Thursday 27 June

I didn't post yesterday mainly because I didn't know what to say.  Things were still very much up in the air.

Wednesday started well.  We went to the harbour office and spoke to the lady there who said that the canal was closed today, but would definitely be opened tomorrow.  This was just the news we wanted to hear.  The not so good news was that we couldn't get very far today, but it would be a help in trying to go to Toulouse tomorrow.  So we phoned the Marina in Toulouse town centre and they also heard that the canal would open, so they took a booking from us for Thursday and Friday nights.  At the same time we made reservations for dinner at a Michelin 2 rosette restaurant for Friday night.

After a quick shop to top up the fridge, we set off.  We got to the next lock quite quickly and went through without any problems.  We then had part of the long 18km stretch without any locks that we hoped to do the other day.  We then got to the town of Grissoles.  This was where we had been advised to stop on the basis that the next lock was closed and there are no good stopping places before then.  Really there is nothing here in Grissoles.  The mooring station is just a short wall with a few bollards.  Nothing else.  There is what they call a commercial port, but it looks awful with high walls and no other amenities.  So we moor up to the mooring station. We decide just to have lunch first and then phone VNF to see what they say about exactly where the canal is closed and when it will open.  Their news is not good.  They say the canal closed very close to here and may not open until Friday!  Despair sets in.  Had we known this was going to be the case we might not have left Montech.  But then it is nice to have a change of scene.  Montech was convenient, but hardly a place one would choose to spend 5 days!

We take a walk in to the town.  There is not much of it.  A market square and a couple of streets with basic shops.  There is a funny little museum in an old house with a very eclectic collection which we to go to.  Very cute and free!  But there is not much else to do so it is back to the boat.  When we get there we find that a French couple we had seen in Montech have moored in front of us.  They are also on a sailing boat with their mast on board and obviously doing exactly what we are.  Then a cute little narrow boat moors up.  It turns out to be a couple from the north of England who keep their boat here.  They too have heard that the canal may not open until Friday.  We also find that the marina in Toulouse have been ringing us about our booking, because they too have heard that the canal may not open until Friday.

So we are in the middle of nowhere with no place to go.  We cheer ourselves up with the last of the Pineau and then drink one of our bottles of claret- the Margaux, and very nice it was!

This morning we tried to ring VNF at about 8:30am.  If the canal is open we need to start off in good time.  But of course they do not open until 9, and even then we can't get through.  I guess everyone is trying to find our what is happening.  At 9:30 we finally get through and---THE CANAL IS OPEN!  So we dash off.  We have to go about 20km and do 12 locks before 7:00pm when everything closes.  We have also been warned that if you can't get to the marina in Toulouse, you shouldn't stop on the canal in the city because there are shanty towns on the edge of the canal with suspect people and it isn't safe.  We note the French couple managed to get away just before us!

Well, to make a long story short, we made it!  Despite 4 out of the 12 locks we went through not working properly and our having to call out the VNF to sort them out, we are now in Toulouse and we have left the Canal de la Garonne and are now in the Canal du Midi proper.  We have found the three Canal du Midi locks we have been through today much less turbulent than the Garonne ones.  So we have now travelled 194km and done 56 locks.  We have about two more weeks to go another 240km and do 60 more locks!  Let's hope there are no more hold ups and that they continue to be less turbulent.  Also, we will reach the summit fairly soon and everyone says it is much easier going downhill.

We had a quick walk into the city this evening.  It is a really nice place with lots of old buildings including ancient town houses (Hotels), cathedrals and a spectacular town hall called the Capitole.  We shall have a proper look tomorrow.

Tonight we shall sleep the sleep of the just!