Travel: Sailing France’s Canal du Midi
‘MAN OVERBOARD!’ we should have shouted into the night when one of our crew made a spectacular splash into the Canal du Midi as she tripped over the mooring ropes of our boat.
She’d pitched head-first from the grassy bank to the dark waters at Le Homps, in the Languedoc-Russillon region, Southwestern France.
We’d only been on board our Le Boat self-drive craft for a couple of hours before this unscheduled dip into the thankfully not too deep.
Spluttering, arms flailing, legs in an elegant V like a synchronised swimmer without the nose clip, we hauled her onto our boat.
Stripped, showered and cuddled in a fluffy white towel she was more concerned about the contents of her sodden handbag – phone, passport, make-up.
Shocked but nevertheless none the worse for her ordeal, the rest of her crew were wrecks. Could we steer a steady course along the Canal du Midi on our latest Le Boat adventure?
Calm assurance, quick decisions, clear instructions to our novice crew were all needed as the engine failed in yet another lock, our craft spun by a wicked wind, but our skipper coaxed the engine back to life and an alert lock keeper leapt into action.
Mostly our journey was a breeze, a gentle chugging, relaxed cruise in unspoilt sunny French countryside, past vibrantly painted barges, converted narrow boats, enjoying local cuisine, field fresh produce, crusty baguettes, glorious cheese, good wine. Now we realise why the French regard mealtimes as sacrosanct.
It’s the speed, or lack of it, that calms as you make leisurely, languorous progress on an ancient canal that links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.
This historic waterway dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. The visionary architect Pierre Paul Riquet designed the oval locks, so typical of the canal and still in operation centuries later. It is steeped in tradition and you can feel the spirit of Riquet, who oversaw the first digging of the canal in 1666 but who sadly died just six months before its completion in 1681.
The banks of this old canal, designed for horse drawn barges, are fragile and a careless bow wave can damage the structure. Slow speed ahead: just 5-8km an hour so we are overtaken by cyclists on the tow path waving a jolly Bonjour as they pass. No Lycra louts here.
Modern hustle-bustle has no place in this tranquil setting. City-centric rush is left behind as we cruise at escargot-pace from one lock to the next. We are greeted by courtesy as the lock keepers emerge from cottages covered in rambling roses, wisteria and honeysuckle to operate sluices and gates. Some boast little cafes, beehives and craft shops so you can tie up nearby and wander along for coffee, arty souvenirs, nougat, macaroons or pots of honey.
To us a traffic jam during our 11 hours of cruising 40km and four nights moored meant squishing three craft into a single lock that, in the distance, looked the size of a Jacuzzi, and waiting patiently as the water raised us up then down to the right level. No hassle. No hooting. No haste.
Taking my turn at the helm I soon discovered how easy it was to over-steer. Just look at our sister boat ahead, zig-zagging in an alarming fashion. It narrowly missed a family of ducks minding their own business on one bank exploding with golden irises, then head planted one crew member against an over-hanging tree. She emerged wearing a fetching halo of leaves. The anxious skipper _no doubt concerned at the £250,000 price tag of her vessel _ wrested the wheel from the errant’s hands, who disappeared below decks till dusk.
Another peril lay in a series of extremely low bridges. If sunning on the top deck lie flat, breath in your tummy, and don’t even think of raising your head till the skipper, herself bowed double over the wheel, gives the all-clear.
Our voyage was punctuated by morning wake-up calls from church bells, on-deck breakfasts of still warm croissant and pain au chocolat, lazy lunches of healthy salads and chilled wine (none for the skipper) and, when safely moored and slathered in anti-mozzie cream, a fixed price dinner of delicious duck, rich cassoulet and crème brulee. Now the captain could imbibe.
We made it to our goal of Carcassonne without more incidents, taking in a wine tasting at the stunning Chateau de Paraza where Riquet was housed during his epic undertaking. We scoured the shelves of an antiquarian book shop called Le Trouve Tout du Livre (The Place to Find All the Books) in the village of Somail. Among its 50,000 of volumes I spied in the English section a hardback of Hilaire Belloc’s Cautionary Tales.
His verses should warn my granddaughters against running away from Nonna and being eaten by a lion, and against eating string _ both proved fatal. Good lessons to learn at a cost of seven Euros.
More good value at a friendly restaurant on the canal banks, Le Comptoir Nature, with fixed price fare, plus more expensive (and Vegan unfriendly) pate de foie gras.
On cue, and as if in protest, two very noisy geese strutted past venting their red-beaked fury.
The canal bank was no stranger to action that evening when a very drunk diner quaffed an entire bottle of champagne after a family argument, abused a waitress and was arrested.
We retreated to the sanctuary of our boats on the opposite side of the canal to ensure peaceful sleep before our electric bike and scooter rides the next morning. We were to sample olive oil, golden elixir from the L’Oulibo cooperative whose presses welcome 120,000 visitors a year.
And us, despite one unseating from bicycle when she braked on a gravelled bend. Grazed knees did not deter her from our next sampling, probably in need of pain-numbing wine, at a free tasting at Chateau de Ventenac-Minervois.
From this hamlet we enjoyed supper at a new little restaurant OKN9 run by a British couple who served an inventive menu beside the canal: pork terrine with apricot and nuts, Japanese chicken, chocolate fondant.
Carcassonne was well worth the journey. We moored in the port to explore the famous old city, a fortified garrison with windy ramparts dating back to the Roman Empire. It’s perched on a hilltop a few kilometres out of the new town and was restored to host theatrical festivals throughout the summer.
The most touristy stop on our trip, shops selling kitsch and arty party dresses, it’s steeped in centuries of history and architectural gems.
And it boasts a Michelin star chef restaurant where we feasted on calf head’s terrine, fish stew and honey ice cream.
Back on board we re-read our comprehensive list of Must Bring items. It includes a torch for walking along towpaths at night.
Our soaked sailor never leaves home without one.
Le Boat FACT BOX
The boat and accommodation
For the 4 nights of our trip we travelled on a Le Boat Horizon 5 craft, largest boat in the premier Horizon fleet with 5 en-suite cabins, plus convertible settee in the saloon, with spacious, fully-equipped interior & sun deck. For more information and virtual tour, click here.
Sample price
A seven-night self-catered cruise on the Canal du Midi on board a Horizon 5, during the 2022 boating season, starting and finishing at Le Boat’s base at Homps, is priced from £3139 per boat / £262 pp.
Transport to and from the base is not included.
Le Boat will operate on the Canal du Midi until 31 October 2022, and March – 31 October 2023
