Low Water In Europe: It’s Not Just The Rhine & Danube — What River Cruisers Need To Know
Europe’s low-water story extends well beyond the Rhine and Danube. We look at record-low gauges at Kaub and Pfelling, the notoriously shallow Elbe, drought-related closures on French canals, and how river cruise companies are using shallow-draft ships, ship swaps, buses and alternate ports to keep travelers moving.
Last Night’s Movie Sent Me Back To The Seine
A new film about Monet sent me back to a marker I once photographed on the banks of the Seine, near Bougival, and to the same water I’ll be cruising again next summer.
What’s The Weather Like In Paris In June And July?
Some of you have been asking me about the heat in Paris — and a few have admitted you’re on the fence about booking because of it. Here’s what the data from last week’s European heat wave actually shows, and why I’m not worried about our June 30 and July 7 barge departures.
The River Remembers: On The Oise, Joan Of Arc
Joan of Arc was captured at Compiègne on the banks of the Oise and executed a year later in Rouen. Sailing between these historic cities, Ralph follows the quiet river through the places that witnessed her victories, capture and death—and considers how France still remembers the girl called Jeanne.
What The Rivers Remember
I came to Europe’s rivers on a bicycle, a logger’s son from a small town who had no idea what I was riding into. That was 50 years ago. Europe was woven together by water — by the rivers along which everything moved: armies, merchants, pilgrims, ideas, wine, grain, the letters of kings. What the Rivers Remember is an attempt to read European history from the water, following the people and forces that made these waterways matter, from the Oise where Joan of Arc was captured to the mountain springs where the great rivers begin as something you could step over.
My Favorite Barge Cruises In France (Updated 2026)
My favorite barge cruises in France, from Burgundy and Alsace to the Camargue and the Oise — personal picks from an expert who has hosted these trips since 2012.