The Canal du Midi - south at last!

This is what it's all about isn't it?

Gliding peacefully down beautiful shaded canals, supping on good French wine and sampling the glorious array of delicious pate and stupendous selections of cheeses.

 
And are we enjoying it all? A resounding YES.

That is after we have recovered from the blistering heat and being scorched on the lock sides as we negotiate fight against what seems like an endless succession of upward bound locks!

Fi and Christ, stalwart line handlers helping with refreshments

Jumping off the boat to sprint (well - not exactly sprint, but it sometimes feels like a marathon if I get dropped off any distance away from the lock) to find out it there is any chance of us locking through immediately, or if we have to wait until either the downward traveling boats finish footling around, or alternatively, the lock keeper is off because its his lunch hour.

That is one of the least convenient things we have to come to terms with - extended lunch hours in France. And Sunday closing. And Monday morning closing - for the shops I mean.

Here on the Midi the locks (with their lock-keepers) don't open until 9 am, so it makes for a reasonably short day for us - although we are making good  time westward.

After coming off the Rhone at Beaucaire we first negotiated the Camargue country, via the Petit Rhone; past the Etangs where the canal almost becomes part of the sea, separated only by swamp ground and low dykes.

Even those low mud walls were breached in some places, so that one might have paddled across the shallows into the ocean.

Pink flamingos

Here we saw pink flamingos - large flocks wading in the briny water, heads down, foraging greedily for the shellfish they rely on. (Last saw pink flamingos in the Galapagos!).

I'm told there are several hundred different species of birds that visit or live in the area, enjoying the salty water (and I daresay the buggy meals, as I imagine there are lots of mosquitoes here) of these marshes.

Some parts of this canal are of unknown origin, but were once used by Romans and Greeks, salt smugglers and Spanish luggers making their way to and from the The Rhone to Lyon or to ports south in the Mediterranean. Now there is a small amount of commercial traffic, but generally it is all tourist traffic like ourselves.

Etang

The town of Sete hosts a series of water jousting tournaments in August. Long wooden boats have eight rowers and a jouster who stands with his shield and lance with which to knock an opponent into the water. A different jousting competition from those staged for kings and queens on horses, but just as much fun to watch.

This end of the canal (Petit Rhone) is in a sad state of disrepair, and it was quite difficult to find somewhere to stay for a few days while we waited for our visitors to arrive. It seemed that the work of excavating the canal and rebuilding the sides was ongoing for many kilometers.

Fabled white horses and black bulls of the Camargue

I was anxious to see a bull fight - although I am happy to know that here they are not fights to the death, more a display of the famous white horses and stunning black bulls which make the region so famous. Unfortunately we were unable to find such a display - have to wait for a different opportunity!

We found a little area just at the convergence of the canal and the river  Let (les Quatre Canaux) where we could safely tie the boat and also where a car could also park fairly close by. 

Fiona and Chris duly arrived – with numerous and assorted bags and baggage - which they were taking back to their yacht in Asia. 

The first part of the trip was through the etangs close by the sea and soon there was a short sea crossing we had to negotiate - and we were forewarned to be aware of the weather because being so shallow there might be a very quick build up of rough water.

In reality this was an open stretch of water - the Etang de Thau - much exposed to the Mediterranean weather. This is a protected waterway and we were warned not to flush toilets, wash dishes or otherwise create a health hazard to the water - oysters and mussels are grown here, by the ton. Luckily we crossed on a fine day, although rather later in the afternoon than we might have wished.

To the rescue

Shortly after we committed to the short passage we encountered another boat, which, it soon became apparent, was in distress. People on board were waving and shouting and when we cautiously approached they told us their engine had failed.

Being fully crewed (with our visitors on board) we were able divert and take them in tow across to the opposite side. It was almost dark by the time we rafted alongside the little fibreglass tour barge type of boat on the wharf for the night at Maresillan - an unplanned detour, providing a little bit of excitement. Just as well that we could raft alongside as it was too dark to find our way to the canal entrance, and anyway – tourists are not permitted to go at night.

Our next little bit of fun was at the first lock – the infamous Agde Round Lock.


It is almost unique because it is really round, and which allows a boat to turn around, (built in 1876). The fact that it has three sets of lock gates, proved quite confusing as to which side (or curved wall) we could tie against. Good enough for the usual smaller sport boats or even the hire boats, who are generally more manoeuvrable than us, we managed to get a bit muddled.

We survived, and the Bee probably received a couple more bruises, but little did we know what else was in store for us.

Ladder of locks at Fonsérannes

Not just single locks, or even double locks, but threes and fours and once a veritable staircase of seven levels!

This particular "ladder" is particularly popular with the tourists – who all wait to see us getting it wrong. The celebrated ladder of locks at Fonsérannes allows boats to rise 21.5 meters in height over the course of 300 meters. We had arrived at the foot of the locks in the late afternoon and elected to wait until morning to start the climb.

Unfortunately the next morning there was a string of large tour boats and hotel barges that took precedence on the canal, so we had a few hours to wait for our turn. As usual there were lots of camera toting tourists out and about, but we locked up and up and up without incident. Lucky for us we had our crew – we might have had a very different experience!

Originally made up of 9 locks, only 7 are still in service today. Once started up we made good progress, with two people onshore walking the ropes along the side where possible. I don't like to think of how we would have managed with just Mike and me. Going down would be perfectly easy of course, with no high walls to throw the ropes up and over. The picture show the Bee on one side, together with two hire boats.

Aqueduct at Beziers

Not to mention that these locks were all rounded (ovoid) - that is to say that instead of a nice straight flat wall we could lay alongside, these walls are curved - apparently all the better to contain the vicious water pressure, but somewhat disconcerting for us at first.

Remember our barge is almost 17 meters long - and does not bend to fit the walls. By the time our hardworking visitors were due to leave we had it all down to a fine art and could almost manage that casual attitude and relaxed stance that inevitably speaks of absolute confidence born of great experience!

Much depended on where the bollards were placed at the sides – it seemed that they were in the most inconvenient places for us – either too near the foreword lock gates or too far back against the gates at the rear. Either way – the ropes had to be controlled all the time.
By the time or hardworking visitors were due to leave we had it all down to a fine art and could absolutely manage that casual attitude and relaxed stance that inevitably speaks of complete confidence born of great experience! (or so we like to think)

The 240 km long Canal du Midi has over 90 locks, most manned by lock-keepers, especially in the busy tourist season when the hire boats are out in force. We also encountered small bridges, the lowest being less than 3.5 m high, but with curved arches making it even more treacherous for tall craft. 

The Malpas tunnel at Enserune is 160 meters  long but doesn’t present much of a challenge. There are also 40 aqueducts – the longest being 240 meters, traversing roads and rivers. 

The Midi canal was the brainchild of a certain M. Riquet, who wanted to build a transport route between the city of Toulouse and the sea, enabling the local farmers and artisans to boost their markets. The Canal du Midi was built between 1666 and 1668; both men and women dug the 240 kms of channel. At first it was used by small sailing barges with easily lowered masts, bow-hauled by gangs of men; horses were employed to do the towing and then steam tugs came in 1834 which made crossing the Etangs a great deal easier.

Small boat ferries used to  take passengers to Toulouse but at the multiple locks they had to get out, with their baggage, and climb past the locks on foot, in order to board a different boat on the other side.Now of course the traffic is mainly tourist, with only a few commercial barges small enough to make their way under the low bridges.

42,000 plane trees were planted about two hundred years ago, to stabilise the canal banks (also giving shade to the working crews and possibly lessening the evaporation of water off the canal),  but in 2006 a canker stain infection was discovered that is killing the trees.
It is projected that all the trees will have to be destroyed and replaced -  at a cost of 280 million Euro – and to the possible loss of it’s designation as a UNESCO world heritage site. The VNF are busy with chainsaws, cutting and burning the damaged trees, and we are warmed not to tie to roots in the water so as to help prevent the spread of the infection.

Those beautiful water avenues of tall leafy trees will never be the same.

Hard workers

This southern area of France was home to Catharism, a religion first heard of in 11^th century and eventually extinguished by the Catholics, at first by the crusades and then by the medieval inquisition. The famous walled city of Carcassonne was held under siege by (Simon de Montefort) as was the town of Bezier; the religion was finally stamped out in the 14^th century. Cathars were hanged, or burnt at the stake. There are several old fortified castles in the region that sheltered Cathar communities, wonderful places to explore on foot. They are all situated on the top of tall hills.

The nearby mountains of the Pyrenees separate Spain from France – and in Castelnaudary, where we have spent a winter in port, I’m told the accent is heavily influenced by Castilian. Andorra is only a short road trip away, and on a clear day we can see the snow capped peaks of the Pyrenees. Just an hour away to the ski slopes in winter.

Carcassonne

The Bee meandered along the truly beautiful canal du Midi, stopping wherever we wanted for the night – even stopping in an open area so that Mike could rig up the TV and watch a rugby game! Eventually we pulled into Castelnaudary, where we bid Fiona and Chris adieu. We had enjoyed having our crew for company and all their help on the uphill run.

At Castelnaudary other visitors arrived and although we didn’t take the boat anywhere we had the car with us, and could explore some of the countryside, which included a trip south to see the Mediterranean Sea, and a brief stop in Spain before heading back through the mountains.

Circe Sailors

We also managed to arrange a meeting with yet other old friends - again a cruising couple we had sailed with years previously in the Caribbean. By coincidence they were visiting the old walled city and we were able to drive a few miles to meet them.

Carcassonne was first inhabited in about 3500 BC, since then Celts, Visigoths, Gauls, Romans, Saracens and French royalty have all resided in the town; now fully restored, it is a popular tourist site. One can easily imagine knights of old, clad in armour and brandishing swords and shields, clattering up and down the narrow cobbled streets, ducking between the overhanging houses.

Barge with mini on board

Castelnaudary is famous, so we are told, for the French Cassoulet. Personally - I don't find all that greasy duck very appealing, but we  stayed at the port and booked to return the following winter. Our insurance indicates that we should have the boat in a port on the canal or on a stationnement for the winter months. Winter here is from October 1 to April 1.

We had a very pleasant surprise when we discovered yet another couple of cruisers (can't say old cruisers can I? They are younger than we are!) we had sailed with in the Caribbean were due to take a rented boat onto the Canal at the same time as we would be in Port. We had a few enjoyable hours with Brenda and John from the yacht Willow before they took off in the opposite direction.

Castelnaudary

After Touoluse our journey became very easy – going down in the locks was a doddle, especially as we had fewer boats going our way.  Here too, on the Canal Lateral du Garonne, we could control the locks by ourselves using a twisty pole that hangs in the centre of the canal. We motor up to the pole give it a quick twist and hey presto – the lights turn green to signal the ecluse opening. If they don’t turn green  - we just wait a while – usually for another craft to come through and past. No stopping for lunch on this canal!

This canal completes the waterway between the Atlantic (at Bordeaux and the Bay of Biscay) and the Mediterranean. The canal follows the river Garonne quite closely, but the river is very shallow in some areas making it unsuitable for navigation. There is a very attractive bicycle trail which runs conveniently alongside the canal, along with several conveniently placed camp sites and many small Chambres des Hotes and Gites. Great for a get-away-from-it-all holiday.