A good few years ago, someone recommended canal barging to us as a good way to pass the time. Having little clue about boating, we investigated, weighed the pros and cons, and decided to take the plunge in 2008.
We decided on the Canal du Midi in France. This runs from near Toulouse and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. The premise is that you’re given a boat, or penichette, taught how to sail drive it, and you set off on your way. ON YOUR OWN.
We chose a one-way journey from about 30km SE of Toulouse and ending just outside Narbonne. Places we travelled through were Castelnaudery, Bram and Carcassonne. Too many to mention really.
The idea is that you travel along the canal, navigate through locks (up and down), stop anywhere you like for food or to spend the night and the only deadline is being at the end in a week’s time. It was AMAZING. Not the cheapest holiday, but the best adventure anyone could ever imagine. The image above is just the average view you have on an average day. In other words, stunning!
- Aperture: ƒ/22 Camera: Canon EOS 20D Focal length: 17mm ISO: 100 Shutter speed: 1/1000s