In Moissac there is a double lock down onto the River Tarn where there are additional moorings run by the port, complete with water and electricity, and if you ask the local hotel nicely, free wifi. To encourage the bigger barges down onto the river the mooring rate is reduced. Needless to say we moved onto the river at the first opportunity and also had a fun cruise for 10k up river to the old abandoned lock then down to the confluence of the Tarn with the Garonne. We were the only boat on the river, or so we thought, until, returning, we met the restaurant peniche PORTHOS taking a trip up river as well - with 30 pensioners on board! Much waving and thumbs up.
While we were moored on the river, we were enjoying sitting in the sun one afternoon when a number of French army chaps came down the river in several small lightweight landing craft and we assumed they were on some sort of exercise. We thought we’d never know what they were up to, but next day, we set off up the double lock back onto the canal and on towards the west, and as we cleared the town a huge four-engined Hercules (or the like) flew overhead, and we were just in time to see about half a dozen parachutes opening in the sky behind it, right over the river confluence. So that’s what all the army boats were about – picking up the parachutists who were practising landing on water. We were treated to several more sorties while we travelled along as the plane flew round in circles dropping groups off each time.
We were also being entertained by a kingfisher which was flitting from branch to branch in front of the boat making it difficult to know which way to look, and sadly so fast it was impossible to capture such a lovely sight on camera.
We got to your next mooring, Malause, where there was water, leccy and nobody to take any money! We got the bikes out and rode the 6km or so west to Valence d’Agen for tea with Ken and Rhonda on SOMWHERE. Alex did some repairs to their generator bracket and we ended up staying for supper and were offered a lift back to Riccall in the car, leaving the bikes behind. The next day, Ken and Rhonda fetched us back to our bikes and we returned the long way round on the bikes in glorious sunshine, taking a closer look at Goltech power station and having a picnic lunch beside the Garonne near a village called Auvillar. As the centre was up a long and very, very steep hill, we decided to leave investigation of the abbey and apparently lovely village until we have the car.
The following day, in truly torrential rain Alex helped Ken bring SOMEWHERE up the three locks to our mooring point at Malause while Rhonda and Louise came by car (via coffee and a chat in a bar in Valence) – lucky them.
In the morning we said goodbye to SOMEWHERE and set off on the last leg of our trek westwards. A couple of days later we moored in Agen in a big basin in front of a boat called JAZZ. We were slightly surprised that they hadn’t popped out to take a rope, as we could see them in their wheelhouse, but a few minutes after we had moored up Ian and Jill came rushing over to us with total disbelief and apologies; we had arrived so quietly that they had just not noticed us at all till one of them turned round and there we were!
We had a good cycle round Agen - the old quarters, the old quay on the Garonne which was used when the river was navigable (just) before the lateral canal was built, and the aqueduct over it for the canal, all in lovely weather. While we were having drinks with Ian and Jill in the evening La Chouette sailed past – all 30 metres of her – with a cheery wave.
Our penultimate stop at Sérignac offered free moorings with water and electricity so that was good, but the inviting looking restaurant in the lovely village complete with ancient houses and church with a spiral steeple, had just closed for a month! So it was supper on board again, after we had cycled the 3kms to the Garonne in the mild evening sunshine just to have a look at it (and to get our afternoon exercise).
Finally we arrived at our winter moorings at Buzet-sur-Baïse where we found Bob and Bobbie of La Chouette already ensconced. Bob helped us moor up and they both came for tea, then Alex helped Bob reassemble his wheelhouse and we had evening drinks with them in it.
So that pretty well concludes this year’s cruising. We are moored here at Buzet with several other barges which we know and a few other boats we don’t. We will probably be the only couple living so much of the time aboard, so I guess when we get the car down here, we will doing our socialising by car, as we have friends moored about 50kms in each direction!
This winter, Alex is threatening to write the story of the finding, buying and conversion of Riccall in the blog, unless there is a vociferous howl of protest from the 6 people who read it. (Yes, we think it’s up to 6 this year!)
This year’s stats
Kilometres: 1,425
Locks: 301
Canals/rivers travelled: Canal du Marne au Rhin
River Moselle
Canal des Vosges
La Petite Saône
Saône
Rhône
Petit Rhône
Canal du Rhône à Sète
Etang du Thau
Canal du Midi
Canal Lateral a la Garonne
River Tarn
