Wake up this morning in Homps Le Boat hub and the Germans next to us have four dogs barking and barking and barking....Another sunny day. We won't be staying a second night in Homps as we need to be back in Trèbes by Sunday night. We will take it easy today upriver on the canal. We need to add water and pull the electrical line hookup. Al and I believe the nozzle is the water line hook up to our boat, but it doesn't fit which ends up being good. As we pull the nozzle/hose back to the station on shore and it hits the concrete deck there is poop inside the nozzle and sprays over the dock deck. Fortunately not on the boat! Lana starts freaking out that the waste hose might have been placed into the water tank as she was pretty sure the water tank was the correctly marked "water" so not sure why there was any doubt--she even checked the boat manual to ensure it was correct. We do use the proper water connection/hose to spray it all away and get some water into our boat. Our exit is blocked by a massive Le Boat which one of their staff eventually moves so we can leave their harbour. We leave Homps at 10:25.
Blue skies and no wind as yet. Canal is flat. Birds chirping and we are quickly into a wide open valley. Bridges can be tricky to enter as you need to ensure your back end does not swerve sideways and connect with the bridge. Watch your head! Some of the underpasses are so low that you must be beware otherwise you risk a serious head injury! We are out of Jouarres lock at 10:51. There are steel ladders on the inside of the locks and we are inside the lock and I need to climb up the ladder to hold the front end rope at the dock level. Kinda slimy ladder and slippery of course.
Coming up to a bridge Captain!
We dock at La Redorte at 11:25 to explore the town and buy some bottled water. You cannot drink water from the canal nor the water provided for the boat (unless you boil it first, which Lana did do for tea in the morning anyway). Pretty good walk into the main part of town and much busier than other towns along the canal. Bought a large bottled water and other supplies. Back to our boat at 12:30.
We found this Boulangerie/Patisserie on the way to the Super Inter Marche. Bought a couple of baguettes(2.80Euro) here.
Cute sign!
Very cute chocolate tarts!
Lana's favourite cake Gateau St. Honore--which she said she would indulge herself in one when she found them. Delicious French pastry made of cream puffs and choux pastry!
In the parking lot of the Super Inter Marche we found a laundromat popup. Lana's dad would have loved this--an outdoor laundromat so you can do you laundry while you go shopping for groceries!
Another cute French pastry--baba au rum with a plastic tube of rum to insert just before you eat it.
We liked this Basque packaged cheese. Flavourful and semi firm--tasted great with everything!
On our return to our boat we find it is much too hot to be eating up top so we eat in our eating area down below. Good lunch inclusive of charcuterie and a surprise from Lana of a small jar of anchovies aioli spread. So tasty - I love anchovies! While we were eating lunch across the canal from us a fisherman caught a fish. Not sure if I would eat a fish out of the canal as not sure what kind of toxins may be in these waters? Leave La Redorte at 13:28.
We are through Lock at Pucheri at 14:19. This was our first time in a lock with another boat going the opposite direction. Left lock at St. Anguille at 15:05 and arrive at St. Martin locks (2 locks) very quickly. Lots of trees growing along the banks of the canal here. Still a hot day in the sun with some breeze. We leave St. Martin locks at 15:38. At Fonfils locks we arrive at 15:43 and are out of the three lock system by 16:15 so much longer time when there are three consecutive locks. Also, much different experience with the lock flooding upwards. Strong surge of incoming water! The lock keeper said we were only the sixth boat of the day so this really is the slow season on Canal du Midi.
I got talking with this lock keeper and he confirmed there were many fish in the canal and some fish up to two metres in length! Eventually, we came across a dead fish belly up in the canal and it was more than a metre long. Maybe a catfish? Did I say it is hard work in these locks? 😏
We leave our final lock of the day at Marseillette at 16:53 so pretty much the end of the day on the canal. Decision to moor somewhere up the canal for the night. We find a small wooden dock and tie up there. I decide to explore this small village. Pretty typical with very old rundown buildings, super quiet and everything mostly closed. Dinner on board tonight with a nice bottle of white wine. Eating up top as it is fairly warm, but not hot. In our background is a row of trees on one side of the canal. Gentle breeze on the water. Another delicious meal on board, wash the dishes in the sink and then decide we will all walk into town as I had found an interesting place that looked like a casual bar/restaurant?
Google Map shows Marseillette in the middle with Homps to the east and Carcassonne to the west.
This is the place (
Ca É De La Terra) I came across earlier on my solo walk into town. Also, probably the only place open anywhere..... We had a great time sitting outside and chatting with some people beside us. We bought a picket of Rosé and a coffee. The wine was excellent. The lady we were chatting with was from London and living in this village. Her older two friends were from Scotland. Apparently there are a number of ex-pats living in the area. Lots of fun and walked back to the boat in the dark.
Saw this old clock tower in the village. Apparently these structures were used in Napoleonic times for communication. Played some cribbage for a fun ending to the night. Should be quiet on the canal as there is nobody around and we are away from the sleepy town. Total steps today = 11,800.
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