HOCHWASSER!!!!!!

Hi Everyone,

Well the winter, cold weather and gray skies have finally ended here in Germany.  Unfortunately with this bit of great news comes incredible flooding from the rivers that are already full from the rains but now comes the snow melting in all the mountains.   Our area has been pretty lucky.  The levees have held and no real damage to any buildings have occurred in our area.  

We can't really say the same for the poor animals, wild pigs, deer and all the babies that are out in the forests next to the Rhine river.  In addition, the damage to the fields that farmers have just planted is just sad for all.

Wolfgang and I took a few bike tours over a three day period and took some pictures.  Thought you might like to see them.

Please keep in mind that although the Rhine river is a major shipping thoroughfare in Europe, it is not wide like the Mississippi or the Colorado.  It is deep and always a very dark color.  It is a very calm looking river. My friends tell stories of swimming across the Rhine when they were young.  Can't do it anymore because the shipping makes it incredibly dangerous in addition to it just being a dangerous idea in general.

So with that in mind, here are a few pictures we took.

 Okay, this our regular tour route.  Normally, the water you see does not exist.  This is usually a large field of grass or corn.  There are always a few deer, etc.  Never any water.

Here is the same field after the water is gone.

 Here is Wolfgang standing on the dam next to the Rhine.  Again, usually, there are rocks all along the side of the dam and the water never get even close to the top.  The river is also never this wide.  I think it looks a lot like the amazon. 

 The river is really wide and chocolate brown instead of the normal almost black color.  Oh, and don't be deceived, the trees you see are not the edge, everything under them is flooded about 4-6 feet deep.

 This is a pasture where there are usually cows wandering around.  They were moved to the other side of the Rhine for safety.  I admit, I was worried.

 We were there when they started to put the flood gate in place but it was never actually needed in our location.  There is a small dam before this and it kept the water back.

 This is or was a sand and gravel yard.  They are located by the river but never in the river.

 Here is the ferry crossing at the Kornsand.  There is usually a ramp that goes down to the ferry.  Notice the white post where the ferry usually docks.  Also notice the height of the water on the right.  Again usually about 3 feet lower.

This is a camping area.  Thought this shows how high the water is.  Notice the lamp post and then farther left the boat.

Closed for High Waters.

 This is a parking area and you must walk up steps to get to these buildings.  Notice the person on their terrace.  I am not sure why they are there.....


 

 Same house without the water.  Notice the place where the person was standing.

 This is soccer field in the town of Erfelden, not far from us.  The square with the white posts and net is a soccer goal.  So you know how deep this water is, a soccer goal is 8 feet high (2,44 meter).  Deep enough for water polo.

Same soccer field without the water.

OK this is water measure on the side of the Rhine River.  The white signs tell you what the High Water was in those years (HW 1988 - High Water Mark for 1988).  We took this after the flood waters crested at just under 88,0.

Alright so the flood waters for the Rhine have started to recede but the ground water levels all around have started to rise and flood the fields.  Now I am an outsider.  I do not hold myself responsible for going around signs when my husband says it is OK.  So we went around this sign on our way home.  Seemed OK not too deep.

OK, a little deeper than I thought but hey, still doable and I was clever and took my shoes off before pedaling through.  Deep but not bad and it was clean and surprisingly warm.  Wolfgang took my picture.

 All right so I decided that the next section I would go first and take Wolfgang's picture.  I mean, a foot of water, no big deal so off I went.  Well, much, much, much deeper.  I had to finally get off my bike and walk through waist deep water.  One of my shoes floated away and as I was walking through all this water I was watching this large lightening storm in the distance.  What do you think, I believe that I have earned an idiot award but...

 Here is the field and the road (water in the foreground) that I walked through.  Wolfgang watched me and went around another way.  Oh well, an adventure to remember!