Sunbury
In a day or so, we will be back in Auxonne getting ready for what we hope will be achieving the destination we had in mind when we started off cursing ten years ago – reaching the Canal du Midi. As we bought Neo Vita in North Holland, we had a reasonable distance to cover. A few of our fast-moving friends have done the trip in a single season. It will have taken us ten. At one stage, we had a pretty firm intention to be down on the Midi in 2020 – so we are at least five years behind schedule. Canal closures, COVID, recovery and overplating have all taken their toll. We are well positioned on good full rivers to at least make the trip down. The rest will be mostly in the lap of the (rain) gods.
Our route will take us downstream on the River Saône to where it joins the mighty River Rhône in France’s second city, Lyon. Then down the Rhône, up the Petit Rhone and along the Canal du Rhône à Sète, through the Etang de Thau, which is essentially part of the Mediterranean sea, and enter the Canal du Midi at Agde. During the season we intend to cruise the length of the Midi to Toulouse and then winter in Moissac which will mean some travel down the Canal latèral à la Garonne. Without backtracking or side trips, this will be a 900 km cruise with over 110 locks
If we could pick any place where the seed of the dream of this lifestyle took began germinating, it was at Port Lauragais, so that will be the place for special celebrations.
