3.7.10
Ships on the Rhine
All that water looks even better now than it did on a rainy day in May. Though you can't swim in the Rhine anyway, the currents and the traffic are too dangerous. The photos were taken during the cruise from Boppard to Bingen.
A paddle steamer
Most of the ships of the fleets that offer Rhine cruises are modern, but there are also more nostalgic ones around, like this paddle steamer. Not quite the Mississippi tour, but still nice. Some of the larger ships offer cabins for a longer journey, including a luxury variant with lots of gold, mahoganny, and velvet.
A cargo vessel
This is one of the typical cargo ships trafficking the Rhine. As I mentioned before, they have a house at the stern, including a parking lot for the car. What you can't see in this image is how long those vessels are.
Another transport barge
I didn't catch the entire barge even here, there are some metres missing at the bow. Except for the cabin part, they are very low profile though sometimes the cargo is higher than the railing, with the covers remaining open.
Another cruise ship
Another of the cruise ships going downstream. In the background is one of the many castles along the Rhine, Ehrenfels, framed by vineyards. There's even a bit of blue sky. In a way, it's the archetypical Rhine picture. ¶ 1:41 AM
All that water looks even better now than it did on a rainy day in May. Though you can't swim in the Rhine anyway, the currents and the traffic are too dangerous. The photos were taken during the cruise from Boppard to Bingen.
Most of the ships of the fleets that offer Rhine cruises are modern, but there are also more nostalgic ones around, like this paddle steamer. Not quite the Mississippi tour, but still nice. Some of the larger ships offer cabins for a longer journey, including a luxury variant with lots of gold, mahoganny, and velvet.
This is one of the typical cargo ships trafficking the Rhine. As I mentioned before, they have a house at the stern, including a parking lot for the car. What you can't see in this image is how long those vessels are.
I didn't catch the entire barge even here, there are some metres missing at the bow. Except for the cabin part, they are very low profile though sometimes the cargo is higher than the railing, with the covers remaining open.
Another of the cruise ships going downstream. In the background is one of the many castles along the Rhine, Ehrenfels, framed by vineyards. There's even a bit of blue sky. In a way, it's the archetypical Rhine picture. ¶ 1:41 AM
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The barges are enormous. I hadn't quite realised before how long they are. They suit the scale of the river; English canal narrowboats used to have a similar arrangement, with a cabin at the back for the bargee and family to live in, but the cabins were tiny and there certainly wasn't room for a car :-)
Great pics! Love the last one with Ehrenfels especially. I echo Carla's comment about the enormous barges (we see them come through here too and I'm always amazed at the length!)
Yeah, those barges are quite impressive. I wonder what our time traveller Aelius Rufus would say about them. ;) They would have helped with the supply problem, for sure.
But you find that size only on the Rhine; the cargo vessels on the Ems or Weser, or even the Elbe, are smaller. I'm not sure about the Danube, the one time I've seen that river (in Vienna) I didn't really look for barges. Hm, the Romans at the Danube would be another interesting thing to explore ... :)
But you find that size only on the Rhine; the cargo vessels on the Ems or Weser, or even the Elbe, are smaller. I'm not sure about the Danube, the one time I've seen that river (in Vienna) I didn't really look for barges. Hm, the Romans at the Danube would be another interesting thing to explore ... :)
While it may not be the Mississippi.. I'm sure the climate is much better on the Rhine than in dixie...
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