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Canal Boating In France II -> Lattes To Argens

December 18, 2022 by libertatemamo 47 Comments

Pre-post note/ This is a biggie and it took a while, my apologies! Life stuff and other stuff (I had to hand-draw a map, amongst other things…naturally) delayed the publication, but here is finally our Lattes -> Argens SW France canal boat trip in all it’s grand, full glory. Enjoy my friends!

“If you don’t make this bridge by 8:30am on Saturday you’ll be stuck for 3 days because of the wind” stated the lady, rather nonchalantly I thought for a mere 1-week rental

That’s us crossing the amazing Bezier Canal Bridge! (Day 6)

We were undergoing the long check-in process for the rental boat, getting a fast and furious data dump of the entire route that Hector and I were struggling to keep up with. There was key info on the locks (“some have buttons, others are manned, they all close for lunch, don’t worry it’s easy” errr, ok…), critical forks not to be messed up (“turn left here or you will be sucked into the sea” yikes, righto…) and finally a huge drawbridge that only opens twice a day or not at all if the winds kick up….which of course they were about to do for a whole 3 days starting on Sunday!!

“This bridge?” we asked pointing to a thin line near Frontignan “How far is that? And can we really make it by tomorrow morning??”

Nothing on the canal map made any sense to us land-dweebs at this point.

“You’ll have to leave right away” she replied “and try to get close tonight” then waved her hand dismissively “but don’t worry, it will all be fine”

{{gulp}} stress…injection…here

Crossing Étang de Thau is almost like being in open sea, and why the wind really matters (Day 2)

This wasn’t exactly the chillaxed start we’d expected and it broke all the “never boat on a schedule” mantras we’d heard from our various boating friends over the years. Then again, apparently we’d been incredibly lucky so far not only with the weather, but also the taxi from our end point in Argens (where we’d left the cars) to Lattes.

“All the taxis are on strike today” she explained when we turned up, looking surprised we’d made it “you are very lucky it came for you”

Huh, well then….I guess ignorance is bliss?

So we loaded up the boat in record time, got a whirlwind tour of the amenities by the boat technician (generator here, pump toilet here, holding tanks over there etc…thank goodness we’re all former RVers, is all I can say!), got taken out for a literal 15-minute test drive and then were happily waved off.

No experience, no problem and a tight schedule to meet…what could possibly go wrong?

Entering Étang de Thau from Canal du Rhône à Sète (Day 2)

Our 185km Southern Route

The route we were taking wasn’t actually the one we had originally planned.

Our initial booking was for a 1-week out-and-back rental from the port of Argens in Southern France, a trip that would have taken us through ~40 locks and only as far as Beziers and back. But a few weeks before our departure the agency called and asked if we’d want to swap for a 1-way trip from Lattes to Argens for the same price with taxi thrown in, allowing for a longer exploration with only 17 locks to pass.

A no-brainer deal, we all immediately agreed!

Our route from Lattes to Argens
Our route from Lattes to Argens

This new trip would take us via two canals and across one very large lake all of which had very different feels (as we would soon discover), but also different rules.

Details of the Canals and lake on our 185km cruise

The first few days we’d travel along Canal du Rhône à Sète parallel to the ocean, then across a large lake Étang de Thau, where the right weather conditions would be critical to cross. This part of the trip would be about nature and oysters, staying ahead of the wind and paying attention to where we could legally stop (only specific spots allow mooring on Canal du Rhône à Sète and Étang de Thau). Exciting, but a little stressy?

Hector and Paul chat on the promenade by the oyster bed farms in Bouzigues

The rest of the week would take us along Canal du Midi, a UNESCO heritage site with several historic cities. Here we’d get to focus on sightseeing and a much-more relaxed cruising style, with the ability to stop just about anywhere we wanted (only a few places prohibit mooring on Canal du Midi). This part would be a breeze, so we thought….

Two Canals, one lake, 185km, 7 days and 17 locks with ~4-5 hours/day of actual cruising….sweet!

Oh, and I made an interactive map (of course): CLICKY

Days 1 Sunset Bliss And Lots Of Firsts 

We officially launched from the port in Lattes around 4PM on Friday afternoon, belongings hastily stored in the various cubby holes, Polly already asleep on the floor and only the vaguest of ideas where we’d end up that night.

Hector took the helm while Brenda, Paul and I figured out the who/what/where for the locks. We decided Paul on land (the surest of foot), Brenda on the rope in front and me on the rope in the rear, an arrangement that would become our norm for the rest of the week.

Hector and Paul loading up
Ready for our first lock!
Exiting the lock...we made it!

Our first lock was only 10 mins into the cruise and although quite nerve-wracking at first, the procedure turned out to be super straightforward; wait for the lock to open (this one had a button to call the lock-keeper), motor into the lock, wrap the two ropes around the bollards to secure/hold the boat, wait for the rear lock doors* to close and the water to fill up (tighten slack in the ropes as the boat rises), wait for the front lock gates to open, ropes off and you’re free to go.

After a few of these, we pretty much had it down pat…

The rest of that afternoon we just motored as far as we could, stopping only for a quick shop at a canal-side Carrefour, and it….was….glorious.

Passing La Porte de Maguelone on Canal du Rhône à Sète

Beautiful, placid lakes bounded by land on one side and a long barrier island on the other. We were the only boat around, silent and cruising as smooth as silk, pink flamingoes swooping down, the sun gently setting and a burning sky reflected in the mirror of the canal. It was serene and gorgeous and we all felt ourselves relaxing from the afternoon stress.

We’d made it and THIS was exactly what we’d hoped for!

We found our mooring just as the last light faded, a designated spot just a few clicks from the drawbridge we had to cross early the next AM. Boat secure, wine out and a celebratory dinner on board. A few hours later we figured out the Tetris-game of our two rooms and convertible beds, squeezed in and fell asleep to the quiet lap of water under the hull.

An unexpected, but great first day!!

Hector in his element at the helm on Canal du Rhône à Sète

*Cool fact 1: the door design of most modern canal locks is based on Leonardo da Vinci’s invention of the Miter lock from 1497!!

Day 2: Lake Cruising, Oysters And Vermouth 

We woke up at 6:15AM to a gloriously wind-free day, a good sign for the drawbridge and Etang du Thau (Lake Thau) ahead.

We had just under an hour to reach the Frontignan lift-bridge and we wanted to be in good time as we were told it opens promptly at 8:30AM and closes right after the last boat waiting in line. Miss it and you’re stuck this side of the lake until the next opening at 4PM, and if the wind picks up above Beaufort 3 (7-10 knots) in-between you’ll be stuck for as long as mother Nature decides to blow. Not a window you want to miss!

Waiting at Frontignan for the lift bridge to rise up and go green, precisely 8:30AM

We made it just fine and cruised through without a glitch, stopping right after in Frontignan for a breather. It was our first city-stop and it couldn’t be more beautifully French. A historic town just 5 mins walk from the Canal with a bustling Saturday morning market and several delicious local bakeries to replenish our baguette-and-croissant inventory.

Isn’t that just the essence of French canal boating??

Moored by Frotignan for their Saturday morning market

From here our cruise took us onto the lake, an enormous mass of water that could easily be mistaken for the sea. It was sunny and glorious, and the feeling of open water was an experience we never expected to have on our canal boat trip.

Man, this is fun!

The market at Frontignan
On the move, Etang de Thau
Moored at the little port of Bouzigues

We crossed towards the famous oyster bed-farms** and stopped-in at our first lake-town Bouzigues, snagging the last spot at their teeny little harbor. Our goal here was simple; venture out to explore town and find the oyster-lunch extravaganza that the shellfish-eaters (that would be everyone except me) had been drooling and dreaming about since we started the day. Within 1/2 hour we were sitting at a table in L’Arseillere (dog-friendly of course), a teeny little place that got a fresh seafood delivery minutes before they opened and served platters so large even Hector gasped when it arrived.

The extravaganza was definitely had…

Everyone gasped when this baby arrived
Downtown Bouzigues

A few hours and several glasses of wine later we all sauntered back to the boat and decided to head directly to our destination for the evening, the cute little port of Marseillan. Along the way Brenda read about a Vermouth place on the port-front, none other than the famous Noilly Prat and once again the Gods of Fate favored us. We arrived at 4:50PM to an open spot on the dock, strolled over just in time for the 5:15PM tour at the Maison and ended up being the only ones there, guided by a Danish girl no less, with Polly invited to join. Perfect!

On the tour inside Noilly Prat
Their Vermouth is aged outside
Tasting time!

That night we dined on Vermouth and local produce from the market, sitting tight in port as the wind started to whip up the lake. What a slew of luck we’d had so far!

The port of Marseillan, our evening stop for Day 2

**Cool fact 2: over 20,000 tonnes of oysters and mussels are produced in Etang de Thau each year

Day 3: Canal du Midi And Beach

Once again we decided on a early start so we would cross the very last bit of the lake before the wind kicked up higher. It ended up being a choppy but easy cruise and before long we made it back to the calm of the Canal and the next stage of our trip, historic Canal du Midi.

Now we could slow down and just enjoy….

Approaching the entrance to Canal du Midi

The whole essence of today became just that, slow-cruising, stopping where we felt like and just taking our time. We passed two locks in fairly quick succession, the second of which was a peculiar round lock (L’écluse ronde d’Agde) dating back to 1676. This is where the Canal du Midi joins the Hérault and you can exit to the Mediterranean Sea (as long as you’re not in a rental). The lock-operator told us 60-70 boats go through in summer and the whole thing is utter chaos. Luckily we only had to wait for one large péniche before we could pass.

Thank goodness for end of season….

Paul waits for the gates to open at the round lock of Agde
Morning rays on Canal du Midi

Right after the lock we stopped off to visit at Agde, “La Perle Noir” (the black pearl) famous for it’s buildings made out of black volcanic rock aaaand (rather interestingly) its nude beaches too. We decided just to partake in the former, walking around town, getting a coffee and seeing the impressive 12th century St Etienne Cathedral. We found the town interesting, but rather dark and morose, as if it desperately needed a power-wash and an injection of joy. A nice place, but not one we felt inclined to stay at.

Alleyways of Agde
The main square at Agde

From here we did a leisurely multi-hour cruise and decided to boondock overnight in a spot near the town of Vias Plage. We arrived late afternoon to moor on the bank, decided to unload the rental bikes*** for the first time, and discovered the other side of “end of season” cruising.

Vias Plage boardwalk
Boondocking by the wildflowers
Vias Plage

Vias Plage is a beach and party town, the kind of place where bars advertise “ouvert nonstop” (open nonstop) and eighties boom-boom music blasts out of restaurants at volumes that test the limits of human endurance. Only a few places were open end of October however, so the vibe felt rather empty and “all you can eat pasta” was no longer for sale. The beach itself was gorgeous however, and as I stood on the waterfront I was happy to imagine the mayhem of full season rather than actually experience it.

I’m OK skipping the party zoo….

We ended the evening with another boat-dinner complete with wine, peaceful nature and good company. A nice, easy day.

Our quiet overnight spot near Vias Plage, Canal du Midi (you can see the bike/hike trail on the side)

***Cool Fact 3: You can bike or hike almost all of the canals in France and many folks do, especially along Canal du Midi. Click here to learn more: https://en.francevelotourisme.com/cycling-along-canals-in-france

Day 4: Historic Beziers 

A grey today, but we had a super easy cruise ahead of us with only ~15km of water and 4 locks before we hit the incredible city of Beziers.

Easy cruising on Day 4
One of four locks to Beziers
Paul on lock rope duty

Everything went smoothly and the canal got prettier as the day passed, with spots of larger trees and even the first glimpses of fall color. Traffic was light too, with only a few other rental boats on the water. We stopped at the town of Villeneuve-des-Beziers for a spot of shopping then made it through our last (and tallest!!) lock of 3m into the port of Beziers, getting sloshed and tossed around by the water pressure before the lock filled and we could move on. We hit our very first docking fee here too, a mere EUR 17 to say overnight (with electrical hookups) just 20 mins walk from the historic downtown of Beziers.

And THIS my friends, is a place you absolutely have to stop and see!

Joan of Arc near the Cathedral of Beziers
The famous Allée Paul Riquet in Beziers
Les Halles is Beziers, the covered market hall

Beziers is a gorgeous setting, a hilly city with a terrific Cathedral at its peak and roman bridges at its base. Dating back to 575 BC it’s one of the oldest cities in France, and for many years it was renowned as the capital of French wine trade. Foodies love it for the fare, shoppers for its grand central avenue (Allée Paul Riquet) and photographers for its unique setting that marries the canal and church with the many winding alleyways of the city.

Oh and guess what else? It just happens to be a Camino route too!****

A dash of color in Beziers on a grey morning
The hidden alleys of Beziers
Camino shell!!!

We spent the entire afternoon here, taking turns to walk into town (it was a little far for Polly), tasting the local beer just down the way (La Gorge Fraiche) and even going out for an evening photo shoot (Hector and I). The latter was meant to be a “quick bike and click”, but we had so much darn fun that we returned to the boat over an hour and a half after we left. Honestly, this place was just fabulous.

We ended the day jazzed up and ready for perhaps the most exciting day to come…the famous Fonseranes Locks.

Oh, I could barely wait….

Hector and I had such fun on our night shoot in Beziers

****Cool Fact #4: The Camino which goes through Beziers is part of a lesser-used route called La Voie du Piémont Pyrénéen (GR78). It’s just one of many gorgeous Camino paths that cross through France to Spain.

Day 5: Lockdown And Wait

“I’m sorry, but you can’t leave”

We were just about to cast off when the harbor master came running over. I laughed, thinking it was some cutesy comment about how we just couldn’t depart his beautiful city, but quickly realized it wasn’t quite so.

“The lock operators are all on strike” he continued very apologetically “I’m sorry, but there’s nowhere you can go”. Ah, I see…

Guess we’re staying right here today (the docking area in Beziers)

It’s a funny thing French life. Striking for workers rights is as much a part of the local culture as drinking wine, so in essence there was really not a more French experience we could have had here. Then again, I’ve never quite been in a situation where strikes have stopped me dead in my tracks and this one really did. On the Canal all the locks must operate together like a finely-tuned machine, for if one shuts down the water simply stops flowing and all the boats with it too. This meant we were really, truly stuck, and once again a little stressed about making it to our end-port in time for the boat drop-off just two days away.

A little hiccup we could definitely not have predicted….

“They should be back to work tomorrow” the harbor master consoled “hopefully”

Everything is always moist on the water, literally

We killed the engine and switched gears for another day in port, always a weird pivot to make when you’re ready to move. So we just hung out and wandered around town, shopped and walked Polly, ate and slept. I wrote notes on our trip, and just for the balance of things jotted down two observations on the downsides of canal boating (outside of random strikes, that is):

  • Everything is always moist: life on the water is…well…moist and every day everything just seems to gets a teeny little bit moister. Bedsheets always feel damp, towels are never quite dry, clothes are always a smidgen humid. It’s fine for a week, but I think I’d need AC or a dehumidifier to do this lifestyle longer-term.
  • Canal water is filthy: sad little side-note here, but while the views can be lovely on Canal du Midi the water itself is most definitely not. It varies from green to murky brown with oil and various other unknowns that sometimes float around. The sections we’d seen had been dead to all sea life too, a direct result no doubt of the many boats that legally dump both grey and black tanks (yes, really!!!!) directly into the Canal on route. That and all the sunk/rusting boats that just seem abandoned along its banks. At some point surely these polluting practices must end?
Surprisingly lots of “stuff” gets dumped in UNESCO Canal du Midi, including black tanks and sunk/rusting boats

All-in-all a day that served as a good reminder that no life is all roses, not even canal boating in beautiful southern France.

The stunning Beziers Canal Bridge, lit up at night (our canal boat would travel on top Day 6)

Day 6: Movement, Bridges and Locks

We woke early to a grey, misty day but with the good news that the lock operators were working again (yeahhh!!). It was going to be a long day too, to make up the km we missed yesterday with 42km of cruising, 8 locks, 1 tunnel and 2 water bridges to get through. Let’s go!!

On the way to the Fonseranes Locks
Passing through the locks
Polly enjoys a 3D film of how the Canal du Midi was made
Illustration of the historic Fonseranes Locks in Beziers (only 7 of the original 9 locks are in use today)

We cast off as soon as the first lock opened at 9AM and crossed over the stunning Beziers Canal Bridge to the base of the iconic staircase Fonseranes Locks. This architectural wonder was constructed between 1662-1681 and remains one of the most unique features of the Canal du Midi, an essential part of its UNESCO heritage status and a bucket-list item for many long-term cruisers. We only waited a short while to enter and took the trip with one other boat, stepping up the 7 locks that raised us 22m in height in the space of a mere ~1/2 hour. It was an exciting passage with near-constant movement and incredible volumes of water that tossed us about at each step of the way.

Exhausting, but really, really cool!

View from the top of the the Fonseranes Locks, such a thrill to experience in a boat!

At the top we stopped at the visitor center for a breather, taking in their 3D immersive video (dog-friendly) to fully appreciate the work that went into building the Canal and why it remains such a special place. Well worth it!

Canal views in Poihes
Inside Saint-Etienne church, Capestang
Cruising through Tunnel de Malpas

The rest of the day was more chillaxed with only one lock to break up the many hours of cruising. We passed through Tunnel de Malpas, built in 1676 (the first navigable canal-tunnel in Europe), stopped in the little town of Capestang for a quick walk around and a tour of their church, threaded our way through several insanely low bridges (thank you Hector for your expert handling and sang froid), cruised serenely down some of the wildest and prettiest parts of the canal we’d seen so far and arrived at our evening destination Le Somail***** just in time for dinner.

The town of Capestang with stunning Saint-Etienne church

This last stop was a teeny village barely three steps wide, but there were several restaurants (we dined at L’escale de Somail) and a wonderful “must see” book store (Le Trouve Tout du Livre) with over 40,000 books that’s several buildings deep. That night we slept deep with bellies and minds full as the mist rolled in and the rain sprinkled on deck.

A long and grey, but absolutely fabulous day!

Our night-stop in Le Somail, a staging post for the Agde-Toulouse passenger boats back in the day

*****Cool Fact 5: In the 18th century passenger boats took 4 days to do the boat-trip from Adge to Toulouse and guests had to change boats, carrying their luggage each time they reached a lock (around 25 times!). Le Somail was one of the staging posts of this trip.

Day 7: Final Day Cruise & Rain

It was our final day from a week that was so packed with experiences it was hard to believe it was over. And as if to reinforce that message, mother nature sprinkled water from above almost the whole day through.

Still we got a lovely cruise in.

First a leisurely 5km to Ventenac-en-Minervois where a Chateau graced the side of the Canal and (apparently) a wonderful restaurant too. Both were closed this end-of-season though so we just walked around, bought some fresh bread from the local Canal-store and moved on.

The chateau at Ventenac-en-Minervois
Village stairs at Ventenac-en-Minervois

Next up was another shuttered town, Paraza with just a single art gallery open and wine-tasting at a small Chateau further in. We walked around and once again were amazed at how eerily quiet everything was in October (it’s dead now, but must be crazy in summer?).

Autumn vibes
Street art in Paraza
Wine tasting at Chateau de Paraza

Finally we ended up in Argens where we would drop-off the boat early following morning. We moored right on the bank by town, walked around a bit and enjoyed a lovely sunset and dinner with our friends.

Our cruise was finally, tearfully over.

Cruising beauty on Day 7

Now You Know All

This ended up being a longer blog post than I anticipated, but such are the best experiences sometimes.

Thank you friends for a wonderful adventure!

I wanted to bring you along day-by-day, let you feel the feels and imagine yourself together with us on this cruise. Honestly it was just fabulous, despite the grey weather (the last days) and the few unexpected barriers that came our way. Life at 8km/hour (the maximum cruising speed of our Peniche) was relaxed and easy, and although I might have liked our boat to be a smidgen larger (it was a bit of a squeeze for 4), it really worked out very well.

Polly, our dear old girl was wonderful the whole way. Paul had to lift her in and out of the boat several times a day (a strain for him), but the rest of the time she was totally chillaxed. She’s such a great travel-dog.

As for moi personally (incredibly) I never felt sea-sick despite my drop-at-a-hat tendency for it, although the world did rock and roll for a few days after we were done. I’ll never be a sailing gal, but it’s nice to know that canal boating is still something I can do.

Plus of course we got to do this wonderful adventure with good friends, which made it even better especially when you slot together so comfortably as the four of us do. Thank you so much, Hector and Brenda for making this trip with us!

And finally if you made it thus far, my dear blog readers, thank you for chugging through this long post. Is there anything else you want to know? Something I didn’t cover? DO feel free to comment and ask away below!

Work pause near Beziers
Afternoon glass on Day 2
Wine from a local lock-keeper

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We LOooVE Comments, So Please Do

  1. Connie Farquhar says

    December 18, 2022 at 8:11 am

    This was a fantastic blog post! It may have felt long to you writing it, but it was a good fun read for me.
    Sounds like a wonderful trip.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 9:48 am

      So glad to hear the read was fun. It takes ages to write these things sometimes, but if it reads easy I know I’ve hit my mark 🙂

      Nina

      Reply
  2. Robert (Bob) Martel says

    December 18, 2022 at 8:14 am

    All I can say is: WOW!

    Reply
  3. Ardith says

    December 18, 2022 at 9:16 am

    What a great post! We did this trip 10 years ago in the opposite direction, overnighting at several of the same spots. Thanks for the memories.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 9:37 am

      So glad I could bring up some of those wonderful memories for you. It really was a lovely stretch to travel.

      Nina

      Reply
  4. sue says

    December 18, 2022 at 9:20 am

    Great Post Nina….and thanks for showing it all, the good and the bad. A balanced view is always appreciated these days! As you know, we love boating and this post made me miss the lake……

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 9:46 am

      I have to admit it was supremely relaxing to travel at a slow pace down the canal. I enjoyed it even more than I expected. I get the attraction now 🙂

      Nina

      Reply
  5. Forest Olivier says

    December 18, 2022 at 9:22 am

    When we did our trip every morning I’d walk into town and buy a bag of fresh hot chocolate croissants! Wonderful trip.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 9:32 am

      Absolutely one of our fav things too. We got fresh bread (and a few other goodies) everyday of the trip from a local bakery. Definitely one of the charms of French canal boating.

      Nina

      Reply
  6. nathan says

    December 18, 2022 at 9:27 am

    Sounds fantastic. Would you say that a basic knowledge of French is more important for such a trip versus an RV trip in France?

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 9:36 am

      It’s about the same I think. Knowing some of the local language is always helpful whether you travel by road or canal. That said the Canal du Midi is a big tourist destination so I do think many places along the way cater to that. The rental agency we used (Locaboat) certainly had fluent bilingual speakers.

      Nina

      Reply
      • nathan says

        December 18, 2022 at 9:39 am

        Thanks!

        Reply
  7. Dave R says

    December 18, 2022 at 9:32 am

    WONDERFUL post Nina! Many of your fans including I enjoy living vicariously through your adventures, and so appreciate all the detail and yet ‘straight-forward way’ you can convey it all to we armchair viewers. Great illustrative photos as usual, in fact the only thing I could wish for would be to see more of them to further illustrate details from your story, though you did a great job with this mega-blog. Love the pic of Brenda reacting just as I would to the Oysters!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 9:53 am

      Thank you for the lovely comment Dave R. And yes, it was fun to catch that moment with Brenda and the oysters….in fact a millisecond earlier Hector had the same expression, but I was just a smidgen too late with the camera click.

      Nina

      Reply
  8. J.mohr says

    December 18, 2022 at 9:44 am

    Felt I was right there with you.

    Reply
  9. Pauline Conn says

    December 18, 2022 at 10:25 am

    Wonderful post! And the interactive map is really cool! Thanks for taking the time and effort to do this. But I’m sad that sweet Polly had to be lifted off and on the boat….

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 12:01 pm

      Glad you enjoyed the map! It’s one of my geek-out things and I always wonder if there are other geeks out there like me who enjoy them just as much lol. As for Polly she is getting older sadly, and doesn’t have the legs she used to. She’s a trooper though…such a great dog.

      Nina

      Reply
  10. Margaret says

    December 18, 2022 at 10:30 am

    Nina, Thanks!
    I felt like I was there the whole trip.
    So cool, loved it all!
    Soooo, who ate the most oysters??
    Your friends look sweet.
    Love you kids❣️
    Margaret
    Also love the Camino spotting!
    Love Europe!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 12:04 pm

      Hector ate the most oysters, definitely lol.

      Nina

      Reply
  11. glen moulder says

    December 18, 2022 at 10:52 am

    Another great post. I saw in one of your photos a barge from Le Boat, who we chartered from, berthed near your barge. Yep, neat to run get fresh hot bakery stuff from the local boulangerie. Not so great, the Catholics massacre of 20,000 Cathars in Beziers. Kill them all for the Lord knoweth them that are His”

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 18, 2022 at 11:59 am

      Indeed the Cathar history is rich in this area of France, and sadly tragic too. It was a peaceful and egalitarian society that endured a terrible end. History is not all pretty here.

      Nina

      Reply
  12. Joanna says

    December 18, 2022 at 11:34 am

    That was quite the adventure for you four! Great reading about this very different way of travel. I can see my sister and b-i-l doing this as they owned a good sized sailboat for years and on their honeymoon rented one in the Virgin Islands to tour around. In February we will be doing an ocean-to-ocean transit through the Panama Canal (on a much larger “boat” lol), so looking forward to that.

    Thanks for your continued blogs and beautiful photography! Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 19, 2022 at 1:52 am

      Oh the Panama Canal should be an incredible experience!! Hope you get some wonderful weather for it.

      Nina

      Reply
  13. Rita says

    December 18, 2022 at 4:50 pm

    Wonderful Blog! Really enjoyed the canal trip!

    Reply
  14. Liz says

    December 18, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    Terrific read and never too long! What a wonderful trip! Thanks for sharing it.

    Reply
  15. Chey(WAcoast) says

    December 19, 2022 at 12:10 am

    Another gift from Nina! Your columns mean so much to me. It will be seven years ago on Christmas eve when I was suddenly air-lifted to the hospital in Seattle. That morning I had been caring for 16 elderly, sick shelter dogs so that the caregiver could go to Texas for the holidays. I had turned 60 and my plan had been to quit/sell my restaurant to go full-time RVing. I had been following you and RV Sue and some others and kicking tires. I had saved $17500 so far. So now it’s the armchair travels, and the curiosity that arouses. I’m considering some sort of trip to where the brick and stone and glass are ages old.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 19, 2022 at 1:50 am

      Gosh Chey, life has certainly had its difficult turns for you. I’m so humbled I can offer you a slice of travel here and I really do hope you get to experience those old brick and glass someday. Thank you for the lovely comment too. It means a lot.

      Nina

      Reply
    • Kat says

      December 19, 2022 at 9:50 am

      Sorry to hear your plans did not work out exactly as you wished. I was fortunate to have 16 years in my small Rialta RV, travelling solo from Mercer Island WA throughout the US & Canada doing family history in places where my ancestors lived (PA, NY, MA, CT, WI, IA, SD, DC, Ontario Canada, etc).
      I now travel Heygo.com where I go on free guided tours (tips appreciated) throughout the world. In the next couple of weeks I shall be travelling to Bologna, Paris, London, Vienna, Prague & Moscow. I highly recommend it – I’m sure you’ll like it, too! Heygo.com

      Reply
      • Chey (WAcoast) says

        December 20, 2022 at 3:39 am

        Thanks Kat, it looks interesting!

        Reply
  16. Brigitta says

    December 19, 2022 at 6:02 am

    What a great post and a wonderful trip! Good to know that experience is no problem, just wondering if you can do all the locks with just 2 people, seeing you have to hold ropes in front and back? It’s definitely going on my list!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      December 19, 2022 at 6:35 am

      It’s definitely possible to do the locks with two (we saw several boats do that), but it does require a bit of adaptation. One person mans the ropes (usually helped by the lock keeper…you can even loop a single rope around 2 bollards this way) while the other stays at the helm (to keep the boat steered/stable).

      Nina

      Reply
      • Brigitta says

        December 26, 2022 at 11:31 am

        Good to know, thanks Nina!

        Reply
  17. Tami Fox says

    December 19, 2022 at 10:15 am

    What a wonderful time for you and your friends (and Polly of course). The trip looks truly wonderful. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  18. Carolyn says

    December 20, 2022 at 11:32 am

    This was awesome! Thank you for taking us on your travels! It looks like so much fun. Put this on the list. It is getting so long. Your writing and pictures are incredible. Very interesting about the condition of the canals in France, I would have thought they would have more regulations.

    Reply
  19. Allison says

    December 22, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    What a great trip, and I’m glad you mentioned the rocking afterwards. We’ve talked about doing a canal cruise, but I have Mal de debarquement fairly severely. One week in a boat results in two or three weeks of the rocking, which in some people can become permanent. I wondered if a canal boat would be safe, but it doesn’t sound like it. Quelle domage. Beautiful pictures, I’m so happy you enjoyed the experience.

    Reply
  20. Eileen says

    December 22, 2022 at 10:41 pm

    What a wonderful experience for you. Thanks.

    Reply
  21. Suzanne says

    December 24, 2022 at 2:02 pm

    Oh, how I have been eagerly anticipating this post, but life keeps throwing curve balls, so I am just now getting caught up. I want to do this so badly, I can taste it! All of it! The oysters, the boulangeries, and the wine, the glorious wine! (Noilly Prat is my go-to vermouth for my beloved Luxardo-cherry topped Manhattans!) I did a bit of sailing around the French Caribbean, and it was always by far the ultimate sailing adventure, as little boats would motor out to our anchorage, selling hot croissants! This trip sounds just divine, and I hope to round up a willing crew one day!

    I do have one question…did you provision much, or eat most meals on land?

    Thanks so much for the great details, Nina! Never “too long!”

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      January 15, 2023 at 1:36 pm

      We ended up buying food along the way at grocery stores and markets, most of the time. Plus we bought fresh bread/croissants daily from bakeries. Honestly there are so many towns along the way it’s super easy. We only ate out a few times.

      Nina

      Reply
  22. Roger Ritter says

    December 24, 2022 at 2:56 pm

    That was a nifty trip. As far as the lock-keepers strike, that seems to be par for the course in France. Once, many years ago, I was touring Paris and when we got to the Louvre we found that the ticket-takers were on strike. Fortunately, their method of striking was to show up and open up as usual, but then to just wave people in without charging them anything! That definitely kept the tourists happy.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      January 15, 2023 at 1:36 pm

      HA! Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing.

      Nina

      Reply
  23. Patricia Hotchkiss says

    December 29, 2022 at 9:52 am

    Loved this post. I feel like I also went on the trip. Thank you so much! FYI, I follow a YouTuber: DowneyLive and he just completed a post of videos on the Great Britain canals. Those are the narrow boats and it was very interesting as well.

    Patricia

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      January 15, 2023 at 1:38 pm

      Narrowboats were the trigger that got me into the whole canal boating genre a few years ago. We had friends (many years ago) who traveled in one, and I watched a whole bunch of YouTube videos too. I would LOVE to travel the English channels someday.

      Nina

      Reply
  24. Erica Hammer says

    January 14, 2023 at 8:43 pm

    I love your posts!
    We did some France canals in 2019 with another couple.
    (Midi canal, and I don’t remember the others!)
    Our boat was more of a barge. No thrusters and the guys had to really work to maneuver it. But we had a great time, saw so many wonderful places, and have so many great memories of time with good friends!
    FYI: how are you all doing?? It’s been quite awhile since you posted. Hope all is OK!!

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      January 15, 2023 at 1:39 pm

      All is good (thanks for checking in)! How lovely that you’ve traveled the canals too. We hope to do more in the future. This trip definitely set the seed for more.

      Nina

      Reply
  25. Alison MacDonald says

    May 25, 2024 at 2:56 am

    Wondering whether bikes worthwhile on that route. (Lattes to Argens). You mention using them once. Thanks for your time.

    Reply
    • libertatemamo says

      June 7, 2024 at 12:02 am

      If you love biking, I would definitely bring them along as there are lots of trails along the way. We didn’t use ours much as we ended up just docking near towns we could walk to. So, if you just want to walk around, they’re not necessary.

      Nina

      Reply

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