64 Reasons to Love the Canal du Midi

It's getting close to 11, and we've been cruising for over an hour, having passed under several bridges low enough that we all have to duck. The boat is slowly getting easier to maneuver when we come across the small village of Paraza. We get alongside the small jetty and pull off a perfect mooring. We explore the village and come across a chateau offering wine tastings. Luckily, it's now after 11, so of course, we partake. To reach the wine tasting counter, we walk past vats, hoses, and other winemaking paraphernalia. A very pleasing aroma fills the air as we walk to the counter.

The session allows tasting of six different wines. We politely refuse the offer of a bucket to pour out any surplus wine. To us, surplus wine is almost an oxymoron. Robyn implements a scoring system, and we buy three bottles of the highest-rated wines before heading back to the boat, which we've christened "Harper," and continue our journey down the canal. It's a clear, blue sky, we're on the top deck, enjoying the southern French countryside

slipping slowly by.

About an hour out of Paraza, we come across the village of Le Somail and decide to moor there for the evening. We keep seeing many of the same people along the way. The mooring fee is €17 and comes with complimentary power, so we plug into shore power. Many of the groups hiring a canal boat have brought their national flag, so it's easy to identify who's who. One boat even has a banner that says "Muppet Boat." Everyone on board is wearing the same patterned tie-dyed T-shirt. Oddly, they are not American but German. There are several Australian groups, one of which is flying a Boxing Kangaroo flag.

Just alongside our mooring is a picnic table where we have lunch under a big shady tree. There is no power coming through, even though we are plugged in. The Capitainerie tries to troubleshoot the issue with no success, so we call Le Boat, who sends out a technician to assist. There is no language barrier, as Freddy is a Scotsman, but it takes him about 10 minutes to get over the sight of mypith helmet. Earlier, a French woman told me that the reason my wife would hate it is because French women would love it. Freddy hops on board to check the power switchboard, and somehow, between us calling and his arrival, the power has connected and is working.

Dinner in Le Somail is a five-minute walk across the footbridge we cruised under earlier in the day. The light is amazing, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to take a bad photo. The night in Le Somail is much more peaceful; there is no thunderstorm or rain. The following day, it's breakfast on board before casting off and heading to Capestang, where we will moor for two nights on Freddy's recommendation.

It's another perfect day of cruising from the top deck, with most of the bridges we pass under requiring us all to duck. There are several 40-meter craft on the canal, requiring tricky maneuvering around some of the tighter bends. We get stuck behind one for 15 minutes until we reach a wider part of the canal, and they wave us past. It's hard enough to maneuver our 12-meter craft through the narrow bridges. The people piloting these large boats have real skill.

Upon arriving in Capestang, we happen upon a perfect mooring position that doesn't require any tricky maneuvering. We check in with the Capitainerie and arrange for two nights' mooring and hook up the power and water. Robyn does some shopping for the next two days. Everyone gets ready, and we head into town to celebrate the captain's birthday, who truly

finds 64 reasons to love the Canal du Midi. At dinner, we all have the duck magret, which is sensational and accompanied by some local wine. The evening ends at the bar with Cointreau on ice before heading back to the boat for a nightcap.

On our second day, we explore the village, the Saint Etienne Cathedral, and the famed Château des Archevêques de Narbonne. Both are amazing historic buildings. The rest of our day is spent on the boat watching canal boats come and go. There are several instances of boats crashing into the side of the tunnel just 50 meters from our mooring. We witness many near-miss decapitations as crew members duck at the last minute while going under.

Moored on the opposite side of the canal is a 40-meter vessel, and the crew spends their day telling small vessels not to moor in front of them, as they need room to disembark. One rather arrogant skipper clips the side of the vessel, resulting in the crew taking evidentiary photos. A smaller vessel moors behind us and, while backing in, clips our boat, waking Robyn from her afternoon nap.

At 5 p.m., we wander down the road for a wine tasting session with Fabienne, who takes us through a series of wines from grapes grown on her

family land. She is extremely knowledgeable, and the wine tasting is held in her family home. After the wine tasting, it's back to the boat for sunset with wine and cheese on the top deck.

Next stop, further along the canal....