Travels with Verne and Roy

Captain Granddad and the family in Moissac, 15-16 September

It was an exciting moment all round when our Perth, WA-based son Carl, his wife Carrie and granddaughters Mia (9 going on 29) and Holly (5 and a half) arrived in Moissac to spend a couple of days with Captain Granddad, daughter Wendy and me on the boat.

This was nearing the tail end of the girls’ first trip to Europe, seeing the sights of London and visiting friends and family elsewhere in England, followed by several nights in both Paris and Eurodisney. What an adventure!

At long last… Carl and Captain Dad on board Karanja

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Last Blast West to Buzet, 1-10 September

Previously peaceful Pommevic; sexy squid at Boé; green mooring at Sérignac and Buzet; nostalgic return to Moissac

This may be our last jaunt* west on the CdlG, and I felt nostalgic from the get-go. Next June, we’ll be cruising east to dry-dock in Toulouse before continuing along to where the Canal du Midi starts, at Sette, and then heading northwards to St Jean-de-Losne on the river Saône, where Karanja will spend winter 2020/2021.

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Sister Summer Trilogy: Shoreham, Herne Bay and Saint-Geniès

Sometimes, we leave Karanja in her home port of Moissac and go off for a while. From what we got up to in August, here’s a trio of sister-centric outings, in the UK and in France.

While visiting my sister Dale and her family in Kent, England, she and I did a couple of day trips – first to Shoreham village and The Mount Vineyard, and then to Herne Bay. Then Roy and I went back to the Dordogne to meet up with his younger sisters Lyndsay and Cheryll.

#1 Shoreham (Kent)

You have to specify Shoreham (Kent) because there’s another one – Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex.

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Canal de Montech to Montauban and back, 13-19 July

I’d been itching to cruise the Canal de Montech, and it was great! This pretty waterway runs from Montech to the gracious city of Montauban, linking the Canal de Garonne with the Tarn River. It’s just 11km long and manages to squeeze 11 locks into that distance.

This side of the bridge is the Canal de Garonne – t’other, the Canal de Montech

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Castelnaudary Part Five: Return to Montech, 8-12 July

Smooth sailing and few surprises as we retraced our wake back west to Montech along the Canal du Midi after five days in Castelnaudary.

Day One, to Port-Lauragais: First La Planque lock and then La Demergue and the triple lock at Laurenz. At the double lock at Roc, the kind éclusier let us in even though it was past noon and he was supposed to be lunching.

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Castelnaudary Part Four: Side Trip to Narbonne, 6 July

Located on the Med, pretty Narbonne city is about an hour’s drive from Castelnaudary – and we’d never been there. So we filled up with petrol and headed east in our little Renault Twingo in search of some different scenery and perhaps a sea breeze.

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Castelnaudary Part Three: All about Gretige Henriette

Living the dream – Bill and Winnie Post talk to me about their gorgeous old tjalk, Gretige Henriette

I first saw Gretige Henriette and met her owners Bill and Winnie Post two years ago, when Roy and I arrived in the port of Moissac after our three-month-long journey on Karanja from England.

Originally hailing from New York, they have been living in California for many years. Now, though, they spend four to five months each year in France aboard their unique vessel.

Winnie and Bill Post, with Gretige Henriette in the port of Castelnaudary

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Castelnaudary Part Two: Port Stories, 3-7 July

Pizza, fisticuffs and the drunken sailor; Bill, Winnie and Gretige Henriette; antiques and anchovies; back to Chez David

Castelnaudary – or simply “Castel” to locals or wannabe-locals – is one of the Canal du Midi’s prettiest ports. We had a great first visit in 2017; click here to read all about that.

Enviably shady stretch, just off the port

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Castelnaudary Part One – Getting there from Toulouse, 30 June to 3 July

Port Saint-Sauveur vanishing bike act; champagne at Castanet; Bo Peep and her boathook; my many and multifarious roles; lunch hour rules; important-little-towel philosophy; sympathetic éclusier at Sanglier; Le Diné at Port-Lauragais; the insightful M. Riches from La Rochelle

In the wee hours of our last day in Port Saint-Sauveur, Toulouse, neighbour Hans (Comtesse) had a bike nicked from our shared pontoon. In full view of the surveillance camera, someone had come through the gate – must have had a key – and carried the thing away, lock and all.

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Everything Toulouse! – 24-29 June

Welcome to the Canal du Midi; high drama in Bayage lock; Victor Hugo market; Toulouse dry docks; IKEA is cool; double martyrdom at Saint-Sernin; cultural cuisine at L’Ouverture

Having waved off daughter Wendy, who was returning to her job in Marseilles, we set off from Grisolles. Lock Emballens was followed by Castelnau, l’Hers – and it was at L’Hers that Roy resolved to push on to Toulouse, rather than moor somewhere overnight. (L’His decision, not L’Hers.)

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Historic South of France, June 2024, Part 3: Arles and Béziers

Marseillan Port Highlights, 2-29 June, Part 2 – Oysters & Noilly Prat

Marseillan Port, 2-29 June 2024, Part 1

Two Weeks in England, 15-30 May 2024, Part 3 – East Sussex and London

Two Weeks in England, 15-30 May 2024, Part 2 – Merseyside

Two Weeks in England, 15-30 May 2024, Part 1

Captain Granddad and the family in Moissac, 15-16 September

Last Blast West to Buzet, 1-10 September

Sister Summer Trilogy: Shoreham, Herne Bay and Saint-Geniès

Canal de Montech to Montauban and back, 13-19 July

Castelnaudary Part Five: Return to Montech, 8-12 July

Castelnaudary Part Four: Side Trip to Narbonne, 6 July

Castelnaudary Part Three: All about Gretige Henriette

Castelnaudary Part Two: Port Stories, 3-7 July

Castelnaudary Part One – Getting there from Toulouse, 30 June to 3 July

Everything Toulouse! – 24-29 June