Continents

Canal du Midi Barging

The Canal du Midi is a holiday makers’ favorite destination in southern France, with dozens of barges plying the route through Languedoc’s peaceful waters, including the four-star Alouette, the pretty and intimate four-passenger Colibri, the Athos (the biggest on the canal) and the luxurious Tango.

After evaluating each of these, we chose to book a cabin on the Anjodi, a fully catered floating hotel with crew of four and only eight pampered guests. We had seen something of the barge on a London TV cooking show, where it was the setting for a series featuring a well-known English chef.

It all seemed an ideal way to vacation in the south of France, floating lazily through the Languedoc-Roussillon countryside, a region famous for its wines, its natural beauty and its rich historical texture. Fortified villages, castles and market towns were on our varied itinerary as well as wine tours and tastings and some vivid lessons in medieval French history.

The three meals served aboard daily were nothing short of fine dining, with varied fare such as oysters and mussels fresh from the Thau basin at the Mediterranean end of our route; tasty rosemary rack of lamb; perfectly roasted Guinea fowl with cèpe mushrooms, delicious lobster and crab, inventive fennel, barley, pecan and chicory salads and savory side dishes such as stacked potatoes dauphinois and poached asparagus.

Each meal included an array of regional beverages from a sweet Muscat de St Jean de Minervois to start, refreshing local Rosés and whites as well as bold reds from the Faugères and after-dinner drinks of a local Marc. Some of the wines we had previously tasted at the afternoon Châteaux visits.

And each dinner concluded with a generous carving board with top cheeses such as Reblochon from the Alps and the delicious soft and nutty goat cheese, Chabichou, along with appropriate dried fruits and nuts.

As with the food aboard, the accommodations were all one could ask—entirely comfortable and well-maintained. The four cabins are not spacious, but they do offer a choice of double or twin beds, and there is a bit more room in the double-bedded ones. Each cabin has a private, tiled bath with shower, all spotless. The staff provides whatever might be needed for comfort.

During the slow progress down the canal there is ample time for relaxing with a book, walking or bicycle riding along the tow-path or enjoying the on-deck Jacuzzi. Now and then we came to a settlement—an important town or a picturesque village—and had time to explore and learn something about the history of the area.

At the Roman outpost town of Narbonne, now a lively Mediterranean city that’s an important wine-producing center, we visited the fortress-like Cathedral and marveled at the many flying buttresses upholding its walls. We also visited the wonderful covered market, where we couldn’t help splurging on local olives, baguettes and croissants.

At Béziers, the canal crosses the River Orb as an aqueduct, the first of its kind in France. We chose to have dinner here at a wonderful restaurant called La Raffinerie, which lies along the canal and occupies a former sulphur refinery (sulphur is used by wine growers as a preservative and disinfectant).

Our dinner of smoked herring blinis with petits pois and a vinaigrette of herring caviar, followed by a delicious preparation of cod with fennel and zucchini, and finishing with pot au chocolat—a meal that we will not soon forget. Dinner for two, before wine (from a well-priced list), about $90. 14 avenue Joseph Lazare. Tel: 33-4-6776-0712.

In Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage site, we walked the ramparts of the fortified city walls and visited the Bishop’s Palace. Our tour guide explained the story of the Inquisition and Crusades against the Cathars, a Christian heretic sect that flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries.

In the village of Minerve, perched on an island of rock between the gorges of the Briant and Cesse rivers, we were able to study the interior of the 12th century church of St Etienne as it was empty except for ourselves. This is one of the prettiest villages in France. We also managed to squeeze in a visit to Oppidum d’Ensérune, an ancient hill town and an important archaeological site.

Prices for Midi barge cruising vary based on the barge selected, the length of the cruise and inclusions. Our seven-day, six-night cruise was about $3,500 per person, including all food and beverages as well as pre-arranged pick-up and drop-off. Tel: 800-394-8630. www.gobarging.com.