Walking In On The Nagoya Basho

Three castles above Éguisheim

The village of Husseren-les-Châteaux is a peculiar one: at 1.2 km², it is the smallest commune in Southern Alsace, totally surrounded by Éguisheim. Beyond the vineyards, in the hills above the village and on the border with Éguisheim, are three castles, separated by... nothing.

Unlike other places where several castles can be found, such as Andlau or Ribeauvillé, this was only one unit, with the Dagsbourg and Weckmund being extensions of the original Wahlenbourg in the middle. Each section had its own dungeon.

I visited with my sister on a very overcast day two years ago, with low cloud descending on the hills. It made for some moody shots. We weren't alone up there - which was probably helpful! Also we used a car, and the car park isn't far, so it wasn't a creepy hike up or down.

As for the castle itself, it was destroyed during the Six Deniers War in 1466. The Habsburgs intended to conquer Mulhouse, and used the flimsy pretext of a miller being owed six deniers to start the invasion. But Mulhouse found allies in neighbouring Swiss cantons (before the Swiss Confederation was a thing) and won, taking out the fortress of Éguisheim along the way... as well as the miller whose complaint gave the Habsburgs the excuse they were waiting for.

First time in the Channel Tunnel!

Hard to believe, given that I have family on both sides of the Channel, that this month was the first time I used the Tunnel! For a long time, I've lived on the Western side of France and travelled in a car, so going to Calais to catch the shortest ferry links or LeShuttle never made sense compared to a relaxing six-hour crossing from a port in Normandy. Now I live in Eastern France and don't use a car, so the train is a no-brainer, and finally, I took the Eurostar from Lille to London.

On paper, the trip is amazing: just 90 minutes, roughly 30 on the French high-speed line, 30 in the tunnel, and 30 on High Speed 1 in England. Buuuuut... you need to get to the departure station around 60 minutes early for security and border checks, there's not a lot to do in the densely populated waiting area, and once on the train, I found it quite hard to relax in the hard, narrow seats under rather harsh lighting. While the ride was quick and operations felt reliable, the comfort of some regional trains has won me over more swiftly. That said, I've also been underwhelmed by the German ICE 3 (BR 407), which is the same Siemens Velaro D model as the Eurostar e320.

The Channel Tunnel turned 30 this year, with the French high-speed line connected to it upon opening and TGV-derived stock at the ready (now called the Eurostar e300, left), while the UK finished their high-speed line to London in 2007 (plaque at St. Pancras, right). Since then, it's been possible to go from London to Paris or Brussels in under two and a half hours (not counting security before boarding).

And there I was, starting to think I'd be riding the Seikan Tunnel before the Channel Tunnel!

Augusta Raurica

Founded in the 1st century by Lucius Munatius Plancus (which sounds a bit like a joke name but he also founded what is now Lyon), the Roman city of Augusta Raurica had all the amenities you'd expect: a drama theatre, temples, a gladiatorial amphitheatre, baths by the Rhine, and, in the 4th century, a Christian church.

And like all Roman cities, it largely fell into disrepair, the stones reused for other constructions. Restoration was carried out in the last century or two, and... maybe "reconstruction" is a more accurate term?

As such, the theatre is now used for outdoor shows. Along with the foundations of the temple opposite, it's basically become the town park. Same goes for the amphitheatre on the outskirts of the town, now equipped with barbecues and benches, and was hosting an event on the afternoon I went there (I can't find what).

Some underground remains are also open, consisting of basement levels of the baths and 4th-century church, where the heating and water systems were located. The least touched outdoor ruin seems to be this temple, of which little is known.

All in all, the reconstructions and atmosphere make Augusta Raurica less of a geeky history spot and more of a park with a backstory. Not my favourite Roman site, but a leisurely visit, particularly suited for families I'd say.

This monument needs no introduction. I just want to show the names of French scientists and engineers that adorn the base of the Tour Eiffel's first floor - just visible at the bottom of the above picture. Similarly to the German names on Strasbourg's Palais Universitaire, if you've studied science at length at any point, you'll know some of these: Cauchy, Navier, Lavoisier, Ampère...

Strasbourg's Christkindelsmärik

One of Europe's oldest Christmas market, and likely the most famous in France, is Strasbourg's. Its existence is attested as far back as 1570, appearing in the years following Protestant Reformation. Today it is a sprawling event, covering all the main squares of the central island of Strasbourg, and it's very busy, especially in the evenings and on weekends.

The traditional Alsatian name of the market is Christkindelsmärik, "the market of baby Jesus", while the city's more recent branding (since the 1990s) proclaims the town as "Capital of Christmas".

Pictures from 2018 - I haven't been to this year's market yet, but I plan to once my workload deflates - I get my annual stock of jams from the local producer's market!

Can't read my, can't read my, No you can't read my 岡 face!

Your typical Breton winter weather...

11 years ago, our group of friends was celebrating New Year on the coast of South Brittany. It was a windy time, sometimes even stormy (the drive back a day or two later was possibly the most dangerous I've ever done), and it made for some impressive shots of waves breaking at Port aux Moines.

Busy week done! Lots of work especially on Wednesday, and helping Vent d'Est organise their mah-jong tournament on Sunday to cap it off. We were on the boat in the foreground of this photo taken a few years ago - yep, still there today. A more flattering angle for the river, at a greener time of year, below.

Châteaubriant: a regional rail hard border

Rennes and Nantes, the largest cities in the Western tip of France, could have three direct rail routes connecting them. The one via Redon has always been used in this role; a second, via Laval and Angers, was ridiculously long until the high-speed line to Laval opened and 200 km/h-capable units were adapted for use on it; and a third... has been cut off at Châteaubriant.

The irony is, the Châteaubriant route would be the shortest in distance, at just over 120 km in length, in a fairly simple North-South direction. The trouble is, the line wasn't built with the traffic between the two cities in mind, is mainly single track, and has some steep inclines (1.5% is steep for a train). As such, it has always seen modest levels of traffic, and since the 1980s, it had been falling into disrepair in parts, and become abandoned in others.

The Nantes side saw a resurrection in the early 2010s: the line was electrified and, in 2014, tram-trains began operating. We've seen a tram-train on this blog before, but this service is only technically a tram-train, as it only uses a tram line parallel to the urban tram for a few kilometres inside Nantes, and only making one stop on that stretch. The Alstom Citadis Dualis (SNCF class U 53500) units are effectively regional trains in tram clothing, and are the only tram-trains in France to have onboard toilets.

But in France, local trains are managed by the administrative regions, and Nantes to Châteaubriant is under the authority of Pays de la Loire, so the electric wires, renovated stations and new trains went no higher. Worse, the line has been cut in half by a platform link, as shown above - and a photo on this webpage seems to indicate they used to be joined. So the Rennes side, managed by Bretagne region, has remained without electric power. I remember the stark contrast between the two sides of the regional border when I visited in early 2020: to Nantes, modern infrastructure and trains; to Rennes... nothing, and tracks that were starting to be overgrown!

It turns out the line was indeed closed for repair works at the time, and in 2021, Rennes to Châteaubriant reopened, with first-generation bi-mode Bombardier AGC (B 82500) sets, which only use Diesel power on this route, operating a peak-only service.

In conclusion, the Rennes-Châteaubriant-Nantes route has always been in the shadow of the slightly longer route via Redon, as the latter provided good connections to other major towns on the South Brittany coast: Vannes, Lorient and Quimper. The Châteaubriant route was never double-tracked, and today is a striking illustration of regionalisation, with different levels of investment on either side of the border, and through service now impossible.

The Reality Checkpoint

In the middle of Parker's Piece (no relation to the Thunderbirds character) in Cambridge, stands a lamppost. The only lamppost on the common, a beacon and a reference for anyone walking there at night. A bit like the lamppost in Narnia. A lot like the lamppost in Narnia in fact, as it serves as a boundary marker between the university and the town, two worlds with distinct notions of reality. That's one theory behind the name, the Reality Checkpoint.

Another theory suggests one should use the checkpoint to assess their clarity when going back from the pub, and this view certainly calls reality into question... Not to worry, the Ferris Wheel is just being dismantled.

This ornate lamppost has been restored in recent years, and improved with a Dinky Door. Well, I say "improved", but the note on the door says "on holiday, please check reality yourself"!