(Yes, we also lost the fin of our boat which helps to stay on track.). Move from river to river, through changing landscapes, using the famously efficient public transport system or take the car for the ultimate kayaking road trip. On a hot summer day, this is a must-do because it is refreshing and you will never forget that feeling - I promise. The water calmed down over the next few hours as we made it out of the industrial outskirts of Strasbourg and we began to feel a hint of disappointment at the Rhine: we’d expected a current so strong it whipped us downstream without any effort on our behalf. Despite only hearing of us and our adventure a few days prior, they unquestioningly hosted us in their wonderful home in Strasbourg while we found replacement wheels (hopefully more up to the task). Lazy river outpost tubing, lazy river tubing. We decide that we want to feel young and adventurous again - just like back in those days when we fell in love with each other... My better half is off to the basement to clean our kayak from all the spider webs. Ships and their waves will probably your biggest problem. March 19th, 2020 | by Matt Dumoulin. As if the conditions of the water weren’t enough for us to try and handle, there were also barges coming from both directions. Always pack enough of your favorite food/drinks to keep you happy on the trip. I am in awe for a very long moment, because I have never seen a wild turtle in Switzerland my entire life. I am very excited and forget about the struggles we had just five minutes ago. The other weekend, we felt the urge to spend some serious couple time. While he hauls the kayak to the car, I packed a lunch of homemade Indian chapati, yoghurt dip and lots of different vegetables, a bottle of tap-water and some candies. The Rhine Falls (German: Rheinfall, pronounced [ˈʁaɪ̯nˌfal] (), singular) is a waterfall located in Switzerland and the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Reaching Mainz, where we were to leave the Rhine, we secured a home for Benji for the night with … The subsequent days saw us paddling distances of over 40km during the day. River: Rhine. There are precious birds breeding. Google helped me later on to close that knowledge-gap: It was most likely a Europäische Sumpfschildkröte (European pond turtle). Taking a day away from the frenetic water paid off, as the following day Kate and I managed to pull off our longest day of paddling yet, covering 52km. Canoeing the Rhine river. Would like to spend some time in the small towns. Like ABALADA above is saying, the Rhine gorge is not good for kayaking, too much ship traffic, as it is the narrowest and fastest flowing part of the Rhine. Full of energy after that pleasing encounter with the turtle, we start to paddle like well-trained twenty year olds and make it to Eglisau without any more disasters. Newly Swissed GmbH “With the support that we offer, you don’t have to worry about anything,” says Coates. So, depending on the time of the day, you might meet a lot of like-minded people paddling on the water. Amazingly, this is our fifth river cruise, fourth with Viking, and we’re surprised, even ourselves, at how much we enjoy these experiences. Thus, we found ourselves pitching our tents by the dunes on the beach, trying not to focus too much on the speed and power with which the water was churning past. The first few days have gone smoothly as we find ourselves camping next to yacht and rowing clubs who generously welcome us and allow us to use their showers (bliss as the temperature is currently soaring). Knowing that this was Europe’s busiest river (in terms of boat traffic) with a much stronger current than anything we had faced before, Kate and I were feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension. We now move faster, with less effort, which is even more fun. 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