Canal du Midi from Castelnaudary to Port Cassafieres ( Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrenees, France)

 During a family get-together a few years ago, a group of us spoke about a canal trip and what fun it would be but only finally got things together this year. We chose the Canal du Midi because of the location in France, climate in September and good food in the region. The Canal du Midi is perhaps the most famous of the French canals and one of the first to be built (between 1662 and 1681, see https://www.french-waterways.com/waterways/south/canal-midi/ ). Helen and I have no experience of boats and not much of canals so the trip was a challenge in many ways. We were accompanied and helped by my brother, Brian, and sister Sharon with their partners, Sue and Daryl. Unfortunately my eldest sister Jeanette and her husband Lou had to withdraw at the last minute.
We had great fun enjoying the food, the countryside, wildlife, wine (and beer) and the 62 locks not to mention the low and narrow bridges over the 157 km section. As we were travelling east to the Mediterranean, our boat had to descend all the way (approximately 170 m in total), which is supposed to be easier than ascending. 

 Our boat was rented from "Le Boat", the largest tourist company operating on the canal with depots at Castelnaudary, Trebes, Homps and Port Cassafieres. We opted for comfort with a Vision4 boat that measures 15 m in length and about 4.7 m in width and sleeps 9 people. It had boosters on both sides of the rear and front that helped to manoeuvre in confined spaces such as locks but they proved too weak when confronted with a side wind on the canal itself!!

The trip to the start at Castelnaudary was straight forward from Bristol airport to Toulouse (where we stayed overnight) and then onto the start by train. There is a direct line from Toulouse to Beziers (near Port Cassafieres) that goes through Castelnaudary and Carcassonne. The others came by various route as there are flight connections to Carcassonne and Beziers from the UK. It proved a short walk from the station to the "Le Boat" depot in the canal basin at Castenaudary. Here we prepared ourselves for the trip, got in supplies from a local "Nettos" and went through a somewhat brief induction involving driving in a circle around the basin and parking the boat, the later with help from the instructor. After that we had a relaxing meal in "Le Cassoulet Gourmand" at the side of the basin and I tried my first (and I have to say, my last) Cassoulet dish for which the region is known.

Our view across "Le Grande Bassin" from our boat in Castelnaudary. The steeple of St. Michel Collegiate church is at the top of the hill with the Cugarel windmill further north overlooking the plains.

In the morning I cycled out on my folding, uncomfortable and low-geared cycle supplied by "Le Boat" to find the boulangerie in the town and at the same time find the stone windmill mentioned in the guide. 

The sun rising over the plains and "Montagne Noir", Black Mountains,  in the far distance taken from a viewpoint near the windmill. These mountains formed a dark background to the north for most of the journey and reminded me that the canal waters started life some distance from the canal as it flowed east to the Mediterranean and west to the Atlantic.

After that and breakfast, it was all hands to the helm and ropes to tackle our first series of locks that took us out of the basin to the canal proper. This went amazingly well considering we were learning on the job so as to speak. With gloves for handling the ropes and good communications between the crew, we must have looked experienced although we couldn't see the lock-keeper as he was hidden away in a tower with his hands covering his eyes! They advise you to wear life jackets when in the locks but I think I only saw a couple of people doing this on the entire trip.

Our first view of the canal from the boat as we started the descent of the first series of locks out of the basin.
Notice the lines of plane trees that border the locks and canal, the first of many.

Progress was very good on the first day and involved 15 locks in total to reach the road intersection to Villepinte. We stopped at the Vivier locks (3 in total) for a tomato tosdadas made by our chef, Daryl. Villepinte isn't exactly on the canal but a short walk or cycle ride (less than a kilometer) and has a boulangerie, restaurant and another kilometer down the main street to the east is a petrol station with an attached supermarket. We had a supermeal in the restaurant "Les deux Acacias" which amazingly does have two acacia trees, one either side of the entrance door.

This was taken from the bridge near where we moored for the night. The plane tree avenue leads to the village of Villepinte.

The next morning we cruised for about an hour through three more locks to reach Bram where we stopped to walk to the market near the centre. This was about a kilometer along a combined cycle-way and footpath and so avoided the traffic. The large market had lots of choice for supplies and so we returned well-laddened ready for our lunch at the quayside.

Our lunch spot on the quay at Bram. Our boat number 13, is the one on the lower right of the photo. You can get refreshments and food here and there is a waterpoint nearby on the track to Bram.

We went further downstream in the afternoon to find a sunny spot to moor for the rest of the day. We were spoilt for choice as this was a quiet section. Some of the plane trees in the vicinity had died from a fungal disease, "Canker Rot" and some workers were clearing the banks ready for replanting, mainly with oak. The trees were originally planted about 1830 to shade the canal and reduce evaporation, as a wind shield for the barges and also to reinforce the banks with their roots. They also added a lot to the beauty of the canal that has helped make it a present day tourist attraction and World Heritage Site.

Moored in the dappled shade under plane trees on the section before the village of Villesquelande

Brian and I did a cycle trip to nearby Villesquelande and returned along farm tracks through the vineyards with vines loaded with small black grapes, to regain the canal track.  It was great to be in a more remote section of the canal, and with the mild temperatures to sit-out and listen to the sounds of the dark night. The younger members of the crew could hear the deafening sounds of the Coypu moving in the water and through the shrubbery in the adjacent woodland. Those of us more challenged by sound took longer to adjust to the subtlety of all of this but did eventually tune-in. These semi-aquatic animals (Myocastor coypus) are native to south america and are smaller than beavers (without the flat tail) but much larger than muskrats. Using a torch we spotted several in the water and also on the bankside and could plainly hear them in the woods opposite the boat. During the day we also saw several kingfishers and different birds of prey that we couldn't identify.

The time for wildlife; night on the canal.

The following day was to the "big city" of the trip, Carcassonne, but first we waylaid at the quay at Villesquelande to get drinking water and supplies for breakfast. This time Daryl chose to cycle with me to the local grocery. This I think proved entertaining for all of us as Daryl's cycle seat decided to upturn to an uncomfortable position. Not believing this, I also tried the bike to be similarly thwarted  and decided to cycle standing! Anyway, we got supplies and everyone was happy.
Moving on we stopped for coffee on route at a cafe catering mainly for cyclist. The canal path is a popular long-distance cycle route as we saw many cyclists each day. I imagine it is a pleasant enough ride with few hills, plenty of local facilities and very little route finding problems.

The oldest Elm tree in France in the village square in Villesquelande. The lower heart is now cemented for protection against the elements and it has several supports but has managed to avoid the fate of  many of the local Elm trees.

I made a slight blunder on entering Carcassonne as a large tourist boat came through a bridge I had to give way and did so by moving from the middle to the side of the canal and subsequently found that full throttle didn't thrust us forward as we got embroiled in the silt. The quick actions of the crew saved the day as they used the pole against the bank (without falling in!) so it was with some relief that after a few minutes we made head-way to the centre of the bridge ready to dock in the port. Here we paid 20 euros for 24 h to get electricity and water with a plan to tour Carcassonne on the "petit tren" to see the medieval city the next morning. We had a pleasant meal at "Le Bistro" before retiring for what seemed a quiet night in the city. The morning was dreary and cool but dry so we left as planned after a brioche breakfast and became sightseers for the morning culminating in lunch at the "Le Jardin l'Escargot" in the heart of the castle. This area of the city is impressive with the double-walls and ramparts but as you might expect is very much a key tourist destination, one of the most important in France.

Medieval Carcassonne between the walls of the citadel.

You could easily spend a couple of days exploring, particularly if you're interested in medieval history and the history of the Cathars and the Inquisition. However, our time was limited as we needed to leave Carcassonne and head towards Trebes. Leaving the port under one of the lowest bridges was challenging with only a couple of inches to spare either side and everyone literally on the deck!!...aim, slow down, point and shoot seems to come to mind (and hope for no wind gusts).

Leaving Carcassonne....heads down, it will be easy!

We stopped for the night in the country before reaching Trebes and went in on Saturday morning to call in at the "Le Boat" quay, refill with water and have lunch. The "Le Boat" staff here were very helpful and solved most of our problems with the boat and thankfully allowed me to swap the mini- cycle for a proper off-road bike with big wheels and gears and so made my day! Thank you.

Colourful Trebes, one of the prettiest towns to stop for a meal and get supplies. The "Le Boat" base is on the left in the distance. There is a boulangerie near the bridge that opened around 3 o'clock.

Immediately after leaving Trebes we met a queue of boats waiting to get through three locks. There was a problem with the lock gates as some wood had jammed in near the hinges so had to be cleared and checked. As the last boats through are generally at 6.40 pm for closing at 7. pm, we ended up in front of the queue at the end of the day and ready for a start at 9 the next morning.
The next day, Sunday, was a "big lock day" with 13 in total to get to Redorte (about 5 hours) passing through the Alguille lock with its many sculptures in front of the lock keepers house.

Some of our welcoming audience at the Alguille lock.

We did well with the locks with Daryl taking care of the stern and Brian and Helen at the bow  and Sharon conveying crucial calls and keeping a friendly eye on the lock keeper! Sue kept her head down amazed at the close calls I think. The wind had increased and made steering more challenging when jiggling into the locks, especially with three boats per lock.
The mooring in Redorte was full so we continued a hundred metres downstream to moor besides the cycle track. I spent a couple of hours cycling east around part of Jouarres Lake and then into Homps to see what the "Le Boat" quay was like. The town looked dominated by the quay with little space left for mooring. The cycle ride gave me a feel for the canal track which was a mixture of hard surface, hard clay and some stretches that were very stony. I think a hybrid cycle would find this section doable but challenging in places.

A view north across Jourres lake. There were sandy beaches, a few fishermen packing up for the day and a couple of wind surfers in action.

We dined at "La Table de Riquet" which is well situated at the side of the canal and would make a great lunch stop in the sunshine.
We left fairly early in the morning in the rain with the expectation of a wet day in front of us. After the lock, we were soon in Homps, moored and refilling with water. We had conflicting advise from "Le Boat" staff about whether we needed to refill with diesel at Homps. At the induction one person told us to refill at Homps so we enquired at the reception here and they told us it wasn't necessary and we'd have plenty for the journey.

Some of the locks sold provisions for crews passing through. This is the lock after La Redort called " Ecluse de Jouarres". As we were the only boat around, we had the lock to ourselves, a pleasant change.

The rain continued until we got to Argens-Minervois where we moored-up for lunch at one of our best lunch stops, "La Guinguette"; here are a couple of photos:

The entrance to the restaurant / bar, a welcome break from the mornings rain.

A view from the colourful restaurant out to the canal and our way east.

and the town itself taken as the weather cleared as we left to go on to Le Samail. After the lock in Argens-Minevois, we had something like 54 km of canal without a lock in site, a dream ride along the 31.50 m contour to the multiple locks near Beziers.

Looking north of the canal to the centre of Argens-Minervois.

Le Samail was quite busy with boats lining the canal but we found a mooring past the second bridge and convenient for the centre. There were lots of RV's and camper vans parked for the night next to the quay. Daryl and I dashed off to the book store that is a trade-mark of the town; the English language section was limited but I could appreciate the massive range of French books. After that we searched around for a grocery store and found the barge that we ordered food for the next morning. As we needed more supplies I cycled to the local supermarket which is only a few kilometres away on the edge of town.

The canal at Le Samail looking upstream with the grocery barge on the right of the photo.

After a leisurely breakfast, we headed further with a plan to get through the only tunnel of the section, the Malpas tunnel, the first canal tunnel ever built in the world. We took about two and a half hours to reach Caperstang and the lowest bridge of the canal (which was a tight squeeze) and then wandered around the old town and settled for lunch at the "Le Provence Restaurant Pizzeria".

The bridge at Caperstang (one of the lowest on the canal) together with the scrape marks of many boats and barges.

We then filled the tank with water (the taps and electric are operated by a card purchased from the quay masters office) and then cruised for an hour to reach the tunnel. We were a little nervous about negotiating the tunnel but in the event it proved straight forward and much shorter than we imagined (it's 161 m in length, 6.45 m wide and there is plenty of head room). When we approached, someone on the bank shouted that a large barge was coming through so we dawdled around trying to keep the boat fixed against the wind, what fun! Although you can't see through the tunnel as you approach on the right, once you get near the entrance you can see through and don't need lights.

Waiting in the wind at the tunnel entrance; will it fit in the tunnel?

Light at the end of the tunnel!!

 From here it was only another 15 minutes cruising to Colombiers, one of the larger towns on the canal. Our plan was to spend the night docked here and then make an early start to catch the one hour slot for the Fonserannes locks at 8.30 to 9.00 am. These locks are famous on the canal with 7 locks giving a fall of about 15 m in the canal into Beziers. There is also a disused water slope adjacent to the locks that was built in the  early 80's to replace the locks but after many failures was abandoned in 2001. The locks were operated differently from the other locks as there are only two time slots each way during the day. If we missed the morning slot then we'd have to wait for the afternoon one but in the event we soon joined the queue and were in the locks descending. We had two people on top of the locks with two on the ropes on the boat and it all went very smoothly. I did manage to stall the engine at the steep turn from the last lock into the canal but the boat seemed to know the way out without my interference!

View from the first lock at the top of the descent.

We stopped briefly at the Beziers quay for coffee and fresh water and then went onto Villeneuve les Beziers for the night. We moored before the lock and made this our base for our stay. The quay after the lock was busy and not really suitable for a long stay. There was a boulangerie  near the lock and other services in the town. I had one of the best meals of the trip at "Les Enfants Terribles" in the central square, a short walk from the boat. I also enjoyed a cycle trip to the coast over farm tracks through vineyards and along cycle-ways but only to find a nudist beach, so no photos of the Mediterranean until later.

This area of France is famous for wine production and we passed miles of vineyards beside the canal. This was a closer encounter by cycle.

The next day was our last day on the canal as we approached Port Cassafieres and the end of our trip and we had planned to stop the night near Portagnes to cover the short distance the following morning. However, on reaching Portagnes we realised we had a serious problem with the waste tank and on contacting "Le Boat" staff they came to look and then advised us to go into Port where they could fix the pump in 30 minutes. This wasn't a problem as we had a leisurely lunch in Portagnes and then a short cruise into Port whilst the boat was fixed. 

Last of the day's sunshine as the fishermen await their catches.

Here they had a bar and restaurant and after Brian and I cycled to the Mediterranean near Portragnes beach, we had a relaxing last evening before getting a taxi and making our own way back to the UK. Helen and I had an extra day to explore Beziers before getting the train back to Toulouse and flight to Bristol.

Can  you guess what visited us on route on the boat?

The last photo goes to Pierre-Paul Riquet whose statue is in the central plaza in Beziers. He was the drive behind building the canal between 1661 and 1681. He was of course assisted by many engineers and not to mention the thousands of workers (including many women) who literally dug the canal out of the earth, Sadly, although it was a childhood dream to connect the Atlantic with the Mediterranean, he died 10 months before the official opening of the canal. The French are of course very proud of one of their greatest engineers and to testify to this we came across many streets and boulevards named after the engineer in the villages and towns as we meandered down the canal.

The bronze statue of Pierre-Paul Riquet (erected in 1838 in the Allees Paul Riquet) the leading engineer in the construction of the Canal du Midi; a fitting tribute.