Another cold night on the boat, but super quiet all night. Lana wakes up and wraps a hand around her nose because it's too cold! Another sunny day and it will stay very warm all day. Our consensus is to boat downstream to Le Somail and take it easy for the day. Al and I did a good walk this morning at Argens Minervois. We all had our fruit breakfast on the boat. We arrived early for the opening of the lock, but needed to wait for two boats that came along behind us eventually. The lock keeper will try to maximize the number of boats in their lock. Around 11:10 we are first through the lock. We are headed to Peraza about six kms downstream.
Believe it or not, but the two boats behind us we let pass as we are in no hurry. The boat immediately behind us was Germans and the other boat French people. We arrived at 11:45 in Peraza. We walked into town and explored. This town rises up from the canal on a hill. Not a lot of choices for lunch except for the recommended OKN9 located on the canal.
The men on a mission in Peraza. Can we find wine here?
Online pic of OKN9 Restaurant in Peraza.
Menu boards.
This place had very high ratings with Trip Advisor. The server/owner was English! We ate inside as there were no tables for four available outside and it was hot (25 degrees) in the direct sun. Pretty good meal. The dessert of Tarte Citron Chantilly was as tasty as its name! We left the restaurant around 14:00 and it was 28 Euros total for the two of us.
Pat, leave us some wine please! This is a Corbiéres red blend ordered as a Pichet.
Entrée: Terrine de Porc Prungeau Maison.
Bruschetta Tomate, Chèvre Et Salade
OK, we are finally going to get to a Canal du Midi winery! We head downstream of course and stop at Ventenac-en-Minervois and a wine tasting at Chateau de Ventenac-en-Minervois. Our timing is perfect as it opens at 14:30 and we are moored shortly before that. Highly rated winery with free wine tasting.
Our mooring just upstream from Chateau-en-Minervois. That is the building just behind our boat right on the canal. Perfect!
This is a cool feature of this part of the south of France. You can bring a jug, empty water bottle or whatever you have and fill it up with good wine. Pretty civilized! We did not use the feature as my preference is to buy wine in a bottle, but I wouldn't mind giving it a shot one day.
Al and I had a fantastic wine tasting at the Chateau. A very knowledgeable young woman was our host. Lots of choices for the wine tasting with tasting notes/wine descriptions. Sampled seven wines and purchased three wines at a total cost of 33Euro. Of the three wine, we will take one home to Vancouver and drink the other two with our friends on the boat. The red blend I purchase is organic and has Grenache and Syrah grapes from the Minervois sub-appellation wine region. I was told to drink it within two years as it would be at its best.
Back on the boat around 15:45. Still windy on the canal, but sunny and hot. This day is what we envisioned with our canal experience. Easy going, in no particular rush and stop where we want. We don't have to worry about any more lock openings before arriving in Le Somail. We will spend the night here. The countryside around Le Somail is very flat with farmland and vineyards. We find a place to moor the boat. In this town you need to pay for your moorage whether you get services or not.
Online pic of
Le Somail
Pat and I visit the Capitainerie to figure out the costs and how to pay. One night with no services = 18.58Euro and with electricity/water it is 20.58Euro. The only place we could find in town had no services, but we don't really need water or electricity. Al and Lana take our two bicycles to do some shopping at a super market which is about a twelve minute bike ride away. After about 90 minutes they have returned with supplies. Time for dinner at a local restaurant which is a very short walk away. Lots of restaurant choices here.
It is a late dinner tonight, but we have enjoyed a full day on the canal and eating out will be a great ending to the day. We ate outside in the fresh air and a little bit of a chill in the air late at night. Good meal and we walk back in the dark to our boat. Those ducks can make a lot of noise sometimes!
So many vineyards along the canal and the countryside in Canal du Midi. Their grapes would have been picked weeks ago. Very dry soil here. Pretty cool seeing the different colours of the grape vines. Al pretending to hold a wine glass?
We have to have another picture of a canal lock! Mooring rope set on the front of the boat and we are waiting for the lock keeper to open the gate.
We had only one lock today and did 15 kms of distance on the canal. Total steps = 8,800.
For me this was the perfect day on the canal! Took it easy, had a French lunch and dinner. Superb wine tasting with wines worthy of purchase. Beautiful sunny and hot day. Picked up more supplies and found more beautiful scenery floating down the canal.
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