River Cruising Water Cooler

[Canal archive]

Soccer or American? Ice or Grass?
Although our thoughts will be with the family of the young player who died recently in a freak accident during  an Ice Hockey game here. 
Boxing Day has always been a big sports day both here and in the USA I don’t know if it’s the same across Europe or in Australia, maybe Aussie rules, I’ll have to sit down with an Australian and learn the basics of that.

[jpalbny]

On 12/24/2023 at 1:33 PM, CPT Trips said:

 
Remember this?

 

On 12/24/2023 at 2:39 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Good fodder for jokes

 

Yes! Dave Barry wrote a column about that "word" I believe. Something about Farhvergnugen in the closet...

 

Hope everyone's Christmas was everything that you wished for and that the New Year is full of health and happiness. We had a fun Christmas Even in Chartres, and our Christmas Day was spent on the plane coming home. Back to work today!

[notamermaid]

Need to get some fresh air after yesterday's sherry and red wine, so I am off to do "Hochwasser gugge", that is I will join the hundreds of other people going for a walk and checking the Rhine river level.

 

I anxiously checked the reports to see if I should take a bucket to get water out of the river so that ural guy can sail on, but it is now not necessary. 🙂

 

Talk to you later.

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Yes! Dave Barry wrote a column about that "word" I believe. Something about Farhvergnugen in the closet...

 

Hope everyone's Christmas was everything that you wished for and that the New Year is full of health and happiness. We had a fun Christmas Even in Chartres, and our Christmas Day was spent on the plane coming home. Back to work today!

JP I don't know which is more amazing:  your non-stop travels, or your ability to go back to work the next day after a grueling trip home!  Happy New Year!

[jpalbny]

Thanks Jazz, it is actually becoming more difficult as time goes on. Or maybe I'm just sick of working and ready for retirement? 😀 

 

We've started coming home from longer trips on Saturday rather than Sunday, if possible. We're doing that for our return from Perth-JFK in June, after the Kimberley cruise. And we might even stay at the TWA hotel in JFK that Saturday night so we can rest up before driving home Sunday morning!

 

But this was just a 3-day stay so jetlag wasn't an issue. We never really adjusted to European time. And only a short Transatlantic flight home with no connection, so not too tiring. We have the "long weekend in Europe" thing down to a science.

[notamermaid]

19 hours ago, jpalbny said:

But this was just a 3-day stay so jetlag wasn't an issue. We never really adjusted to European time. And only a short Transatlantic flight home with no connection, so not too tiring. We have the "long weekend in Europe" thing down to a science.

That is admirable. My organizational skills for travel have gone done dramatically in the last three years. I think I have not even left my country this year, although the nearest foreign soil is only a three hour drive away.

 

Been to the river. It is very high and always when people have time off work a "tourist attraction".

 

notamermaid

 

[UDChE89]

On 12/26/2023 at 11:59 AM, jpalbny said:

Thanks Jazz, it is actually becoming more difficult as time goes on. Or maybe I'm just sick of working and ready for retirement? 😀 

 

We've started coming home from longer trips on Saturday rather than Sunday, if possible. We're doing that for our return from Perth-JFK in June, after the Kimberley cruise. And we might even stay at the TWA hotel in JFK that Saturday night so we can rest up before driving home Sunday morning!

 

But this was just a 3-day stay so jetlag wasn't an issue. We never really adjusted to European time. And only a short Transatlantic flight home with no connection, so not too tiring. We have the "long weekend in Europe" thing down to a science.

Glad I’m not the only one who has that down.  There for a while, my father used to ask me regularly “So, what country did you go to this weekend?”

[notamermaid]

It has been a very wet Christmas in Germany and quite frankly for some people it has not been a festive time that they could enjoy to the full. There have even been evacuations on Christmas Day.

Some info and footage.

From Germany in general:https://www.dw.com/en/a-very-wet-holiday-season-in-germany/g-67823684

The dikes in parts of Germany and in the Netherlands need to be checked and secured: https://apnews.com/article/europe-rain-floods-germany-netherlands-80b755ee38cebd8ce472e3ededbc6205

Reservoirs are filled to the brim and need to carefully relieved of their water, but rivers are struggling to cope with that.

Along the Rhine the situation is improving now as far down as Duisburg so helpers with heavy technical equipment have been sent to Lower Saxony from the Rhine.

This was the Lahn river at Lahnstein (near Koblenz) with Lahneck Castle on Christmas Day. Spot the Amawaterways river cruise ship briefly caught on camera: https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/hochwasser-lahn-lahnstein-rhein-100.html

 

With the Danube and the Elbe also flooding I must admit that this Christmas market season cruises and the festive days sailings, which includes the short New Year's Eve cruises, have been much disrupted and we have seen better years as regards that.

 

But I hear worse news from Australia. Stay safe there, folks.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Kristelle]

On 12/26/2023 at 6:20 PM, Canal archive said:

Boxing Day has always been a big sports day both here and in the USA I don’t know if it’s the same across Europe or in Australia, maybe Aussie rules, I’ll have to sit down with an Australian and learn the basics of that.

 

 

No, not Aussie rules -  AFL (australian football league) - that is a winter sport and of course Boxing Day is in middle of summer in Australia

 

Boxing day is  traditionally start of  a cricket test match at the MCG (melbourne cricket ground, largest cricket venue in country)  - and various cricket one day matches and 20:20 Big Bash matches playing on or around Boxing Day throughout the country

[Kristelle]

3 hours ago, notamermaid said:

But I hear worse news from Australia. Stay safe there, folks.

 

 

Yes catastrophic floods in eastern states, including several deaths ☹️

 

(long way from where I live)

[Canal archive]

Thanks Kristelle now I know, must try to find one to watch on tv. We’ve just had an excellent programme about North Western, I think Australia with Bill Bailey so interesting.

Good luck and best wishes to all caught up in the floods. 
Happy New Year as much as possible.

[notamermaid]

On 12/28/2023 at 12:38 AM, Kristelle said:

 

 

Yes catastrophic floods in eastern states, including several deaths ☹️

 

(long way from where I live)

Sad to read that. Good to hear you are safe.

 

Floods in Northern Germany and along the Elbe still bad but in the last few hours reports have come through that the Elbe at Dresden is not as bad as had been predicted a couple of days ago.

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

Time to talk about the weather and the state of the roads to the experts in such conversations that are supposed to be the British.

@Canal archive any snow where you are?

 

notamermaid

 

[Canal archive]

No snow here yet but lots and lots of water, we’ve had some really nasty accidents with cars going off the road and the occupants not getting out, so sad.
Just returned from a family few days in Market Harborough which involved lots of drying of two very wet dogs pity we can’t shake ourselves dry.

[notamermaid]

Market Harborough, never been there. Been around it on the A1(M) and in Oakham and the M1. I see they have a town hall on stilts, I mean pillars, just like Faversham in Kent. I find them fascinating, there are not that many that I know, it seems to be more a British thing. I have never seen one personally in Germany. Perhaps few of them have survived the last two centuries here.

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

We have had quite a bit of rain lately, but no flooding of note and no snow yet at all.  What is amazing is that there are still roses blooming.  It's common through Thanksgiving, but past Christmas and likely to make New Year's?  This is very welcome, as we have concluded that the drive south is too much at our age so snowbirding is over and we will have to tough out the winter right here.  Global warming is very good to us!  😉

[Coral]

We were 60's on Christmas Eve (and many days of 50's before that some with rain) and then a Christmas Day blizzard.

Edited December 30, 2023 by Coral

[Canal archive]

Jazz on our various forays across the pond with our girls we met several groups of snowbirds and all without exception took the time to talk with and answer questions from the girls. They are in their late 40s early 50s now and we’re remembering earlier this week and someone suggested we return to Bass Lake en-family again this year, you never know!

[notamermaid]

Budapest was (part)flooded on Thursday, the Netherlands is getting rather wet, we still have danger at dams in Germany, not sure that Cesky Krumlov is safe (high Vltava river, check it out if you are interested) and there is water in the train tunnels in Kent so thousands of people are stranded at St. Pancras in London as Eurotunnel has had to cancel trains. Not a good end to the year.

 

Not complaining really, but I have a cold so have cancelled my New Year's Eve party.

 

Interesting and good news somewhat is coming from KD, the Köln Düsseldorfer excursion boat company. But that will go in a separate thread next year.

 

Soon time to wrap up the river threads and look back at 2023.

 

Now onward, armed with handkerchiefs and ginger tea, I shall welcome 2024.

 

Hope you are all safe, dry and ready to celebrate.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[Daisi]

No snow here, no ice either and lots of rain. Today is our first day in a while where we are not in the positive temps (high expected of -1C). I hear that down in southern Ont (Chatham) the Magnolia trees are starting to bud. 

 

Have to say, I'm not missing the snow and cold, I know it's coming, but so far, even the freezing rain is staying away.

[Canal archive]

Our next doors Magnolia is budding there are loads of bulbs sprouting and our temperatures are not freezing the usual areas locally are flooding. We’ve also had shooting stars, flooded Eurostar tunnels a warning of tornadoes some snow in Scotland and most probably northern England and ice in the north of Scotland. I will let you know if anything else happens.

[notamermaid]

@Host Jazzbeau , the gingerbread man icon next to your name is cute. The pop-up says holiday sharing. Does this refer to you telling us about your Douro river cruise?

 

notamermaid

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, notamermaid said:

@Host Jazzbeau , the gingerbread man icon next to your name is cute. The pop-up says holiday sharing. Does this refer to you telling us about your Douro river cruise?

 

notamermaid

 

No, oddly it was given by another Host for a joke response to a picture of a man in a Santa suit on a ship spar.  I said "taking the Polar plunge?"  Didn't really think that qualities as "Holiday Sharing" – but I accept any praise I get!!!

[jpalbny]

Happy New Year to all! May 2024 bring you many happy travels.

[Canal archive]

Back at you from over here, fingers crossed we get - peace - drained water - and smooth travels for all. Happy, happy New Year.