Since embarking on the Amadeus Brilliant in Strasbourg almost a week ago, we have floated past all different sorts of boats. We have seen small recreational boats, ferries, other river cruises (like ours!), high-tech fuel transportation barges and even multiple boats linked together to carry cargo. With all this boat traffic, it's important to use the river safely. Now, what happens if the river flows down and changes elevation quickly? Normally, there would be a waterfall, but that would be very dangerous for the ships to go down. Instead, people who live and work in those places have built "locks" to help these boats move through these areas safely and easily.
Alongside the river, we see many roads and trains. People use bikes and cars on the roads, and sleek passenger trains along with larger, bulky cargo trains ride the rails. However, a lot of people use boats of different sizes. The ferries take people up and down the river; cargo ships take all sorts of items downriver to harbors and ports; and river cruises, like ours, bring tourists to different cities and towns to learn about their culture and history. The locks help these boats get around by giving the boats a safe way of changing with the height of the river.
