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Getting to Know Languedoc: Our Fabulous Week Aboard The Barge Anjodi on the Canal du Midi (August 1999)
Getting there: From U.S. gateways, fly to Paris, then transfer to the TGV train, right in Charles de Gaulle airport for a very comfortable trip to Beziers, taking about six hours (tickets from Rail Europe: 1-800-848-7245). Beziers is in the south of France, west of Provence, in the Languedoc region, some three hours from Barcelona, Spain. Designated pickup point for the Anjodi is at the Chateau de Lignan, a 15-minute (and about $15) cab ride from Beziers, and an outstanding place to have lunch before the crew meets you. Other alternatives: Fly to London then take British Air from Gatwick to Montpellier, or Ryan Air from Stanstead, near London, to Carcassonne, making special arrangements for the crew to meet you.
General impressions and memorable highlights of our week's cruise aboard the Anjodi:
Day 1: Sunday afternoon. We arrived in Beziers on the TGV train after our overnight stay in Lyon and took a cab to the Chateau de Lignan, outside of Beziers. We had a fantastic lunch at the Chateau. Then, about 4pm, Sarah from the Anjodi met us at the Chateau for our ride aboard the Anjodi's van to the barge. The barge was docked in Marseillan, a quaint fishing village on the Etang de Thau (a saltwater lake, famous for oyster and mussel beds, separated from the Mediterranean by a short strip of land).
On the way to the Anjodi, Sarah, the Anjodi's tour guide, told us that we were the only passengers for the week. So we were off for a week of pampering by the crew of four on a 100-foot barge all to ourselves!! Once on board, we met the rest of the crew: Duncan the captain, Helen the chef, and Jennifer the hostess. After a champagne reception on deck, we visited the Noilly-Prat winery, where they create a vermouth from a unique blend of local white wines and herbs and spices, which we sampled, of course! We then went back to the barge for an elegant candlelit dinner.
Here's the ANJODI cruising on the picturesque Canal du Midi, a waterway that was designed and built 300 years ago to link the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic on the west coast of France.
The Anjodi is quite spacious and comfortable. The main saloon is decorated in Provence-style fabrics with two sofas and a wet bar, and a large dining table. The deck features a jacuzzi, and plenty of room for lounging and sunning, with large umbrellas for shade and a table for eating "al fresco." Our cabin was large enough for our things, including loads of drawer space, storage space for our suitcases, a small hanging closet, and a bathroom with a curtained shower. The beds were arranged in an "L" shape, with a three-quarters bed on the upper level, and a single bed on the lower level. The air conditioning worked great, although we hardly needed it, even in AUGUST!
Day 2: Monday. Before leaving Marseillan, we visited the Ricard pastis winery, where they create a delicious licorice-flavored liqueur. We sampled the liqueur and went back to the Anjodi for a delicious lunch. After lunch, we took a 3-hour cruise across the Etang into the start of the Canal du Midi. The Canal was conceived and constructed by Pierre-Paul Riquet more than 300 years ago to link the Mediterranean with the Atlantic ocean. The start of the canal is quite narrow. We cruised to Agde, passing a unique round lock big enough for many boats, crossing the river Herault. The round lock forms an intersection so that boats can go in any one of four directions! We docked in Agde, an ancient Greek city on the Herault river, and walked into town where we visited the cathedral and shops. Leaving Agde in the late afternoon, we cruised to Vias, where we docked for the night.
All along the canal we passed houseboats and other pleasure boats, filled with French holiday-goers, greeting us with "bonjour" as we cruised along.
Part of the charm of the cruise is the beauty of the canal, with trees along both sides providing both gorgeous scenery and shade. Within a stones throw from the banks are vineyards, villages, and beautiful countryside. A highlight for me was the chance to walk and bike along the canal towpath while the barge cruised alongside.
Day 3. Tuesday. We cruised to Beziers in the morning, stopping to visit La Tortue -- a lovely, recently refurbished barge accommodating six passengers. We walked across the aqueduct, and met the Anjodi at the famous seven locks of Fontserannes, which are like stairs, raising the Anjodi nearly 25 meters (82 feet) through the seven locks. Later that day, we went through the Malpas tunnel -- the oldest canal tunnel in the world. In this tunnel we turned up a CD of Andrea Bocelli, which echoed through the tunnel -- fantastic!! In the afternoon, Sarah took us on a tour to the Oppidum d'Enserune, a pre-Roman hillside settlement (600B.C. to 100 A.D.) only discovered at the beginning of this century. We toured the museum there with its many artifacts found at the excavation site, and took a picture of the Lake of Montady. There's an interesting story behind this lake. In the 13th century, hundreds of people surrounding the lake succumbed to illnesses. The monks in that area undertook an impressive engineering project to drain the lake, thinking it was the source of their illness. Today, the channels they carved out in pie-shaped bands from the center of the lake are still visible. We stopped for the night in Poilhes, a small picturesque town, and walked into town for a beer with the crew at a little bar nearby. We returned for another delicious dinner outside on the deck, with the townspeople wishing us "bon appetit!"
We should point out a little about the meals aboard the Anjodi. Breakfast consisted of fresh croissants and other pastries and breads that Sarah picked up each morning from the local boulangerie, fresh yogurt, a selection of cereals, fruit, juices, jellies that Helen had made fresh from local berries, and delicious coffee. Lunches were served buffet-style with fresh salads, soups, and casseroles and other great side dishes, presented by Helen. Lunch and dinner always included two kinds of local wine and cheese, complete with Jennifer's very detailed descriptions of each. Dinners included an appetizer, entree, and dessert, served at an elegantly set table.
Among the most memorable parts of the cruise is the gourmet food, wines and cheeses of the region, with the hostess providing detailed descriptions.
Day 4. Wednesday. We cruised this morning, stopping at Capestang to watch the nearly total eclipse of the sun. Captain Duncan fashioned eclipse safety glasses out of a welding mask and welding goggles which we all shared to view the eclipse. The eclipse was amazing, and quite the talk of the town, with everyone donning the special safety eye protectors widely distributed throughout France. We walked through the town and visited the outdoor market and the ancient cathedral. About 20 minutes past noon, the eclipse was at its height and we had a champagne toast to the sun aboard the Anjodi!!
After lunch, we moored just past Capestang with the Athos, and took a trip to a goat cheese farm, the Chevrerie de Combebelle. We visited the cute little goats grazing in the hills, and then herded them into the bergerie where they were milked. We saw how the milk is formed into cheese. That night, we had dinner with the crew at La Croisade, an excellent restaurant along the Canal. This was our one "night out" for dinner! (The dinner was great, but no comparison to Helen's dinners aboard the barge!)
Dozens of locks allow the barge to move through different levels in the canal ... passing through these locks added to the adventure.
Day 5. Thursday. In the morning, we cruised to Narbonne, the ancient capital of Roman Gaul, where we toured the outstanding indoor food market, as well as the outdoor market. In the market, we saw the very cheeses made at the Chevrerie de Combebelle, which we visited the day before! Sarah picked up cheeses from the market for the barge for the next week. We visited the impressive Gothic cathedral, with one of the highest naves in France. The cathedral, started in 1272, is actually only the choir area of the original cathedral plan which was so large that attempts to complete it in the 16th and 18th centuries failed because of local opposition. Later that day, I walked some six miles along the canal, while the barge (with Sally aboard) cruised to the Porte de Minervoise aqueduct. After docking, Sarah took us to Minerve, an ancient village that stands on a hill between the valleys of two rivers. This village was once a Cathar stronghold, and was overrun by Simon de Montfort and the crusaders in the 1200's. The church has an altar that dates back to 450A.D. We also visited a museum with a series of miniatures arranged in scenes representing the history of the Cathars. That night we had a barbeque with the passengers and crew of the Athos with delicacies from the combined talents of Anjodi's and Athos' chefs! We partied aboard the Athos until late that night, watching an astonishing display of shooting stars (the Perseid meteor shower).
A major highlight of this cruise was the visit to the walled city of Carcassonne, started by the Romans 2000 years ago, and added onto over the centuries.
Day 6. Friday. Sarah drove us about 40 minutes to Carcassonne, the oldest medieval walled city in Europe. Along the way, we stopped in Trebes to pick up fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables from the local markets. In Carcassonne, Sarah took us on a tour around the ramparts of the town. The walls were started by the Romans, some 2,000 years ago, and were built onto by a series of residents over the centuries. The Basilica of St. Nazaire has some of the most beautiful stained glass windows in the Midi. We met the barge back at Le Somail, a charming village where we boarded the barge for lunch. That afternoon, I biked ahead of the barge nearly 20 miles along the canal to Homps, while the barge went through several locks, a beautiful gorge, and some of the most fantastic scenery we've ever seen along the way -- farmlands, vineyards, and, of course, the tree-lined canal. We docked in Homps, where I rejoined the barge, and had appetizers and champagne watching the sunset before the captain's dinner -- a tradition for the last night of the cruise. Captain Duncan and the crew dressed for dinner ... certainly the most elegant dinner of all.
The local wines of the Languedoc region were exceptionally good. This is a label from one of the many wines we sampled.
Day 7. Saturday. After breakfast, Sarah drove us to the train station at Beziers, where we took the TGV to Paris. It was the end of a truly unforgettable experience. We're ready to go again!
Facts about the ANJODI: The 100 foot barge has four cabins with two twins each, a dining room/saloon, jacuzzi on deck and is fully air-conditioned and centrally heated. The barge trip includes six nights accommodations, all meals and alcoholic beverages, and excursions and transfers to and from the meeting point. Cabins may be booked singly or the entire barge may be chartered.
For further information about the ANJODI or other Barges in France,
send an email to info@specialplacestravel.com
or call 1-877-64-BARGE (1-877-642-2743)
or, outside of the U.S., call 001.443.321.3614
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