On October 29, 2024, Paiporta and Picanya, both in the province of Valencia and on the south edge of the city of Valencia, and 13 other communities on the west and south side of Valencia were heavily damaged by a raging flood causing over 200 deaths and counting. Bodies are still being pulled from the wreckage. This came about as a result of 19″ inches of rain in the hills to the north and west of the city of Valencia, which itself got little rain in addition to a fair amount of wind. This deluge is the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain in a few hours.
This type of storm is called a DANA, Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos, a High Altitude Isolated Depression The jet stream drops further south than normal, bringing cold air that then collided with the warm moist air over the Med. Once this mass of very moist air hit the hills the temperature dropped. The result was some 19″ of rain that was funneled into a large gully called the Rambla del Poyo, which is normally dry. It is not deep and wide enough for this much water all at once. A raging wall of water overflowed the banks.
Wreckage like this can be found in the effected villages.
This disaster one is worse than that of 1957, when 100 died when the central part of the city was flooded by the Turia River. They are still rescuing people trapped in buildings. They found one person alive in their car after three days. Most houses do not have running water nor electricity, while some still have mobile phone service so we are hearing from them. Volunteers and government workers are bringing water, food and supplies. Over 10,000 volunteers were organized and bussed in today, November 2nd.
A residence for seniors/disabled inundated
One tornado touched town
Provincial authorities are coming under some fire for failing to warn people in time. Alerts were sent out via mobile, but people in the effected villages are saying either that they never received one or that it came within minutes of when the flood waters slammed into their houses and cars. I received a warning at 9:30 pm long after the disaster occurred. If you were not following the news you would have had no idea there was a problem.
There were thousands on the roads and highways when the flood waters prevented further progress. Some of them died, most of them have lost their vehicles to the damages inflicted by water, mud and collisions with other vehicles, houses, trees and the like.
Upon our return to Valencia we were greeted with this parade. It is Valencia Day here, and for the people here any excuse for a party or parade will do. The costumes are fantastic and if there is one thing Valencia is not lacking it’s musicians. Each group of Moros/Cristianos has its own band, and they are sizable too. Check it out!
Germany was not yet a nation in 1870 when war broke out between France and the North German Federation. It resulted in the loss of Alsace and Lorraine. The French built the Canal de l’Est afterwards to replace the transport it had lost. The canal begins just a short distance from Nancy. In 2003 the northern and southern branches were officially renamed Canal de la Meuse and Canal des Vosges. We spent the last days of this season on the Canal de la Meuse.
“I reviewed every whodunit I have ever watched, every story of psychotic serial killers.”
Night sets into the blackness
As you round the corner to enter the Canal de la Meuse there is a small town called Richardménil. We pulled into Its a lovely mooring. There are picnic tables and electricity. The narrowing Moselle runs alongside the canal. There is no bike path on this side of the canal so we were alone, aside from the nearby house hidden by the trees, with a large German Shepherd who greeted some of the occasional passers by heading for the footbridge leading to the paved path on the opposite side. Only one other boat came by while we were here and for the following four days.
The adjacent small town is up a steep hill. I biked there to get a baguette- a ‘tradition’ actually. This is a baguette made as they were made before modern methods turned the baguette into a less desirable product so I always ask for a ‘tradition.’
With very warm temperatures on the way we headed up the canal, climbing towards the source of the Moselle. This means we are entering emptied locks. These locks in particular are very difficult to use. The bollards are three meters or so above our heads. There are no holds for the bow other than the activating mechanism’s flimsy pipes, whereas in many locks there are holds built into the walls. To secure the stern I had to climb on the roof, using the hook to place the line over the bollard. We held on tight as the water gushed in turbulently. You rise quickly, hoping not to lose control.
We spent the next three days in the shade as temperatures climbed to 32c/90f outside the little town of Bayon. We grilled on our tiny charcoal barby and prepped some surfaces for later painting. People biked along the narrow, paved bike path, the small bridge crossing the lock just a few meters away. Up the road is a a roadside burger stand. We stopped there one day as the chef was just arriving. The friendly owner gave us a menu, and invited us back. We returned the next day. The burgers are good but not great despite the 5 stars awarded on Google maps, while costing us $40 for two with fries and a bottle of beer. This isn’t exactly cheap. A hundred meters closer to the canal a fete was forming. On Saturday night there was live music, a typical over the hill rock band, referring to their age. They weren’t half bad, especially considering how deep in the countryside we are.
A few people came walking alone late at night, well after midnight, wearing a headlamp, the light on their forehead bobbing in the pitch black mist. As they passed in silence with just a small door separating us, I reviewed the whodunits I have watched, stories of psychotic serial killers. But these were just people walking in the dark.
Penn Bagdley as the charming, loving, affirming yet psychopathic murderer Joe Goldberg in ‘You.”
The heat wave passed after several days. The important town of Epinal lay some thirty locks ahead. The French water authorities had issued a notice stating that the canal south of Epinal was closed effective several days previously. We called the harbor in Epinal to see if it was closed, which they answered in the affirmative. We could have stopped short of Epinal and taken the bus into town. Since we would then have to turn around to got to our winter harbor, repeating the same 30 locks, we decided to forgo the journey. We headed back north for the winter, ending our boating season by gathering with some of the friendly and interesting people we’d met along the way. This year it’s Australians , with one Brit couple, one Belgium and one French.
After another beautiful cruise through the gorgeous Vosges Mountains (see The Grand Est), this time with friends, we came back to Nancy, one of France’s delightful cities and the capital of the Lorraine. Nancy (Gallic Nanciaco, possibly from a Gaulish personal name) has a wonderful pedestrian old town center stuffed with restored half timber buildings. The city’s a center point of Art Nouveau, magnificently displayed in the Musee de l’Ecole de Nancy. Place Stanilas (1750), the impressive main plaza, is named after Stanislaus 1, king of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania and duke of Lorraine. The plaza is lined with magnificent 18th century structures including the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). It’s a great city to walk around day or night. All this and more in a city of just 140,000.
What in the world was the Polish king doing in Nancy? He was the father-in-law of the French king Louis XV. When Stanislas was exiled from Poland, the Duchy of Lorraine was vacant due to the departure of Duke Francois, who traded this duchy for one in Tuscany, so Louis slotted in Stanislas. As his rule was nominal, he did not anger too many people. Perhaps that’s why a Polish king’s statue remains in the center of a famous and impressive square.
Place Stanilas is a short walk from the city’s marina. There’s a daily light show. The king’s statute from behind.
One of Nancy’s medieval gates in the old town
Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Annonciation et Saint-Sigisbert, was built in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Baroque style popularized by the Roman Catholic Church. King Sigebert III of Austrasia is buried here. After he was declared a saint the cathedral became a pilgrimage destination. Austrasia was the northeastern kingdom of the Frankish empire during the Early Middle Ages.
Nancy is a bit hilly so we took the bus to the l’Musee Ecole de Nancy (the Museum of the School of Nancy). It’s in a plushly furnished mansion, the former home of Eugène Corbin, a major patron of the Art Nouveau movement here. The movement started in 1894 and formally organized in 1904, started by the furniture designer Louis Majorelle, whose nearby mansion is in the style, along with glass artist Jacques Grüber, the glass and furniture designer Émile Gallé, and the Daum glass company, still in business.
Musee de l’Ecole de Nancy poster
Art Nouveau started in a number of locations in Europe at the same time, with the first buildings appearing in Brussels. It derives its inspiration from nature, thus the many floral representations. The term applies not only to architecture but to painting, decorative work such as furniture, and glass. These artistic endeavors had never coordinated before, one of the unique characteristics of the movement. Painting was not a major part of the local effort. For painting see my post on Mucha. He was famous for his renditions of Sarah Bernhardt.
After you are done loving the architecture, public spaces and art in its various forms, it’s time to enjoy the cuisine. Desserts and sweets are a big deal and what’s unique to Nancy. Aside from the myriad typical French bakery knock your socks off goodies there are macaroons, Nancy Beramots, a hard candy, Saint Epvre cake, made of two round almond meringues filled with a vanilla cream blended with crushed nougatine. Then there’s Duchesses de Lorraine sweets, a gingerbread cake, Stanislas Rum Baba, Liverdun Madeleines, a cookie, and Lorraine Chardons ( thistles), chocolates filled with eau de vie. For entrees (French for ‘first course’) and main courses Nancy has the general Alsace-Lorraine offerings, including the inimitable and forever popular Quiche Loraine and variations. But walk around the streets and you will see plenty of pizza/Italian restaurants and kebab places. And the burger is hugely popular. I never saw a burger on our first visit back in the 1990’s. The American import can set you back $20 for a full meal, or $8 at a kabob place. We spent $40 for two with beer and fries at a roadside stand. The French burgers are piled high and beautifully presented.
There is regional wine production, mostly white and on the sweet side. Gewurztraminer and Riesling are signature regional grapes. There is cremant production, Crémant d’Alsace. A cremant is a bubbly wine made the same way as in the champagne region.
St Nicolas celebrations are a big deal here. In December he visits schools giving every child sweets and lollies. They often take a class photo with him, often featured in the local newspapers. There’s a big St Nic’s parade during the holiday period.
Costumes in a St Nic Parade
Our neighbor during our 4 day stay was a guy named Bryan. He’s from New Zealand but worked in the UK and then France for many years as a 747 pilot. He is 85 years old and handles his 20+ meter barge single handed. He was granted permanent residence a year ago but needed help for some official documentation at city hall. We waited over the weekend for the Monday appointment to translate for him. He was allowed an extension of residency. Several years ago they had refused to grant this to him. A reporter took on the story, which made quite the splash. Then the mayor stepped in, granting his request. Now he is looking to sell the barge. It is too much for him to handle and maintain.
Cross the bridge over the Rhine to find yourself in Germany. It takes just a few minutes. From 1870-1918 this would not involve a change of country, as it was then under German control. We crossed the bridge only because it symbolizes the open border between France and Germany. So often at war since Germany became a nation, these countries crossed the bridge from war and destruction to friendship and federation. Liiberte Egalite Fraternite crossed the border too, as Germany adopted western liberal values. It could have been the other way round, had the politics of racial hatred won the day.
While ‘Strasbourg’ comes from German, referring to the junction of rivers here, it was the Gauls who founded the city, calling it Argentorate, In 1986 the city celebrated the 2000th birthday of its Gaulic origin. Strasbourg became part of France under Louis XIV in 1681, reminding that France as we know it came together over many centuries, by war and marriage. It was one of the important centers of the Protestant Reformation – John Calvin was born here. The German resident Gutenburg invented the printing press. Strasbourg is one of the four European Union capitols along with Luxembourg, Brussels and Frankfurt, along with housing many non-European international organizations. The Rhine port is the second largest in France. All this and more in a city of just 350,000.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, the famous World Heritage site, is a big part of the “and more.” It is striking in good measure because it is made from sandstone, standing tall and tan in the sun. The tallest medieval structure of any type. It took centuries to complete. Construction began in 1019, accounting for its Romanesque elements, extending until 1439, accounting for the High Gothic, of which it is the finest example. Underneath is the church dating from the mid 6th century.
Saint Laurence door
When you are done at the Cathedral you can continue the gawk with walks around the old town. The half timber structures, also referred to as Tudor architecture (but perhaps only in the UK) date from the 14th and 15th centuries. Their charm along the canals is greatly amplified.
A biggy in Alscace -Tarte Flambe- Flamenkeuken in German.
The regional cuisine features two well known and widely loved offerings. Tarte Flambe- ‘Flammekueche’ in German- is a unleavened crust topped with thinly sliced onions, lardon (finely chopped bacon), creme fraiche and emmenthal.
Choucroute Garnie is lots of pork in various forms over sauerkraut cooked with white wine and whole black peppercorns, served with mustard. Enjoy a beer or white wine with it. The dish definitely comes from the German influence!
Baeckeoffe is a slow-cooked casserole with meat, potatoes, onions and carrots. Lamb, pork, and beef is flavored with marjoram, thyme, and juniper berries.
Coq au Riesling is a classic French dish. You braise the chicken in a Reisling, produced in the region. The sauce is accompanied by vegetables usually carrots, onions, and mushrooms. It is sometimes served with spätzle, a pasta made here and in Germany all over.
And last but not least, the mighty Bretzel, known in English as the mere ‘pretzel.’ Big ones like in the old days.
Actually there’s a bunch more to the Alsatian cuisine, both savory and sweet.
Martyr of Saint Lawrence
View from one side
Scenes from the old town
Another biggy-Choucroute
Strasbourg has excellent public transport. We moored just past the marina along the wall. It wasn’t pretty but it was just a short walk to the tram (and a grocery store). In 10 minutes or so we were in the center. This being August, we weren’t alone in the touristed areas but the trams weren’t crowded at all. Getting into the Cathedral was the only difficulty, with long waits in the hot sun.
We’ve been strolling along the Canal de la Marne au Rhin, connecting the Marne river to the Rhine. We switched to the Moselle for a glorious couple of dozen kilometers then back to the Canal.
We are in an area generally termed the ‘Grand East,’ the northeast corner of France, bordered by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland. Some of the region was part of Germany from 1870 – 1918, avoiding damage from the First World War.
This is as rural as France gets: fields of wheat, corn, potatoes, beets and more. Neat small villages and old houses, more Germanic and Swiss looking as we transitioned from the Lorraine into the Alsace. The traditional cuisine changes as well, adding choucroute (saurkraut with pork chops, frankfurters and even more pork) but dropping mussels. There is Munster and Chaource in the cheese department, although there is still plenty of Camembert, even our favorite brand, Rustique.
Toul was home for several days, a long stop for us, with a cathedral and an old church worth a visit. The marina is in the center of town near a supermarket and a bakery. There’s even a hard to find boat repair yard. The Moselle River is close by and that’s where we headed next.
A chubby Joan d’Arc in Toul’s Cathedral
We spent a night in tiny Liverdun. There are fabulous views of the river from cliffs above.
The Moselle from Liverdun
In Liverdun you find the 12th century St Peter Church ( Eglise Saint-Pierre de Liverdun). It’s been classified as a historical monument since 1924. Legend has it that St Euchaire arrived here carrying his head in his arms, having been decapitated in nearby Pompey in 362, making the journey from there by horse. I I know of three headless travelers, Euchaire joining St Denis (Paris) and St. James (Santiago de Compostela). Haven’t had such headless travelers since. They just don’t make saints like they used to.
St Euchaire
After Liverdun we returned to the Canal, passing through two tunnels, descending 45 meters/130 feet on the Plan Inclinee, a giant tub of water that moves on tracks, eliminating the need for a half dozen locks. We had lunch at a roadside restaurant, called a Routier (meaning ‘On the Route’), independent restaurants serving truckers and others on the move. There’s a huge first course buffet, with salads, sliced meats, olives and more, then cheeses (they come at the end of the meal in France, in case you need to stuff yourself even more) and desserts. The main course is to order, with very large servings of steaks, chicken, pork, sausage and more, served with the sauces the cuisine is known for. Nothing fancy here, but healthy as well as hearty. The last Routier we went to did it differently. A large pot containing a stew was set on the table, with a bottle of everyday wine. You could order off the menu, ‘a la carte,’ as well. Our friend ordered steak au poivre. I suffered with the thumper stew.
Climbing through many locks, we entered the Vosges Mountains, with lots of great scenery. We descended the Plan Inclinee, a 45 meter drop that eliminates the need for a half dozen locks. We passed some lovely old villages but Lutzelbourg is the prettiest and most Swiss-like.
Lutzelbourg
On the Canal du Marne au Rhin near Bar le Duc
Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Toul – gorgeous, light and airy nave
In Void-Vacon our new Dutch friend John made us mussels in a ‘sauce espagnol,’ a red sauce that has nothing to do with Spanish cuisine, but a variation of velouté except that it is made with dark stock like beef or veal, and a well-cooked roux. After dinner a biker from Romania came by looking to get his water bottle filled. He had biked all the way from Bucharest, was going to Paris to see the Olympics, then Spain for a race, then back home. No wonder he’s so skinny.
We continued our journey, stopping in Epernay, Tours sur Marne, Chalons-en-Champagne, then Vitry-le-Francois.
Epernay is at the heart of Champagne country, in good measure because it sits on the Marne. As we exited the Canal Lateral de la Marne we saw the muddy river flying past. Turning into it we immediately felt the strong current. We chugged the 4 kilometers to the marina to find the harbor master waiting for us at the dock to help us in. As we approached we could see why – there wasn’t much room left for the river to rise before we’d float onto the dock, meaning the fenders would easily come in above the dock so the boat itself would hit. Later that day we were told we had to leave in the morning. The regional authorities, who exercise control over the water level, were going to release more water from the reservoir.
Before the news arrived we took our guest to a Champagne house. The nearby house, Champagne de Castellane, no longer provides tours, so we found another. Last time we were here the harbor master hosted a generous Champagne happy hour, provided by Castellane. This is no longer possible as Castellane no longer provides the product free to the marina.
We departed early the next morning to beat the additional release from the reservoir. Our 7 kph speed against the current became 14 kph with it. Fortunately the comparatively small number of floating logs were swept to the outside of the curves, where the current is strongest, while we remained on the inside as much as possible. For some reason the current slowed just as we reached the lock returning us to the safe waters of the canal. Its activating mechanism is a bit down river so you have to move to it and then turn around. With the reduced current we were able to complete the maneuver.
Tours-sur-Marne came after that nail-biter on the river, offering a gorgeous setting with vineyards set behind the reflective still waters. It’s a tiny village with a single Champagne merchant. The church is from 1851. The grapes they grow were once classified as Grand Cru, the highest rating, used to set prices after a long period of price instability. The classification has long been abandoned.
View of Tours-sur-Marne from our mooring
The Canal Lateral de la Marne is lined with endless great scenery. Rolling hills and fields green with crops, potatoes, beets and more, as well as wheat. We grabbed a few plants from the fields, boiled them a bit and enjoyed some mighty fine greens along with the young and still white beets.
Chalons-en-Champagne is our next stop; we are no longer amidst the fields of grapes. The Cathedral of Saint Ettiene dates from the 12th century. Its origins are Romanesque, meaning thick walls and small windows, but it was rebuilt in the Gothic style with thin walls and large windows. Then they added a Baroque section in the 17th century. Its soaring ceiling and beautiful stained glass flood the huge chamber in light. Some of the stained glass was made in the 12th century, as seen in the photo below. You can’t help but feel a time travel sensation bringing you into the medieval mind where fantasy rules, fantasy’s limitless reach unrestricted by the limits of factuality, instead only by the rhetoric of theologians and the discipline imposed by the Church.
12th century glass
Notre Dame en Vaux is another great old church, a UNESCO World Heritage one to boot. It was built between 1157 and 1217. It had a cloister, now a garden, faced by a small museum. There are a number of other worthwhile visits in the town of just 45,000. It is on the road to Santiago de Compostela.
Soaring ceilings and beautiful light
Drawing in Notre Dame en Vaux, Chalons sur Champagne
Vitry-le-Francois has the tiniest harbor, maybe a half dozen slots with barely room for us in the narrow canal leading to the moorings, where we had to make a difficult 90 degree turn to slide into the perpendicular slot. There is a harbor master, a woman who proved to be highly attentive. The electrical outlet with a proper modern boat type connection wasn’t working. The other outlets were house types, not used in a marine environment. I had to make an adapter from an old house plug.
Nearby is the beautiful city hall, in French called either the Maire (Mayor) or Hotel d’ Ville. It’s oversized for this tiny village.
The Maire in Vitry-le-Francois
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