with Dagmar. She abandoned the “ship” to get home for a family event and left Peter to bring the Black Pearl home with friends. The meals were superb! I had the small hen with risotto. 

Lutz had the fish with creamed peas…

And Dagmar, the pasta and shrimp!

The meal was great and well-deserved! Needless to say, I am glad I am home. I miss my house, flowers, jacuzzi, and Doris and Dieter. The surprises still weren’t over. When I walked in the door, I found a huge bouquet of roses from Doris and …

A wealth of goodies from Axel and Judy, Lutz’s cousin and his wife, who stayed in our home for a few days while we were gone! Oh yeah, and some bills and mail, UGGG!

Life is filled with little surprises, and I’m learning that not all surprises have to be huge or take your breath away. Sometimes, we tend to neglect and not truly appreciate the little ones that come our way. For example, “Wow, this morning I’m breathing,” “Dang, I can walk today,” “I still have hair,” or “I have my own teeth.” Little surprises are often the best part of being on this earth.

I’ll be back next month. Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out the recipe and resource below!

Fave Recipe: Spices for Every Occasion

This link takes you to a few spices I’ve made over the past few years. There’s nothing like spices to give your meals a “hit” of yummy. The one that I love and use often is the Crunchy Seed Chips. These are versatile and make an amazing crunch to your salad or topping off a soup. Check out my version of Cick’n Chick’n!

Fave Resource: Make Your Own “Old Bay” Spice!

I found this recipe on one of my favorite sites, The Kitchn.com. It’s a copycat of Old Bay, and I think it’s pretty darn good. Best of all, you probably have all the ingredients on hand. This is a great recipe for all my German friends who have asked me where you can buy it. It’s not that easy to find in Germany.