Nothing is free in this world - get up early and attend to the work that has arrived through the ether since we left the antipodes - its 7:30 already
Over the lane to breakfast - only ones here - the Alsatians think this is an ungodly hour - monsiuer greets us - Duetch? No! - Espanol? No - Francais? a little - a very little! - he reverts to hand gestures - Breakfast bread, croissants, jam , cheese, ham and prosuito - monsieur checks with us regularly - breakfast delicious!
Head out - avoid the main roads - tell Tommy about Munster - on our way - break in Munster
Tommy needs a new power supply - greet the nice girl - no English - point at the car - pretend to light a cigarette - point to the car again this time making a crude poking gesture - then take the iPhone out of my pocket and point to its power input - she turns on her heals - pauses an instant - swings back with the power supply in her hand - we both celebrate as if we were the winning team in a game of charades.
Tell a newly invigorated Tommy about the Vosges and head into the mountains that are so important to the rise of the Rhone and Soane rivers.
The weather has turned - overcast with high cloud - serene country side as we climb - moss covered rocks - tall slender pines resplendent in their newly acquired evening dresses tailored by mother nature in spring green each fitted to their individual form.
In comes the weather - the scenery appears both Mistical and Mythical - sunshine - now mist - now sunshine - much more mist - through Col de Schlunt - bike riders - motor bike riders - hikers - deer crossings - rock falls and more delightful forest - small ski resorts - through Gerardamere - typical french café chairs line the village - into the Department of Lorraine - down - bike riders strain on approach - the mist comes in - we think of our only visit to the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland - we could only imagine what this scenery would look like in full sun.
Into La Bresse - the large dead centre is actually in the dead centre surrounded by all forms of commerce - it would be hard to feel lonely in the after life if you chose to more on from La Bresse!
Tiny village after tiny village - up Col de Croix - down Col de Croix - into the Comte Region - Bernie reminisces about her first taste of Comte cheese 20 years ago.
Out of the mountains - time for lunch - Bernie now an expert of charades - she sucessfully acquires quiche lorraine - after all we are in Lorraine!
Find a quite spot - lunch - head on to Gray - perfect instructions - lovely location at the beach in Gray on a recently swollen Soane River - greeted by Erika and Knud as only Erika and Knud can! - alas the river's agitated state means there will be no river travel for a few days.
A tour of the Linquenda - its facilities - its likes and dislikes - after 96 years on the rivers and canals of Europe she is no longer just a barge - even to interlopers like us she is something all together more than that! - I wonder if she remembers the days before her forward cabin, kitchen and dining area had commandeered her cargo space and enabled her to retire from her long commercial career - we will later dine on Erika's Beef Bourgione where bolts of fabric lay cramped together destined to clothe friend and foe during the war to end all wars - ah - the Dutch knew the commercial advantages of independence at least during that international conflict!
Erika puts Julia Childs to shame while Knud seeks our assistance in reducing the size of his copious wine store - not all Linqueda's cargo space has been dispensed with! - a superb night!
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