The
sky was deep blue, the boat stocked with cheese and wine and the
sun-roof open. The scene was set for a blissfully laid-back voyage
along the Canal du Midi in the South of France. With three friends,
I was aboard an imposing white cruiser hired from a small marina
at Portiragnes just inland from the Mediterranean at the eastern
end of the canal.
Canal
du Midi
The broad Canal du Midi runs for
240 kilometres across the sun-drenched countryside and vineyards
of the Languedoc linking Sète and Toulouse. Built between
1666 and 1681, it is thought to be the oldest artificial waterway
in Europe.
Back in the 17th century, who would
have thought it possible to link the Mediterranean with the Atlantic!
The ambitious idea of building a waterway to connect with the
River Garonne at Toulouse had been a pipe-dream of French rulers
from the time of Nero.
It would enable boats to sail between
the two seas without having to face the perils of navigating around
Spain. A local salt-tax collector, land-owner and visionary engineer,
Pierre-Paul Riquet, Baron de Bonrepos, finally made it happen.
Having found that enough water was
available in the Montagne Noire (Black Mountain), he linked up
with Colbert, King Louis XIV's controller of finances, to raise
the money for the project, committing his own personal fortune
to it. Sadly, however, he died aged 71 shortly before it was completed.
Today the Canal du Midi, originally
known as the Canal des Deux Mers (Canal of the Two Seas), has
become one of the most popular canal routes in Europe for holiday
cruising. I and my crew were soon to discover why. The weather,
the countryside and the picturesque towns and villages we passed
through were to prove a winning combination.
After a thorough lesson on the controls
of our luxurious 4-berth cruiser, we edged it away from the marina
at Portiragnes to begin our week-long voyage. It was lighter to
handle than a narrowboat on the English canals and the steering
easier to master too, thanks to having a wheel in the centre rather
than a tiller at the back.
Inside, the boat was very comfortable
with two separate cabins and all mod-cons including a shower and
flush toilet, though we spent most of our time outside enjoying
the sunshine. Indeed I don't think I've ever had a week of so
much fresh air.
The canal itself is comparatively
wide, bordered for long stretches by tall plane trees which often
form a welcome canopy of shade overhead.
From Portiragnes we decided to head
west, mooring for the first night at the next village, Villefranche.
After several glasses of the local Vin du Pays d'Oc wine, a stroll
in the balmy evening air across its ancient bridge led us into
a maze of narrow old streets with several enticing restaurants.
The voyage was obviously going to involve a lot of feasting.
If we had gone east from Portiragnes,
we would have arrived after 32 kilometres in the bustling port
of Sète which developed at the turn of the 18th century largely
due to the canal.
Its narrow streets spread steeply up Mont St-Clair, a rocky 183-metre
hill which has the Mediterranean on one side and the Bassin de
Thau, a large expanse of shallow salt-water ponds, on the other.
From the sea, the canal begins its long journey by going straight
through the ponds which are now used for oyster and mussel production.
Beziers
Beziers
from Canal du Midi
After Villefranche our main port
of call on the second day was the busy little town of Beziers
where Riquet was born. As we approached it, the castle-like St
Nazaire cathedral was silhouetted against the sky on a hillside
surrounded by vineyards.
Having moored at the foot of the
hill, a 15-minute walk brought us to an acacia-shaded promenade
built in Riquet's honour in the town centre. Everyone gathers
there to gossip, stroll and browse amongst stalls selling flowers
and bric-a-brac.
Narrow streets lead up to the cathedral
which has a beautiful rose window and a cloister with gardens.
From its terrace we got a magnificent view over flat countryside
to the snow-topped Canigou mountain in the foothills of the Pyrenees
to the west. Nearer we could see the star-shaped pattern of a
medieval canal system dug by monks in 1247 but long since dried
up.
At Beziers an aqueduct takes the
canal over the River Orb to the foot of the formidable Fonsérannes
'staircase' of eight locks, one of the canal's most remarkable
features. Spread over 312 metres, they lift the water up 25 metres.
Boats have to go up and down them
in batches as the locks are operated in one direction only at
a time. Fortunately we arrived just before the lock-keeper disappeared
for his lunch.
But who wants to hurry anyway? We
soon learned that canalling is about taking life easy, soaking
up the sun on deck and lingering over meals. In any case maximum
speed is only 5 mph, so there was always plenty of time to enjoy
the passing scene and throw bread to families of ducks.
Altogether the canal passes through
64 locks, including another staircase of four at Castelnaudary.
Unlike British ones which are always rectangular, they are oval
in shape, apart from a circular one at Agde. Riquet believed this
would makes the walls much stronger as well as enabling them to
hold more boats.
Each still has its original meticulous
stonework; only the massive gates have been renewed. Most are
now operated electrically so instead of having to be heaved to
and fro, they open and shut at the push of a button.
Gentle exercise was provided by
the bikes we had hired with the boat. I enjoyed cycling along
the towpath and also exploring places like Le Somail, a sleepy
village which unexpectedly boasts both a huge second-hand bookshop
and a hat museum.
It was here that the 'post-boats'
used to stop for the night. The inn buildings where the boatmen
and their horses stayed for their 'couchées' are over 200
years old.
Sixty kilometres further on, we
got a perfect view of La Cité, the medieval fortress area
of Carcassonne. The canal skirts its formidable walls and sturdy
towers and turrets.
After a steep 30-minute walk up
from the canal, we found ourselves in an authentic medieval town
complete with castle, basilica and network of narrow streets.
During the 19th century when the stonework was beginning to crumble
away, the buildings were all convincingly restored.
21st-century facilities like souvenir
shops and restaurants now occupy many of them. Among the four
hotels, it's worth taking a look in the luxurious wood-panelled
Hotel de la Cité where everyone from the Queen to Michael
Jackson has stayed.
Tourists flock into La Cité
throughout the year, but especially for Bastille Day on 14 July
when it puts on the best fireworks display in France, making the
whole place look as if it is going up in flames.
Carcassonne's canal port where we
moored is in a very different part of the town, the Ville Basse
(Low Town), which is across the River Aude from La Cité.
This 'new town' - a mere 800 years
old! - was built following the wholesale destruction of the area
during the infamous Albigensian Crusade which was waged by the
King of France (with the blessing of the Pope) against a breakaway
group of Christians called the Cathars.
Museums and castles throughout the
'Cathar Country' area vividly depict this particularly bloody
period in the Languedoc's history.
Originally the canal passed two
kilometres away from Carcassonne because the town shortsightedly
refused Riquet's request for a subsidy to bring it nearer. The
canal was already well over budget and he was having to finance
much of the work himself.
However, the people soon realised
their mistake when nearby Castelnaudary which had enthusiastically
embraced it began to thrive on all the additional trade it brought.
Eventually in 1810 Carcassonne paid for the route to be diverted
into it.
Castelnaudary's Grand Bassin, which
is like a lake, is now a popular base for both house-boats and
cruisers. The town's pottery and brick industries, started as
a result of the canal, are still thriving. Several of the potters'
workshops welcome visitors and we stocked up with some attractive
'seconds'.
The town is also famous for its
cassoulet, a thick stew of pork, mutton, sausage and haricot beans
which owes much of its distinctive flavour to goose fat and the
local pink garlic. Tins of it make a good souvenir of your visit
- meat in one, beans in another.
Catering on board was never a chore. The boat's mini-kitchen was
well equipped and even the smallest village seemed to have at
least one shop selling freshly-baked loaves and exotic cheeses.
Sometimes there were tempting market stalls too.
Toulouse
Place du Capitole
Further north-west as we approached
Toulouse, the canal continued to cross a fairly flat area of farmland
with distant hills. All kinds of vegetables grow in the rich soil
but 500 years ago its nickname was Pays de Cocagne - the land
of milk and honey.
At that time the farmers grew woad
from which blue dye was made. The colour was so fashionable that
they and the merchants who traded in it all became wealthy.
The grand houses they built from
their profits are still a distinctive feature of the elegant city
of Toulouse. With the towpath often pleasantly shaded, the canal
sweeps around the north side of the city centre. Our boat made
an excellent base from which to explore this vibrant city.
Months of sunshine enable Toulousains
to make the most of its many terrace restaurants and renowned
cuisine. We also found historic sites galore, like the extraordinary
St-Sernin cathedral which is built in pink brick and yellow stone
and crowned by a 65-metre high octagonal bell tower.
However, the hot sun persuaded us
to return to the boat rather than go to Cité de l'Espace,
the interactive space park which is a showcase for the city's
aviation achievements; the displays include life-size models of
the Ariane 5 rocket on its launch pad and the Russian Mir space
station.
Beyond Toulouse, the Canal du Midi
joins the Canal Lateral à la Garonne which runs parallel
to the River Garonne for 211 kilometres all the way to Castets-en-Dorthe.
It was built between 1839 and 1856 to provide easier navigation
than the river. At Castets-en-Dorthe, the canal finally joins
the river 45 kilometres south-east of Bordeaux.
Commercial barges still use the
Canal Lateral à la Garonne and holidaymakers using it have to
remember to give them priority at locks.
While the Canal du Midi is France's
most famous canal - awarded Worth Heritage status by UNESCO in
1996 - many of the country's other canals have become popular
for cruising too.
Alsace-Lorraine for example has
the Canal de la Sarre and the Canal de la Marne au Rhine. In Burgundy,
the Canal du Nivernais is also paradise for those who enjoy beautiful
scenery accompanied by fine wining and dining.
Further
Information One week on the Canal
du Midi on a cruiser sleeping four people costs from £450
through Hoseasons (www.hoseasons.co.uk;
tel: 0870 906 0125). Boats sleep from two to nine people and one-way
cruises can be organised.
Other operators offering cruising
holidays on the French waterways include Andrew Brock Travel (01572
821330), the Barge Company (www.bargecompany.com;
01275 474034), Crown Blue Line (www.crownblueline.com;
01603 630513), European Waterways hotel boats (www.gobarging.com;
01784 482439), France Afloat based in France (www.franceafloat.com;
00 33 3 86 81 67 87) and Tourplan Europe (www.tourplaneurope.com;
01903 824823).
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