43:19.0N 3:17.1E

 

5 June – we planned to stop at Bezier, but thought the town quay looked a bit grotty, so kept goin and are now tied up to the canal bank just beyond the village of L les B, just a few k from the Med

 

Depart Capestang 1120

Arrive Villeneuvre les Bezier 1715, 5 locks (including a flight of 7 at Bezier, and one with a 6.2m fall (that is a long way down.)

Sunny all day, but cool wind

 

Lovely sunny dawn, so for third consecutive day did NOT don thermals. Summer? Walk around Capestang  - mighty church.  Market stalls in the church square. Looks like the SS slaughtered some locals there. Will post photo for you to translate. Used the free half hour wifi at Tourist Info. Soon after cast off, washing flying from guard rails,   passed dredger – has 4 domed stabilizers to sit on canal bottom whilst digging –  wide berth needed. Also came across digger removing stumps of diseased plane trees. So sad. Paced out the tree  intervals last night – they are 6m apart. Planted on both banks virtually throughout – so with 193km of Lateral and 240km of Midi that is a lot of saplings many years ago. Arrived top of Bezier flight 1320, just before the end of “lunch break” to conveniently discover the going down period is 1330 till 1530. A large barge full of tourists goes first (commercial traffic has priority) then a group of 4 (3 grockel boats and  one experienced Dutch couple). We hang around and go solo a bit later. Loads of spectators  - one very elderly gentleman tourist insisted on helping her step ashore, and “helping” (in fact hindering) with her warp work! (Having done over 50 down locks we do actually know what to do!) Press on thro Bezier and tie up canalside where we understand a Brit usually moors/lives, but is elsewhere for a few days. Brompton to village - streets an absolute maze. Beer in cockpit. Cold when sun gets low. Realise need to read pilot n do some aplans for the next sailing bit- no idea of this coast.