À BORD d'ACCORD
La Deuxième Partie
Septembre 2011 - Page 2
. On the Canal de Garonne in Pommevic just east of Valence-d'Agen - docked next to beautiful hotel barge Saint Louis.
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Monday
Sept 26 - Biked to town of Auvillar
2:30 PM - Dep Valence-d'Agen
3:15 PM - Arr: Pommevic
tied up next to Hotel Barge St. Louis
.
Saturday October 1 - Yet another sunny day!
11:00 AM - Dep Saint-Jory
11:45 AM - Finally into Lock #6
after waiting for VNF guy to come
from Toulouse to fix stuck lock!
3:00 PM - Arr "Pk 0" - end of the
Canal de Garonne, start of the Canal du Midi
4:30 PM - Arr Toulouse - downtown
Port Saint Sauveur marina
(an excellent spot to hang out for a few days.)
From this angle our boat looks awfully small next to the 30-m Saint Louis.
Tuesday
Sept 27 - Crêpes w. crème fraîche for petit-déjeuner
10:30 AM - Dep Pommevic
12:50 PM - Arr: Moisssac
back to "our spot"
dinner at L'Abbye restaurant
We actually got aboard the Saint Louis - while the
paying passengers were off being bused to Auvillar -
and this is the view from the wheelhouse.
The suitably Grand Salon on the Saint Louis. Maryjane
is checking out the very well-appointed galley.
Yet another gourmet meal on the Amarok/Accord aft deck.
Nancy readies the docking line as we return to Moissac.
The Saint Louis departing Pommevic in the morning mist.
Wednesday
Sept 28 - 7 AM - Maryjane departed for NH, USA.
After puttering around Moissac, and
installing a new gray-water sump-pump, we
decided to head East - where neither the boat
(under our ownership) nor we, have been.
1:20 PM - Dep Moissac - sunny 84º
2:00 PM - crossing the R.Tarn Pont-Canal
3:30 PM - Arr: Castelsarrasin, tied on bank
Here we are returning to our home base in Moissac. Notice
the bright orange flowers (to the right) in our flower-box.
On our previous trip in July, a lock-keeper on the Baïse
plucked a tiny plant from his garden and gave it to us. We
had no idea what it was, but we dutifully planted it. Now (6
weeks later) it has turned into one of our prettiest flowers!
Click on photos to see larger version in new window.
Castelsarrasin canal life! Our yellow boat in the background.
It's a dog's life! At the Port de Plaisance in Castelsarrasin.
A very full and crowded harbor in Castelsarrasin. That's hotel
barge Saint Louis, once again. We can't seem to shake them!
A pigeon house atop the water tower in Castelsarrasin.
Thursday Sept 29 - Market day in Castelsarrasin.
Several markets all around town - fun!
10:30 AM - Dep Castelsarrasin - sunny 82º
12:15 PM - L'heure de dejuener at Lock 15
Checked out the (non-functional) Pente-d'Eau,
a water slope with a train that pushes boats up.
3:00 PM - Arr: Montech, slip in Pt de Plsnce.
Pretty, shady spot. Another busy harbor.
Waiting at the first of five locks just before Montech.
The Pente d'Eau bypasses these locks - but only for
boats over 20 meters, and only if it's working! (See below)
Friday Sept 30 - Another sunny warm day!
11:30 AM - Dep: Montech
1:30 PM - Lunch stop in Grisolles
5:00 PM - Arr: Saint-Jory, tied on
bank in shade before Lock #6.
Nancy checking out a friendly cat at Lock #15.
The rather dated-looking Pente d'Eau system near Montech.
It was built in 1974 to by-pass 5 locks, but right now, it's closed
for maintenance. It's expected to re-open in 2013.
Despite what we had heard, there were plenty of very pretty stretches of
canal between Montech and Toulouse - this is certainly one of them.
Sunset in Saint-Jory. Sunset's about 7:30 PM now,
unlike our July trip when it set about 9:30 PM.
Early morning scene at our St-Jory tie-up.
Photo taken on the way back from my morning bread run in St-Jory.
As you approach the outskirts of Toulouse, the scenery becomes
decidedly more industrial. Also, the train tracks follow the canal.
Sur le Canal de Garonne