Tuesday 13th June - Breisach to Lahr

We left our mooring at 9.40, a little apprehensive as to how we would get back onto the river easily as the current was so strong but we managed it by reversing out, narrowly missing the moored boat behind us!  We made 20 kph to our first lock, hoping to catch up with two cruisers Skip had seen going our way - which we did!  Then a half an hour wait for two barges to come up and once we got into the lock we had to wait for a big barge to join us.  The actual operation of the lock is pretty quick and smooth though and Aphrodite doesn't swing about much.  We kept with the two cruisers to the next lock although the big barge went through before us.  We arrived Lahr just after 2 p.m. And we're greeted by a friendly German man who helped us with our lines although he had no English or French so he was a bit difficult to understand.  We moored on an outside pontoon as it was easy but wondered if we would get too much swell when the big boys passed.  We didn't have long to wait before one loomed up.  No problem.......he was too far away to cause much swell!  A German couple on Quo Vadis arrived a little later and moored alongside us - we had met them before and the lady spoke good English.  Around 5.30 they set up a little BBQ on their back deck which Crew pointed out to Skip was a dinky little thing and something that Aphrodite could do with.  We got talking about it and it transpired that Anne, the lady, had a spare one that she would sell to us, so,off she went to locate it.  She was a long time looking but came back empty handed....she was mortified.  Skip went over to the Capitainerie at 6 p.m. to pay and enquire about a meal but there was nobody there.  After their dinner the lovely Anne appeared proffering two generous glasses filled with bubbly and strawberries from her sisters' garden - we had just poured our own aperitifs too!  We accepted of course with good grace - a very generous lady!  We chatted for a while as we waited for our meat to defrost.  We didn't dine until after 8.30 then just listened to music before bed.

40 km 2 locks 4 1/2 hours