Canal Boat trip - Agen, France



Simone on deck

  We started the canal trip in Agen France and motored to Boe where we stayed the night. On arrival and with strong winds we finally managed to berth the vessel with a little help from our new found friends. In actual fact their kind assistance was born out of fear of our boat colliding with theirs under trying conditions. After a few attempts we were safely moored. The crew was then fed, watered and put to bed. We all fell asleep exhausted from our first day on the water.

We overslept and arose late the following morning with our goal to reach Moissac. A full day's boating. It was pull up anchor and open up the throttle. Full speed ahead, which in fact was a leisurely 10 knots on the canal. The first loch was a bit nerve wracking. The pro's and con's were considered before pushing the green button which would surely send our vessel to to the bottom of the loch or raise us to the new water level allowing us to continue up stream. After the gates closed and the water started to flow we new we had made the right decision. A collective sigh of relief was had and renewed our confidence in navigating the remaining 9 lochs before reaching our final destination(Moissac.)




Moored at Moissac




Travelling along canal

Travelling along the canal was very scenic and allowed us to take in the rich provincial sights of the region.



Market day at Moissac






Art on the street

 
Moissac was a truly beautiful city.
After a big day on the water we moored perfectly alongside the other boats in a cosy little port.
The wind had disappeared earlier in the day and so we enjoyed a warm, calm night in this quaint little village.

We awoke to the sound of music.
Market day in Moissac as well as a bustling little sidewalk sale right behind us. This set the day for a party atmosphere. We stayed in Moissac all morning eating, drinking and poking around before a mad dash for the draw bridge before 12.30 which sees the bridge closed for their siesta. We waved to the gate keeper with 5 minutes to spare as we headed off back to Agen. Another big day on the water with music blaring and waving to all the locals was a lot of fun.

Moored succesfully in Agen, cooked up a storm, slept soundly, handed the keys back and set off on our next adventure. Cinque Terre.