Sat pm: Your guide will meet you at your chosen rendez vous point and bring you where "Emma"is moored in the
port of Trébes. Once you are settled on board we shall cruise off with champagne cocktails out into the vineyards,
through 2 locks to Leveque.
Sun am. We go off to explore the biggest and best fortified city in Europe, Carcassonne. Although dating from the time of Charlemagne, it has been extensively restored. You can walk along the ramparts, visit the Chateau Comptal, shop in the boutiques along the cobbled streets, visit galleries and museums and get the feel of life in the middle ages.
Sun pm: Put your feet up and relax during our afternoon cruise, which takes us through 4 locks to Herminis. Have a stroll through the vineyards, cycle the towpath or just sit and have a glass of local wine, read your book whilst your gourmet dinner is being prepared.
Mon am. This morning your guide will take you to Limoux, home of the famous sparkling wine. Can we tempt you to a little dégustation? You will then carry on to Rennes le Chateau, which if you have read Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code; you will remember the story of the Curé Saunier who all of a sudden had great riches. Did he find the treasure? This is a very interesting visit, through beautiful scenery, but keep your eye out for the lost treasure.
Mon pm: After lunch we shall cruise to the typical languedocian village of Brams. It is known as a circulade due to its resemblance to the spiral of a snail's shell.
Tues am: From Brams this morning your visit will take you through the rolling plains of the Lauraigais, fields of sunflowers in summer and views of the snow capped mountains on a clear day, to the town of Mirepoix. We shall stop off at Fanjeaux, home of St Dominic and the Dominican Convent; the views are spectacular. Mirepoix itself is renowned for its wooden columns surrounding the main market square, its colombaged houses and its cathedral.
Tues pm: After lunch you captain will gently guide you along the canal, going through a selection of lovely locks to moor up in the lovely Lauragais countryside.
Wed am: This morning we shall cruise to the town of Castelnaudary.
Wed pm This afternoon your guide will take you to visit Castelnaudary. One of the contenders for "the original and best Cassoulet", the others being Carcassonne and Toulouse. The Grand Bassin, the Gothic Collegiale with its 56 meter bell tower, the 17th Century windmill the vestiges of the Presidial, partly destroyed by Louis X11 and the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Pitié with its gold covered wood sculptures depicting ten episodes in the life of Christ are all on the visit.
Thurs am We leave Castelnaudary this morning and continue our cruise to The Seuil de Narouze. This is the highest point on the Canal du Midi after which it descends the other side towards the Atlantic. Here the plane trees are the same age as the canal- amazing!!.
Thurs pm. This afternoon's visit is to the the reason why the Canal du Midi was possible, the Lac St Ferreol It was the only land which had slopes both to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.You will see the intricate irrigation system, which allows us to have the canal we love today. To think this was all discovered in the 1600's on horseback by Paul Riquet.
Return to Emma for your final gala dinner lovingly prepared by your personal chef.
Fri am: Sadly you must leave us this morning, and after breakfast, your guide will be ready to escort you to your onward departure point.
Sun am. We go off to explore the biggest and best fortified city in Europe, Carcassonne. Although dating from the time of Charlemagne, it has been extensively restored. You can walk along the ramparts, visit the Chateau Comptal, shop in the boutiques along the cobbled streets, visit galleries and museums and get the feel of life in the middle ages.
Sun pm: Put your feet up and relax during our afternoon cruise, which takes us through 4 locks to Herminis. Have a stroll through the vineyards, cycle the towpath or just sit and have a glass of local wine, read your book whilst your gourmet dinner is being prepared.
Mon am. This morning your guide will take you to Limoux, home of the famous sparkling wine. Can we tempt you to a little dégustation? You will then carry on to Rennes le Chateau, which if you have read Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code; you will remember the story of the Curé Saunier who all of a sudden had great riches. Did he find the treasure? This is a very interesting visit, through beautiful scenery, but keep your eye out for the lost treasure.
Mon pm: After lunch we shall cruise to the typical languedocian village of Brams. It is known as a circulade due to its resemblance to the spiral of a snail's shell.
Tues am: From Brams this morning your visit will take you through the rolling plains of the Lauraigais, fields of sunflowers in summer and views of the snow capped mountains on a clear day, to the town of Mirepoix. We shall stop off at Fanjeaux, home of St Dominic and the Dominican Convent; the views are spectacular. Mirepoix itself is renowned for its wooden columns surrounding the main market square, its colombaged houses and its cathedral.
Tues pm: After lunch you captain will gently guide you along the canal, going through a selection of lovely locks to moor up in the lovely Lauragais countryside.
Wed am: This morning we shall cruise to the town of Castelnaudary.
Wed pm This afternoon your guide will take you to visit Castelnaudary. One of the contenders for "the original and best Cassoulet", the others being Carcassonne and Toulouse. The Grand Bassin, the Gothic Collegiale with its 56 meter bell tower, the 17th Century windmill the vestiges of the Presidial, partly destroyed by Louis X11 and the Chapelle Notre Dame de la Pitié with its gold covered wood sculptures depicting ten episodes in the life of Christ are all on the visit.
Thurs am We leave Castelnaudary this morning and continue our cruise to The Seuil de Narouze. This is the highest point on the Canal du Midi after which it descends the other side towards the Atlantic. Here the plane trees are the same age as the canal- amazing!!.
Thurs pm. This afternoon's visit is to the the reason why the Canal du Midi was possible, the Lac St Ferreol It was the only land which had slopes both to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.You will see the intricate irrigation system, which allows us to have the canal we love today. To think this was all discovered in the 1600's on horseback by Paul Riquet.
Return to Emma for your final gala dinner lovingly prepared by your personal chef.
Fri am: Sadly you must leave us this morning, and after breakfast, your guide will be ready to escort you to your onward departure point.
CARCASSONNE to TOULOUSE
Liz & René Jacquot, 2 Rue du Théron, 34310 CAPESTANG Tel : 00 33 607993878 E mail emmastpatrick@gmail.com