Images from the Book

Nigel Foster and Tim Franklin paddlekayak from lock in France 1979lock

Nigel Foster behind Tim Franklin in a tandem kayak exit a canal lock in France1979

1. "Two hundred and twenty locks?"
Frosty morning camping beside canal France 1979

On the few days without rain, we had frost and our drinking water froze in the bottle.

3. Frosty morning
Glassy water leading toward Étang de Thau from the Mediterranean

Glassy water toward the end of a circuit around Sète.

5. Aiming toward Étang de Thau  from the Mediterranean, south of France
Oyster farm docks with boats hoisted

Étang de Thau oyster farms with boats hoisted from the water

7. Étang de Thau waterfront oyster docks

Water vole

Water vole

9. Wildlife, a water vole, by the Canal du Midi near Agde, France
Attentive crew tensions mooring line as lock fills

Attentive crew tensions mooring line as lock fills

11. Canal du Midi locks fill with turbulent water
The Works of Libron

The Works of Libron

13. The Works of Libron are an ingenious solution to the problem of the river Libron flashflooding into the Canal du Midis
Boat passing under bridge

Narrow bridges cross the Canal du Midi

15. Boats have to pass under many narrow bridges that cross the Canal du Midi.
Lock filling with whitewater

The seventeenth century canal locks fill rapidly with whitewater

17. It is easy to see why kayaks are forbidden to use the locks on the Canal du Midi
The rise of nine locks at Béziers

The flight of nine locks at Béziers

19. The Fonserannes flight of nine locks atBéziers
Étang de Montady viewd from Oppidum d’Ensérune

The drained Étang de Montady is now farmland.

21. the Étang de Montady, drained in Medieval times, viewed from the Oppidum d’Ensérune
The Alouette at La Somail

The Alouette at La Somail

23. Luxury barge, the Alouette, barely fits under the old bridge at La Somail
Kayaking down an avenue of reflected plae trees

Kayaking between lines of reflected plane trees

25. Serene times flying above the reflections
Dark grapes for wine making

Trailer load of dark grapes

27. Dark grapes for wine making at Ventenac-en-Minervois
Carcassonne

Fortified town of Carcassonne

29. Carcassonne
Curving street, Bram

Curving street, Bram

32. Bram is built in concentric circles
Castelnaudary

The pool at Castelnaudary

34. Looking back across the pool at Castelnaudary
Rooftop sculpture at the Not pottery

Rooftop sculpture

36. The Not pottery stands beside the Canal du Midi
Parting of the waters, stately avenue of plane trees
38. Stately avenue of plane trees at the parting of the waters
Statue of Paul Riquet, Toulouse
40. Paul Riquet statue, Toulouse.
A statue of Paul Riquet stands near the end of the canal du Midi in Toulouse
Montech water slide
43. The Montech water slide from below
Cloisters at Moissac Abbey
45. Cloisters at Moissac Abbey
public washhouse at Valence d'Agen
47. Public washhouse at Valence d'Agen
Washhouse beside canal
49. Washhouse beside canal
Market square Damazan
51. Covered market square, Damazan
Operating lock on Garonne canal
53. Operating a lock on the Garonne canal
Canal meets the Garonne river at Castets-en-Dorthe
55. Canal meets the Garonne river at Castets-en-Dorthe
Sunset above pontoon, River Garonne
57. Sunset on the River Garonne
Vineyards at Portets
59. Vineyards at Portets
Pont de pierre, Bordeaux
61. Approaching pont de pierre, Bordeaux
World War II U-boat pens, Bordeaux
63. World War II U-boat pens, Bordeaux
Wooden boat under repair, Bordeaux
65. Wooden boat under repair, Bordeaux
Bassens grain silos
67. Bassens grain silos
Waiting for the tide, Collages, Gironde
69. Waiting for ebb tide at Collanges
River Saône in flood
71. Moving fast. River Saône in spate
Outside Marseille railway station in 1979
73. Outside Marseille railway station in 1979
Egret, Meschers-sur-Gironde
75. Egret, Meschers-sur-Gironde
Richard selecting oysters
77. Richard selecting oysters
Camping with kayak on waterlogged canal bank France 1979

Camping with kayak on waterlogged canal bank France

2. March is not the best month to choose for kayaking the canals in France.
Jousting boats sit idle in Sète France

Two jousting boats sit idle on the canal at Sète, the starting place for the journey to the Atlantic.

4. Jousting boats at the Mediterranean port of Sète.
Oysters in Étang de Thau

Oyster farms in Étang de Thau


The entrance to the Canal du Midi, France

Kristin Nelson entering the Canal du Midi from the lagoon, Étang de Thau, at Phare des Onglous.

8. The entrance to the Canal du Midi near the Phare des Onglous
Pénichette entering an olive-shaped lock on Canal du Midi

Boat, a pénichette, enters a lock on the Canal du Midi

10. Locks on the Canal du Midi are mostly oval in shape
Swimmer on the canal

We take a wrong turning toward the old port of Agde

 12. wrong direction...
Machinary to operate the Works of Libron

Works of Libron

14. Controls used to open and close the numerous sluices at the Works of Libron
Our friends on the Pénichette, Campinol

A Pénichette mooring at the canal bank beneath plane trees

16. Our friends on the Pénichette: Campignol mooring
An elegant aqueduct crosses the River Orb at Béziers

Aqueduct at Béziers mirrored in the Orb river.

18. The aqueduct crossing the River Orb at Béziers improved on Riquet's original canal route.
Malpas tunnel, Canal du Midi

The Malpas tunnel

20. The Malpas tunnel at Ensérune
Shopping for fresh produce at open market

Shopping for groceries at an open market

22. Local markets typically pack up at around midday
Live music at the quay at La Somail

Live music at the canal quay, La Somail.

24. Live music and wine-tasting at the quay at La Somail
Ventenac-en-Minervois

Ventenac-en-Minervois

26. Too early for the wine tasting at Ventenac-en-Minervois
canal marina and Chateau, Argens-Minervois

canal marina and Chateau, Argens-Minervois

28. Time for a walk to the chateau before lunch
Entering the walled town Carcassonne

Gateway into Carcassonne

30. Time to explore the fortified town
Carved stonework around church door

Carved stonework around church door.

31 Bram, a circulade that suffered during the Albigensian crusade
DoubleShot kayak beside lockkeepers house

33. Doubleshot kayak beside lockkeeper's house

We camp in the lockkeeper's garden
Cyclists silhouetted on canal bank

Cyclists beside the canal

35. The Canal du Midi offers a wonderful cycling route.
Riquet Memorial at the parting of the waters

Riquet's memorial stands at the parting of the waters

37. The parting of the waters marks the highest section of the summit canal, Canal du Midi
Kayak floating at Port Sauveur, Toulouse
39. Port Sauveur, Toulouse
Wheeling kayak through Toulouse
41. Foster wheels his kayak through Toulouse
Montech water ramp with locomotives
42. Montech locomotives with the gate raised.
Garonne canal aqueduct crosses the river Tarn
44. Garonne canal aqueduct crosses the river Tarn
Carved capitals at Moissac Abbey
46. Carved capitals at Moissac Abbey
Public washhouse from the Garonne Canal
48. Public washhouse beside Garonne canal
Kristin brews espresso at Damazan
50. Kristin brews espresso, Damazan
Camping on the canal bank
52. An easy place to camp beside the canal
Chateau at Castets-en-Dorthe
54. Chateau at Castets-en-Dorthe
Kristin negotiates mud at Langoiran
56. Kristin negotiates mud at Langoiran
Nets hang above riverside mud in fog
58. Nets hang above mud in early morning fog
Disentangling log from floating ponteen, Portets
60. Disentangling log from floating ponteen, Portets
Pont de pierre, Bordeaux
62. Pont de pierre, "stone bridge", Bordeaux
U-boat pen number 6, Bordeaux
64. Heavily fortified U-boat pen number six, Bordeaux
Airbus plane wing on route to Toulouse
66.Airbus Aircraft wing carried upstream to Toulouse
Collanges, low tide mud
68. Collanges, Gironde estuary, low tide mud
Fishing huts, Gironde estuary
70. Fishing huts, Gironde estuary
Tim Franklin portaging a barrage on the River Rhône
72. Tim Franklin portaging a barrage on the River Rhône
Returning upstream past cliffs, Gironde
74. Returning upstream
Seaside carousel: all the fun of the fair
76. Seaside carousel: all the fun of the fair
A plate of oysters, and a mug of Champagne
78. A plate of oysters, and a mug of Champagne