Hotel d’Aragon in Montpellier: 43°36’30.1″N 3°52’54.9″E

(10 Rue Baudin, 34000 Montpellier, France)

Pont du Gard Historic Site en Route to Avignon: 43°56’50.4″N 4°32’07.2″E

Maison Boussingaul B&B, Avignon: 43°56’45.4″N 4°48’12.3″E

(39 Rue Boussingault, 84000 Avignon, France)

We had an early breakfast so we could get started on our drive from Montpelier to Avignon before there was much traffic on the roads. We were hoping that traffic in the city and on the highways would be lighter because it was early Sunday morning. Fortunately that proved to be the case. It only took us about 90 minutes to drive the 86 kilometers from our hotel to the Pont du Gard UNESCO world heritage historic site.

The Pont du Gard is a viaduct (bridge) that was built by the Romans over 2,200 years ago. The bridge has three tiers of arches & stands 48.8 m (160 ft) high. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 40,000 m3 (8,800,000 imp gal) of water a day over 50 km (31 mi) to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. 

PHOTO ABOVE –  PONT DU GARD

PHOTO ABOVE – PERSPECTIVE OF SIZE OF THE PONT DU GARD NOTE THE PEOPLE ON THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE

It’s hard to imagine how this structure was built so long ago. It is absolutely massive and very well preserved. The individual stones used to build it are enormous. Catherine and I walked around the site and viewed the viaduct from both sides of the river. We were fortunate to be there on a national heritage holiday for France so there was no admission fee to the site or to the site’s visitor center/interpretive museum.

We also toured the visitor center/interpretive museum. It is exceptionally well done with numerous video presentations and static displays. This entire site is well worth the effort to visit & you could easily spend most of the day exploring it.

It only took us about 30 minutes to drive about 25 kilometers from the site to our B&B. Getting into the city was relatively easy but finding our B&B proved to be a bit of a challenge because the entrance to it is located in a very narrow alley that is not normally driven on by local traffic. After circling through the area a few times I found a place on the street to pull over that was very close to where our GPS was telling us that “we had arrived at our destination”. Catherine hopped out of the car to try & find the B&B. A few minutes later she came back with our host & he guided us to our overnight parking spot that was just a 2 minute walk from where we were staying.

Our room was not quite ready so our host directed us to a nearby restaurant where we could get something to eat & then back to the B&B for a bit of a rest. A few hours later Barb & Bruce arrived from their adventures & after getting settled we all headed out for dinner.

PHOTO ABOVE – CATHERINE POINTING TOWARDS OUR B&B ENTRANCE FOR BRUCE & BARB

PHOTO ABOVE – OUR PRIVATE COURTYARD AT OUR B&B

Tomorrow Catherine & I go to Arles to explore the city & its historic sites.

Cheers!

Lattes (Locaboat Marina): 43°34’21.2″N 3°53’57.9″E

Hotel d’Aragon in Montpellier: 43°36’30.1″N 3°52’54.9″E
(10 Rue Baudin, 34000 Montpellier, France)

We were up at 7 o’clock this morning because we had to return the boat to Locaboat at 9 AM. After breakfast the crew gathered up all of our belongings and did one last final inspection to make sure there was nothing left behind. We arranged for a taxi to take us to our hotel in Montpelier.

We were sad to say adieu to our little boat named “Roubia” but glad that we had the Canal du Midi adventure on her and were now looking forward to the next phase of our trip.

On our way to the hotel I noticed that the taxi driver often just slowed down for “STOP” signs & then proceeded to drive through the intersection if it was safe. It is surprising that all STOP signs in France say “STOP” instead of “ARRET” like they do in Quebec.

PHOTO ABOVE – FRANCE “STOP” SIGN

Our taxi driver did not speak much English so I used Google Translate to ask him why he was not stopping at the STOP signs. I also explained to him that in Quebec, Canada the STOP signs say “ARRET” instead of STOP and that drivers must stop at all STOP signs. He smiled & replied that here in France a STOP sign is only a suggestion!  I’ll have to be sure to remember that over the next few weeks!

Our hotel in Montpellier is only a 5 minute walk from Esplanade Charles de Gaulle which is in the center of the old city. Our hotel is very clean & comfortable but the room is small. The Esplanade is a very vibrant place with beautiful architecture, lots of shops and restaurants, and also very close to the main train station serving the city.

PHOTO ABOVE – HOTEL D’ARGON (COPIED FROM INTERNET)

PHOTO ABOVE – ESPLANADE CHARLES DE GAULLE

We had arranged to pick up a rental car at the Montpellier train station & we would use it for the next couple of weeks to explore other parts of France. We had to wait a few hours to pick up the car so Cath & I went looking for a place to grab a bite to eat. We found a nice cafe on a side street from the Esplanade & had the most amazing smoked salmon with goat cheese on focaccia bread. Wow, if I lived in Montpelier I would be eating at this place at least once a week!

PHOTO ABOVE – OUR LUNCH IN MONTPELLIER

When it was time to pick up our rental car we were given a nice little Fiat 500 – just the right size for driving down all the narrow roads & streets we were going to encounter.

PHOTO ABOVE – OUR FIAT 500 THAT WE HAVE NICKNAMED “FIFI” FOR THIS ADVENTURE

Five minutes after picking up the car we found ourselves lost & I took a wrong turn that landed us on a roadway that was intended only for city tram/trains. I’ll blame that mistake on our GPS being slow to update our location because of the narrow streets & buildings blocking the GPS satellite signals. Thankfully traffic was light & a local pedestrian took pity & helped us get turned around & headed in the right direction. A few minutes later we were safely parked in the garage for the night. Time for a stiff drink to celebrate our arrival!

Later in the afternoon we caught up with Barb & Bruce & we went for a walkabout to see some more city sights & to have a light dinner.

PHOTO ABOVE ESPLANDE CHARLES DE GAULLE

PHOTO ABOVE – OUR FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENT ON THE ESPLANADE

The food at our restaurant was surprisingly good & very reasonably priced.

Tomorrow we hit the road to Avignon!

Cheers!

Frontignan Canalside: 43°26’40.3″N 3°45’35.0″E

Lattes (Locaboat Marina): 43°34’21.2″N 3°53’57.9″E

Today would be our last day traveling on the boat. Technically, we have left the Canal du Midi & the Etang du Thau & are now traveling on five connecting bodies of water – four Etangs & finally north on the River Lez to the Locaboat Marina in Lattes.

SCREENSHOT ABOVE FROM GOOGLE MAPS SHOWING CANAL CHANNEL THROUGH THE ETANGS

Today was also another day where we discovered that there were several more interesting spots for us to moor the boat overnight that were not that far from where we stayed in Frontignan. Oh well, next time (wink, wink).

All of the sailboats moored along the canal walls made it very evident that we were close to the Mediterranean Sea.

PHOTO ABOVE – SAILBOATS MOORED ALONG THE CANAL WALLS JUST BEFORE THE ETANGS

The Etangs we were traveling through today were much shallower than the Etang de Thau. Now we were back to traveling in a canal channel that was dredged right through the Etangs waters. The banks on each side of the canal were substantially comprised of the dredged materials protected from erosion by kilometers of hand built cut-stone walls. The scale of this work is astonishing & it is hard to imagine this kind of project being undertaken by any government in this day & age.

PHOTO ABOVE – HAND LAID STONEWALLS PROTECTING THE CANAL BANKS

The shallow Etangs are a perfect habitat for a variety of bird species & we were especially excited to see large groups of pink flamingos feeding & resting in these waters. These beautiful birds were a familiar sight over the next several hours. I was wondering what a group of flamingos was called so I Googled it. Turns out the proper term is a “flamboyance” – very appropriate. Apparently flamingos get their pink colour as a result of eating so many shrimp. I wonder if I will eventually turn pinkish-grey because of all the Spam that I eat.

PHOTO ABOVE – PINK FLAMINGOS IN THE ETANG ADJACENT TO THE CANAL CHANNEL

We were about 1 hour into our canal journey when we came across a nature reserve that separates the Etang from the Mediterranean Sea. We tied up the boat at the designated mooring point & went exploring.

 

PHOTO ABOVE – BRUCE GETTING READY TO DO SOME LAND BASED BIRDING

PHOTO ABOVE – SOME OF THE MARSHLANDS IN THE NATURE RESERVE 

There were lots of other species of birds as well as a flock of sheep that were kept there in a large fenced off area between the sea & the Etang.

PHOTO ABOVE – VISITORS INFORMATION SIGN AT MOORING SPACE

We went to get a look at the Mediterranean Sea only a 5 minute walk from where we were moored. The water looked so enticing that Cath & Barb had a swim at the beautiful beach there. Bruce & I stuck to staying on shore.

PHOTO ABOVE – THE NATURE RESERVE BEACH ON THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

After a nice break at the reserve we got back underway towards our destination. The boat had to be returned to Locaboat by 9:00am the next morning but we decided to arrive in Lattes this afternoon & spend our last night on board while we were in the marina. That would make things a lot easier for the return process & for us to get all of our belongings sorted out & packed away.

The final lock that we had to go through was only about 1 km from the marina in Lattes. It only operated until 4:30pm but we got through in plenty of time.

PHOTO ABOVE – THE MARINA IN LATTES – THE JOURNEY HAS ENDED 🙁

After we arrived at the marina I checked in with the Locaboat staff & informed them that we would be staying on board overnight. We spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry & cleaning up the boat. Not a very glamorous conclusion to our cruise but certainly a necessity.

Barb whipped up a delicious frittata & salad that matched perfectly with a bottle of wine we had picked up to celebrate our last night on board. Laundry & other mundane chores were forgotten & replaced with good food, good wine & many memories created with dear friends

Tomorrow we are on to the next phase of our adventures in France – exploring part of the country by car!

Cheers!

Agde (Canal Lock): 43°18’54.1″N 3°29’57.1″E

Frontignan Canalside: 43°26’40.3″N 3°45’35.0″E

First of all, let me apologize for being so slow to post each day’s activities. There is so much going on & so many things to see & do that it’s the equivalent of trying to get a drink from a fire hose! By the time we are done with dinner each evening we are happily exhausted & are ready to collapse into bed. I usually start to write my blog when I go to bed but only last about 10 minutes before I start to drift off to sleep!

Today was a big day because we crossed the Etang du Thau!  This body of water is at the end – or the beginning of the Canal du Midi – depending upon which way you are going. It was the end of the canal for us!

The Etang du Thau is a large open, but relatively shallow body of water that is separated from the Mediterranean Sea by a narrow strip of land – essentially making the Etang a lake or pond. There are navigation markers showing the route that boaters must follow to be certain that they will not run aground.

SCREENSHOT ABOVE TAKEN FROM GOOGLE MAPS TO SHOW RELATIVE LOCATION

It only took us about 30 minutes to travel to the entrance to the Etang from the place where we were moored the night before but unfortunately we did not have any idea of where we might moor for the night as we got closer to it. Oh well, maybe next time? (wink, wink).

PHOTO ABOVE – CITY OF MARCEILLAN

The weather was perfect for the crossing which took us about 3 hours. There was a gentle breeze to keep us cool & blue skies overhead.

We had an excellent view of the Etang’s “coastline” off our port side. Lots of well established communities along the water that I would have loved to explore but sadly we did not have enough time to stop. Maybe next time (wink, wink).

PHOTO ABOVE – THE ETANG COASTLINE WITH THE CITY OF MEZE IN THE DISTANCE

About half way through our crossing we noticed a helicopter circling over the water & then a French Coast Guard boat came from shore at high speed. At first we thought that there might be a search & rescue effort going on but it turned out to be a training exercise between the helicopter & the boat. Very entertaining watching the rescue team being lowered from the helicopter to the boat below.  It’s reassuring to know that there are skilled professionals ready to help when needed.

PHOTO ABOVE – HELICOPTER & COAST GUARD BOAT TRAINING EXERCISE

At the far end of the Etang we entered another short canal system that took us to the city of Frontignan. We had to wait until 4:00pm for the lift bridge to operate & let boats on both sides pass through. After passing under the bridge we found a good spot on the canal wall to tie up for the night. Barb had done some research online & found a nice restaurant close by that was on the Mediterranean Sea shoreline so we made reservations for dinner to celebrate our safe passage.

PHOTO ABOVE – VIEW FROM LE POISSON ROUGE RESTAURANT TIKI BAR PATIO OVERLOOKING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

We had a wonderful meal but by the time we were finished we were unable to find a taxi to take us back to the boat. The restaurant manager felt bad for us so he arranged for the restaurant bartender to drive us “home” in his car. French hospitality at its best!

Cheers!

Villeneuve les Beziers: 43°19’02.6″N 3°16’52.3″E

Agde (Canal Lock): 43°18’54.1″N 3°29’57.1″E

A significant structure on this section of the Canal du Midi is the Ouvrages du Libron.

 

 

PHOTO ABOVE – ENTRANCE TO OUVERAGES DU LIBRON

Built in 1855, it is designed to allow the Libron River to traverse the Canal du Midi. At the point of intersection, the Libron is more or less at the same level as the Canal du Midi so a traditional aqueduct was not an option – especially after heavy rains when the volume of water in the River Libron would increase significantly & cause flooding problems in the canal.

Our next stop along the canal after we left Villeneuve des Beziers was a round lock on the outskirts of Agde. When the canals were very active boaters could exit the lock & head straight for the Mediterranean Sea, only a few kilometers away. We only had one choice & that was to stay on the Canal du Midi because charter boats are not allowed access to the sea.

The photo above of the round lock is a panoramic shot I took with my iPhone.  It doesn’t do the lock “justice”. The lock master here had pretty good English & when he saw the Canadian flag on our bow he called out “vive le Canada”. I responded with “vive la France”. I asked the lockmaster where I should tie up because we were the only boat in the lock. He replied that it’s a political decision for you – feel free to go left or right!

I decided to tie up on the left side because I am left handed.

Shortly after we exited the lock we entered the River Herault & followed it upstream for a few kilometers before reentering the final strech of the Canal du Midi.

 

PHOTO ABOVE – RIVER HERAULT

it was strange being on this river after spending so many days in the narrow Canal du Midi. The water quality was much better & there was plenty of room to maneuver.

We arrived at the final lock on the Canal du Midi at Agde around 3 o’clock in the afternoon and were not sure how far it was before we reached the Etang de Thau so we decided to simply go through the lock and then tied up for the night at that spot.

There wasn’t much around us at the lock other than a canal-side campground for area residents so Bruce and I decided to go for a walk to try and find a grocery store to pick up a few small things, plus some cold drinks and maybe a bottle of wine or two. We had an epic walk through a very busy industrial/commercial area only to find that the store we were interested in only sold fruit, vegetables & raw meat – no wine or carbonated drinks. Oh well, we had a good walk & there’s always another store somewhere along the canal.

Tomorrow we cross the Etang du Thau!

Cheers!