...anybody on the canal de midi..?

[one of the hidden]

...thinking of going on holiday that way...any comments welcome...:)

[jam]

Not been (on a boat) but would like to from what I have seen when walking the area

[Laurie Booth]

My holiday on the Canal De Midi.

[Athy]

That brings back some memories! It looks as if you started from Le Somail. I remember that wine shop which looks like a church, too. Carcassonne we had visited before, but it's always a spectacular sight -just don't buy anything there.

We hired from Minervois Cruisers (part of Napton Narrowboats) a few years ago and enjoyed our week. Some parts frankly get monotonous as you go along a long straight stretch bordered by plane trees on each side, but there are exciting bits such as the lock staircase at Fonserannes; you're more or less guaranteed good weather, and of course Southern French cuisine. I think that if we go again we'll hire a pénichette rather than a narrowboat as, with their higher freeboard, they're more suited to French locks.

[Bunny]

We had a holiday , about 6 yrs ago on the canal de garonne  ( its just above the canal de midi) again Napton narrowboats.  1st week in September, good weather , nice towns and food , good moorings. Quite interesting agriculture, didn't see another boat moving all week. Even boated down onto to the river . 

[Athy]

We've been on the Canal de Garonne the last two years and are going again in June. To me it offers a bit more variety than the Midi. Which river did you boat down on to? We went along the Baise which, apart from the deep and fierce final lock at valence, I found quite lovely.

O.P. might also consider the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy, perhaps the prettiest of the lot (or at least of the ones on which we have been).

[Bee]

Never been on the Midi as in the summer which is when we are in France it would be too hot for us - and maybe dangerously hot for our collie especially as the plane trees have been felled so no shade. Nivernais and all the Burgundy area is nice with much more shade and v. pretty. We really like the Somme but I don't know if its possible to hire a boat anywhere near it now, was a hire base at Cappy (?) but no longer there. If you do go to the Midi take a parasol and plenty of sunscreen.

[Athy]

Thanks for this update, Bee - I didn't know that they were getting rid of the plane trees, though I have heard that some were affected by some kind of tree disease.

[Bee]

38 minutes ago, Bunny said:

We had a holiday , about 6 yrs ago on the canal de garonne  ( its just above the canal de midi) again Napton narrowboats.  1st week in September, good weather , nice towns and food , good moorings. Quite interesting agriculture, didn't see another boat moving all week. Even boated down onto to the river . 

What was the interesting agriculture? We found a great big field full of hemp last summer, think it was the Canal des Ardennes. No idea what it was being grown for but it was unfenced and it didn't look as though it had been depleted by people carrying off barrow loads of the stuff. Couldn't see any stoned rabbits wandering around but it still had the active ingredients that we all know and love so even if it was being grown for old rope.

[Bee]

1 minute ago, Athy said:

Thanks for this update, Bee - I didn't know that they were getting rid of the plane trees, though I have heard that some were affected by some kind of tree disease.

Yes, very sad, they are re planting, not sure what with but we have seen plane trees that look v. poorly much further North, hope that's not the same disease but it would be a tragedy if it did spread to the leafy towns and cities and of course there is London as well.

[James Millsop]

We hired a boat, La Criminelle,  for a week a few years ago the week before Easter. One of the best holidays we have had. It was cheap was they needed to get a boat from Setes to Narbonne for the season, so we moved it for them at half the rate, and the canal was very quiet. Highly recommend it, but be prepared for traffic through the season.

 

[Laurie Booth]

2 hours ago, Athy said:

That brings back some memories! It looks as if you started from Le Somail. I remember that wine shop which looks like a church, too. Carcassonne we had visited before, but it's always a spectacular sight -just don't buy anything there.

We hired from Minervois Cruisers (part of Napton Narrowboats) a few years ago and enjoyed our week. Some parts frankly get monotonous as you go along a long straight stretch bordered by plane trees on each side, but there are exciting bits such as the lock staircase at Fonserannes; you're more or less guaranteed good weather, and of course Southern French cuisine. I think that if we go again we'll hire a pénichette rather than a narrowboat as, with their higher freeboard, they're more suited to French locks.

Yep, we did the same as you, only we hired for 2 weeks.

Renting a narrowboat made us blend in with the French boaters who thought we were liveaboards.

Lovely people and so different to us with their laid back way of life.

We got to one village and the liveaboards had taken out the light bulbs in the street lights and wired themselves in. Try that in the UK.

In one restaurant the cooks wife was in hospital and we/customers had to look after his children while he cooked on an open fire. We had to get a customer to translate for us as we hadn't a clue what was being said to us. The customer was "Dawn French".

Great holiday. 

[Machpoint005]

Just to reduce very slightly the chances of the French thinking we are all ignorant Anglophones: you might have a job finding that waterway on a map of France - it's called le Canal du Midi because le Midi  (region) is masculine.

[Athy]

Quite correct - and for the benefit of those Anglophones, "de le" (of the) is shortened to "du" in French.

However, I am sure that if you said "Canal de Midi" down there, most people would know what you were talking about.

Oddly its north-westerly continuation, formerly the "Canal Latéral a la Garonne", is now known as the "Canal de Garonne", not "de la Garonne" as one might expect.

 

(Yes, I know that the "a" should have  a grave accent, but I've tried the method of printing one given on the internet and it doesn't work).

[Laurie Booth]

1 hour ago, Athy said:

Quite correct - and for the benefit of those Anglophones, "de le" (of the) is shortened to "du" in French.

However, I am sure that if you said "Canal de Midi" down there, most people would know what you were talking about.

Oddly its north-westerly continuation, formerly the "Canal Latéral a la Garonne", is now known as the "Canal de Garonne", not "de la Garonne" as one might expect.

 

(Yes, I know that the "a" should have  a grave accent, but I've tried the method of printing one given on the internet and it doesn't work).

à

[Athy]

Harrumph.

I was advised to hold down "alt" and press some numbers (0224 from memory). Nowt happened. Then I tried another method advised by the internet. Still nothing happened. Science and I just don't get on.

[mross]

The numbers must be typed on the numeric part of a full keyboard or you can use 'numlock' on a small keyboard.  à

Edited March 14, 2017 by mross

[WotEver]

Or on an Apple mobile device just hold down a and wait for the options... àáâäæãåā...

[Mac of Cygnet]

Or use the online French keyboard http://french.typeit.org/ Just write what you want in the box and then copy and paste it onto here or wherever.  I use the Spanish version frequently, and find it much more convenient than the Spanish keyboard that my computer offers.

Edited to say that they now offer an App for PC that allows you to type foreign anywhere without copying and pasting.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Mac of Cygnet

[bargemast]

8 hours ago, Athy said:

Thanks for this update, Bee - I didn't know that they were getting rid of the plane trees, though I have heard that some were affected by some kind of tree disease.

Here's some stuff to read about the very sad tree story in the Midi.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/17/more-plane-trees-felled-along-canal-du-midi-in-fight-against-killer-fungus

Peter.

[Athy]

Thanks, Peter. It does make sad reading - though light relief is provided by the journalist who fails to identify the correct location of the canal, but succeeds in blaming the Yanks in WW2 for infecting the trees. I'm pleased that Mrs. Athy and I cruised on the canal while the trees were still there in their profusion and splendour.

I'm also pleased to learn that there is a French tree expert called Jacques Noisette (= James Hazelnut).

[hounddog]

2 hours ago, Athy said:

Thanks, Peter. It does make sad reading -

On 3/14/2017 at 08:13, Athy said:

Some parts frankly get monotonous as you go along a long straight stretch bordered by plane trees on each side, 

You should be pleased.

 

 

[Athy]

8 minutes ago, hounddog said:

You should be pleased.

 

 

[Machpoint005]

18 hours ago, Mac of Cygnet said:

Or use the online French keyboard http://french.typeit.org/ Just write what you want in the box and then copy and paste it onto here or wherever. 

Nice one, Mac!

I'm delighted to find there's a Greek one too -- I guessed the URL right!

[X Alan W]

On 14/03/2017 at 10:15, Athy said:

Thanks for this update, Bee - I didn't know that they were getting rid of the plane trees, though I have heard that some were affected by some kind of tree disease.

They are not felling all the Midi plain trees they have found a treatment for the  whatever the problem is & are treating the ones they can, & felling & replanting the ones that are to far gone