At the Eiffel Tower or the Charles Bridge there are tons of tourists. Going in October didn’t seem to help. Tourist season is apparently year-round now. The good news: move away from those big attractions and crowds disappear.
At the foot of the Charles Bridge, Prague
Paris café before it opens and after the rain: they all seem to have these chairs
Cafe chairs, Paris
Lime is apparently a world-wide cartel. We saw them in Paris too. Here, in front of the Prague Hilton.
Lime scooter at the Hilton
There’s a tradition of lovers engraving their names on locks and fastening them on railings. On one Paris bridge the locks got so heavy they had to be removed.
Locks left by lovers, Luxembourg
Narrow streets and walkways. I loved them. And small cars. We saw no big SUVs, not a single pickup truck.
A narrow walkway, Cochem, Germany
Locks. The Moselle to Rhine to Main river route we traveled included 43 locks.
Lowering through a lock
I was taken with the town square farmer’s markets. Such color!
Nuremberg farmer’s market
Farmer’s market: fungi
Carefully kept forests: this one near Luxembourg, outside the American Cemetery.
Forest surrounding the American Cemetery near Luxembourg
Swans on the rivers, all along our voyage: this one on the Moselle, from my stateroom window.
Swan on the Moselle
Vineyards on steep hills, miles and miles of vineyards. A closeup of post-harvest grapes left behind.
Post-harvest grapes
Vineyards along the Rhine
One of my favorite driving experiences was going through this highly reflective tiled Prague tunnel on the way to our hotel. As you see, we were arriving at 4:20 p.m.
Tiled tunnel on the way to our Prague hotel
Another narrow passage, Cochem, Germany: I can’t resist them
And finally, these carriage horses waiting patiently in Old Town Prague:
A matched set
Lovely pictures. But all those left over grapes! Do they just fall to the ground and rot?
Our guide on that occasion grabbed a handful and ate them.
Thanks for these beautiful photos, in clear essay form. So magical to gaze at these while trucks and SUV’s boom down Colfax Avenue.
What a great trip. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Barbara. Wonderful coming from a world traveler like you!
Hmmm…love hearing about this trip and your photos make it real. Thanks for sharing!
Pat: Your blog is always read with great fascination – and instantly , if possible.
Your trip sounds more interesting than anyone else’s!
Jean Queneau
Jean, it’s a delight to hear from you and know you’re still reading it! Thanks so much.
Wonderful photos! Thanks, Pat. Those narrow passages without trucks and SUV’s must have been quite a treat compared to getting around anywhere in the Denver area.
In fact, I’m developing a new theory: stop widening all roads now to solve congestion and pollution problems.
Very nice photos from the Old(er) World!
43 locks! I can’t help it, I’m fascinated by this kind of engineering, though the domestication of the land and water is also distressing….
We had a guest lecturer on the topic. Apparently the Moselle wasn’t navigable until they dredged it and built the locks. And the whole process started several centuries ago.