geschlossen gesperrt closed shut
by Rach
9km from Basel, Switzerland – 2km from Weil am Rhein, Germany – 100m from French border
How many things do you think could be closed in one day?
- The bridge we needed to cross!
Cute bridge huh?
Detour number one. - Schloss Laufen
Now we weren’t particularly planning on visiting the castle so this was no major inconvenience. However, it was the place from which to set out for a viewing platform of the biggest plain waterfall in Europe, and there we *did* want to go, but…. -
Rheinfall
Can you believe the biggest waterfall was closed? Well, of course, the river keeps flowing, 700 cubic metres per second in the summer, so it really can’t be stopped.
But the viewing platform can be closed. And it was.
So we took a little pedestrian detour (number two) and looked down on the falls from the top. The sight may not have been as majestic as looking up at it – we could see the 150 metres wide, but not the 25 metre drop – but the roar of the water rushing underneath us was fearsome. Awesome.
- The main road to Basel.
Guess where we were going! Yep, that’s right. So we took detour number three, which really would have been much easier if every turning had been signposted instead of all except the one on the roundabout! Thankfully Rob guessed well.
I’m told it was a beautiful drive today. I wouldn’t know. I was too busy watching the road (sometimes sideways through the wing mirrors, more often out the front, and occasionally using the rear view mirror at last), and sometimes even trying to find fifth gear. I’m told we passed fields of red poppies, a patchwork of greens, the occasional castle on a hill. I saw black road, white lines, a few red Monet poppies at the roadside and a Renoir-like blur further afield.
Then finally something opened.
The heavens.
All road markings disappeared, and despite being only mid-afternoon, it was as dark as dusk. Headlight pairs approached, lightning flashed across the sky, I tried to stay away from the invisible edge of the road.
The rain eased as we pulled in to our Rhein-side parking place, a free one just outside Basel, which made it far enough away from the town to be in a different country altogether. This whole border thing is still a real novelty to the children (although they would be much happier if the gun-in-their-hip-holster officials would put some stamps in their passports), and they wanted another three-countries-in-one-day episode….we had started in Germany and driven through Switzerland, so we walked across the Rhein to France before dinner! At least that bridge was open.
PS WeatherBoy (that’s him up there) would like me to make note of the fact that this European spring weather is most interesting. For a couple of days we have had 35 degrees, and now it is down to 15 degrees, and only reached a high of twenty today. No wonder we’re feeling chilly! He also points out that in addition to the thunderstorm this afternoon, there was one at breakfast-time….there we were sitting on our new grass green mat between our vans watching lightning flash, listening to the thunder roar, waiting for the raindrops, which soon came, sending us scarpering inside.
He’s right; it is most fascinating <wink>
Time on the road: 4 hours
Distance covered: 193km
Tags: children, postcard: France, postcard: Germany, postcard: Rhein Road Trip, postcard: Switzerland, recreation, weather
rayres
It looks AMAZING. Especially that bridge which looks just like a painting.
I was so excited today when I saw your post because I have been to the Rheinfall. I stayed about five minutes walk from it in a gorgeous old farmhouse when I was in Switzerland a couple of years ago. I am really enjoying reading about your adventures!
Have not been to the Rhein but the pictures tell a neat story. The last bridge over Rhein is very typical of bridge over the Keil Canal.
Enjoying travelling with you all again.
I remember a sunny day in Basel ending in a late afternoon thunderstorm. That was in July. It must be a common occurrence. Oh and happy birthday to both your little girls – it’s been a while since I’ve ready your blog and I can’t believe how much you’ve done!!!