Click Here for Photo Album of our cruise on the hotel barge, ROSA.
The Canal du Midi was recently designated a UNESCO
World
Cultural Heritage Site,
a designation shared with the Cahokia Mounds near St. Louis, Mo.
The 63-lock canal extends 149 miles from Toulouse nearly to the Mediterranean. This
engineering feat was undertaken in the 17th century by Pierre-Paul Riquet and required
12,000 workers nearly 15 years to complete (1666 to 1681).
In 1787, Thomas Jefferson studied the canal system of Le Canal du
Midi. "I calculated that 5 minutes are lost at every bason by its screw. I suggested
to Monsr. Pinns and others a quadrantal Gate turning on a pivot and lifted by a lever like
a pump handle, aided by a windlass and cord. He will try it and inform me of the
succes."
Today, visitors can travel not only the Canal du Midi, but the Canal Lateral a
la Garonne, the Baise River and large stretches of the Lot
River. Houseboat rentals, hotel barges, cottage rentals, and bike tours offer
ample opportunities for visitors to enjoy the peaceful countryside and delicious food of
this region.
Our vehicle for touring the canal was the beautifully restored hotel barge ROSA. Traveling just 5 kilometers an hour, and carrying a maximum of 8 passengers,
we found the barge exceedingly comfortable, the food exquisite. Our pilot, Michel, our chef, Bernard and hostess, Sandrine, to be companionable and dedicated to making our trip as enjoyable, interesting, and care-free as possible. And they succeeded!
For further information on the ROSA, please contact Rosa-Croisieres, directly:
ROSA-CROISIERES
47 avenue Caldéron
31600 Muret
France
Tel : + 011-33 5 61 51 03 59
Fax : + 011-33 5 61 51 75 00
EMAIL: : r.croisieres@confluent.fr
For information on houseboat rentals and other canal options,
contact the French Agent at Ad'Navis, La Maison du Canal, 8 rue des
Peniches, 34500 BEZIERS, France. Telephone 011-334-67-62-18-18 or FAX
011-334-67-35-05-12.
Toulouse, the Rose City, is located in the Center of the Canal Region
du Midi. The Romanesque St.-Sernin Basilica dates from the 11th century. Write the
Toulouse Office of Tourism at Donjon du Capitole, Toulouse, France BP 0801-31000
or EMAIL
ottoulouse@mipnet.fr
Albi is best known as the birthplace of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The
Toulouse-Lautrec Museum is housed in the former 13th-centry Bishops Palace. The family
home since 1180 is the Chateau du Bosc in the village of Naucelle, 25 miles north of Albi.
Visit the old-town maze of cobblestone streets where half-timbered houses line the Tarn
River.
Les Bastides
Literally hundreds of remarkable fortified medieval towns dot the Midi-Pyrenees. These
Bastides were built for a variety of reasons, but the most important was protection during
wars. They sprang specifically from two conflicts: the Carthar Wars in
the 13th century and later, the Hundred Years War between France and
England.
Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac
(our Mississippi River connection) was born near the Canal du Midi, in the town of
St-Nicolas de la Grave. St.-Nicolas is planning to celebrate Cadillac's 298th
birthday with a celebration on July 24th, 1999. Click here for information
on an escorted tour with the Me Cadillac Dance Theatre of Detroit, Michigan.
For complete travel information for the Midi-Pyrenees region, contact
the Southwestern France Tourist Board, 444 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-6903. Tel
212-750-8137 or Email swfrance@aol.com
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
Mississippi River buffs will recognize the name of Antoine
de la Mothe Cadillac as one of the earliest explorers of Ste. Genevieve, Mo.
Between 1713 and 1717 Cadillac served on behalf of the Company of the West.
It is believed that he dug a pit looking for silver in the area now known as Mine
La Motte. He left the area when all he found was lead ore.
Cadillac, Michigan, was also named for the explorer who first
established the trading post at the present site of Detroit, Michigan.
Cadillac arrived in Michigan with 50 settlers, 50 soldiers and two priests. Cadillac
worked under Governor Louis de Frontenac from 1701 'til 1713 when jealous administrators
persuaded King Louis XIV that Cadillac needed greater responsibilities and ought to be
transferred to the Louisiana Territory. (See Volume 3 of Discover!
America's Great River Road)
Cadillac was born near the Canal du Midi, in the town of
St-Nicolas de la Grave. St.-Nicolas is planning to celebrate Cadillac's 298th
birthday with a celebration on July 24th, 1999.
