South Hero March 2014

 A snow tsunami perhaps

 or a good surfing wave?

 Mount Sophie has turned into a plateau.

 View from the beach

 It is hard to know where the land ends and the water begins in this frozen landscape.

 No need for a bridge. It's a good thing as the bridge seems to have disappeared.

 Alas. The duck has lost his wings!

 Picnic on the deck anyone?

South Burlington Mini Blizzard

 There are some shrubs below this sea of snow

 Where's the sidewalk?

 Can you find the driveway stake?

An Endless Supply of Lake Champlain Sand Moving North

It is  unbelieveable how much sand has blown up in the past 2 months with our almost steady strong south winds during the same time. It is hard to tell how much of this is sand and how much sand on snow. We will have to wait until April to find that out but we think our gate has seen its last functional season.

Dog House - closed for the season

 Another gate  blocked by sand

 Perhaps we should give the lawn mover away

 Even the bridge is almost buried

 Dewey's snow fences - success or failure?

And Finally to the Moselle River and our Bike and Barge

Our home for the next 7 days.

 

Orientation

 Rodemack, France - A Gated Community, Middle Ages vintage.

 

These are not token walls!

Never a missed opportunity to eat.

Headed down the Moselle on a frosty morning.

 

 

 

..and then up the Saar River, a tributary of the Moselle, to Saarburg.

Those who remained on the barge for this part of the trip had the opportunity to wave to those of us who were just peddling crossing the bridge over the Saar.

Passing through a lock

 

 Again a chance to wave to fellow travelers.

 

We bikers welcome the arrival of the barge at Saarburg. Time to rest our weary bones and bums.

but there is no rest for the weary. Once at Saarburg there was a castle to climb to.

 

The Mabilon bell factory and now museum in Saarburg - making bells the old fashion way until 2002.

 Then back down the Saar and onto the Moselle. Next stop - Trier, Germany,

We pass under a bridge dating back to the time of the Romans.

 Trier, Germany and its Porta Negra. This was one gate in a wall that surrounded the city. The wall no longer exists but most of the 4 story gate has survived.

 Views from the gate.

On down the river to Bernkastel-Kues

 

 Coffee on the bridge. Fear not, the guy in yellow is NOT the captain.

 Vineyards everywhere the eye can see.

 

The bike path, paved on both sides of the river leads directly through the vineyards.

Harvest season.

 Lunch stop at a vineyard, of course.

 The castle at Bernkastel-Kues

 

On to Beilstein Germany

 Can't say we are not visible, even on a rainy day which it was.

 The steepest vineyards on the river, exceeding 60 degrees.

 Beilstein

 Leaving Beilstein by barge and headed to the last stop - Cochem, Germany.

Another misty morning, and another castle on a hilltop.

 A castle gate one does not want to linger under!

 But once safely inside the view is spectacular.

The frog prince perhaps.

 

It's a long way down from his perspective.

 

Inside the castle looking out.  It is not a warm and fuzzy place.

 Yes, it's a long way down.

Cochem's colorful waterfront.