Rheinturm
Under this autobahn is where the 709 trolley stops. The loops are for pedestrian and bicycle access to the bridge |
The Rhine, looking north. Düsseldorf is on the right, Neuss and Oberkassel are on the left |
Shooting photos through glass is very difficult as you always have to be aware of reflections. Sometimes you just shoot the relfection |
On September 14, 2003, the Rhine was extremely low. Everything you see as sand is normally under water |
Another take on Landtag NRW as the shadow lengthens Each rotation of the restaurant takes about one hour |
Looking north, Düsseldorf International Airport is visible. The control tower is exactly in the center of the picture, and the runways run off to either side |
What may be difficult to understand is just how high the Rhine rises. Note where people decided they could build houses in Neuss, on the left |
We continue our rotation, to the west now |
Update: January 23, 2004
Since September, when these pictures were taken, and mostly in the last week, the Rhine has risen. A lot. The line of trees at the edge of the river are now a few feet deep in water. The water has also passed the second line of trees. Most of the pavement in those pictures is also now under water.
3 months of 110F to 130F heat over the summer have changed to rain, rain, rain, and snow in southern Germany and in the Alps. This is good news for the German economy as most of its gross tonnage goods (oil, gas, coal, cars) are transported by barge. Per gross ton, time, and expense, barges, when they can be fully loaded on a brimmng river, are less expensive that trains or trucks. When the river drops, they become very expensive as they can only carry between 40% and 60% of their loads, depending on the load, in the conditions that you see in these pictures.