6.24 FRIDAY - KEHL-SCHWARZWALD and BEYOND

OR

Breisach, Why Have Thou Forsaken ME?!?

“We’re moving again… but we just got here!”

“The German Police just ordered us off this dock.”

Altogether now… W.T.F.!!!

Overnight sailing from Mannheim docked us late morning in Khel, alongside the Viking Longship Kara
under the bridge at Villa Schmidt [a “Que Cute” banquet facility and restaurant], 
– Across-The-River-From… Strasbourg!!! 

So, instead of yesterday’s 3 hour one way trip to Strasbourg and 2½ return, we could have been in Old Town in 12 minutes, and on time to make all the optional tours.  
Oh Welllll…

This is where we were supposed to have been yesterday but the Kara was held up going through the locks ahead so she had to stay in our spot until the river went down some more!

AND… since we are docked on the outside of the KARA, where there is only a very narrow channel under the bridge in either direction  

our Longship juts too far into the "narrow" channel and the Police came calling…

ACHTUNG!!! ACHTUNG!!

Yeah, as the opening dialogue noted… we must move to a dock 2/3 of a mile upstream from where our busses will be parked for the Black Forest tour.

And of course... to add more drama to an already drama packed Wacky American Tourist Adventure, we will be stuck here till the river goes down another 2 feet, and then wait until our reservation is called to make it through the locks to get to where we were supposed to be, Breisach.  Odds are, that ain't gonna happen today, which will make our arrival in Basel on time tomorrow, interesting to say the least.

“Yes”, Bojan sadly reports, “the optional tours  to the Mercedes Plant and Medieval Colmar are cancelled since the Black Forest tour will take 5+ hours from here and we will be late starting, but there will be refunds.”  Oh Joy.

Yeah… instead of 20 minutes from Breisach, it will now be an 1½ hours up and 1½ back from Schwarzwald [as its known around here]  with an 1+ hour bus tour, and 1 hour stop to watch glass blowing, cuckoo clock making and Black Forest Cake construction…

Oh... Be-Still-My-Beating-Heart!!!  

NOT!

You-Just-Can't-Make-This-$#!T-UP!

We had heard that the Kembs locks between Strasbourg and Basel might cause delays, via a note from Viking - a week before our June 11 departure to Paris [they knew about it since February]:

KEMBS LOCK MAINTENAINCE

Due to the scheduled repair work on the lock at Kembs on the Rhine, we anticipate that there may be some delays in sailing between Strasbourg, France, and Basel, Switzerland. Please be advised that prolonged delays may result in slight changes in your itinerary. This situation affects all 2016 sailings on the following itineraries:

Rhine Getaway  <- Thats Us!!!

[We actually discovered this little tidbit on a Cruise Critic Roll call site in May and sent it to our Viking agent for another WTF! Moment – He Had No Idea… Yeah... RIGHT!]

After Breakfast, the 25 minute trek to the buses was brutal on still swollen feet as was the unremarkable trip to Schwarzwald.   Once we picked up our Guide outside Friegberg we enjoyed lovely mountain scenery with a photo op stop on the way to Hofgut Sternen Hotel, a loyal keeper of Black Forest traditions with its giant outdoor cuckoo clock show 
on the quarter hour. Let’s face it... its just one big Tchotchke hustle.

{Chucky Note: remember Pics will be late coming due to... well, you'll just have to wait for those details... at least they'll eventually show up in the Picasa album... sooner or later.]

After Cuckoo clock construction classes, Fiery Glass blowing demos and a lovely piece of 
Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte with coffee, we got to wander around the plaza for another half hour, inspect the "Best Western" Hotel Sternen, watch the Big Cuckoo/Waltzing Maidens show and wait for the 

Loooonnnnggggg bus ride back to Kehl.

And one Bright Note for the day...

While returning from the Black Forest through the Villa Schmidt, Chucky Scored one Last Bride for this trip... Yeah, at even the darkest moments, Chucky can always depend on his Brides to brighten his spirit.

Back on the Tialfi just in time for our disembarkation briefing   before dinner [Scotch Was Consumed] and more bad news. 

[Lately that's the only news we've been getting...]
More Scotch...

We wont be able to get through the locks for another 22 hours, thus putting our arrival in Basel on time tomorrow out of the question.  

We will have to bus from here to Basel Airport at... 4:00 Freaking AM, with baggage pull no later than 3:00 Freaking AM.  
MUCH More SCOTCH...

The good news... 
WOW... Some Good news?!?! 

The Kara has gotten through the locks and our boat will be relocated back to the Villa Schmidt Dock, so the trek to the Buses wont be so bad.

But wait, there's more... 

Bad news that is... 

You'll just have to wait till the next Post to hear all about the Most Alarming Detail yet!

  

Ciao für Jetzt

Uncle Chuck & The “Can We Just Get This Over With",

Dragon Lady