The Fonserannes went pretty well, in the end. The first couple of biggish boats went in together, and in fact each chamber moves quickly (much more quickly than your average lock, IMHO). So we got into the second batch of three boats (one moored boat ahead of us had no signs of life – I imagined the driver waiting to pay in the restaurant, looking at the movement outside with a vein pulsing out of his forehead).
It was handy Marie-Laure arrived when she did, as the lock-keepers all expected two people on land with ropes while yours truly was at the wheel. That said, there was a couple managing OK in the same chamber as us. They were driving a Le Boat as well, and pretty capable…unlike the third member of our trio who was in a “Les Canalous” basic rental model which a) didn’t have bow thrusters and b) had an incompetent man at the wheel. It was a bit embarrassing trying to look away as the lock-keepers kept having to tell him what to do, and trying not to wince as he all but stoves his prow into the side of the lock.
The timing of the locks was a bit of a challenge. We’d had lunch on board (Aurélie had knocked up a round of Croque Madames – God, I love that woman) but 2YO was not napping. Once the locks started, we couldn’t pause, so fortunately 2YO was happy with 5YO taking all pens, toys and games out of their packs and boxes and scattering them everywhere.
Then when we got through the last one, we were tantalisingly close to Béziers, so we snuck into the last separate lock, then rocked up to the dock. So first order of business on arrival was getting youngest to sleep for 45 minutes or so.
Weirdly, having come from tiny Colombiers which seems proud of the canal with extensive facilities and mooring, to Béziers which is a sizeable city AND the birthplace of Paul Riquet who conceived the whole thing (and whose statue and name feature all around town), there are precious few moorings here and no showers, toilets, wifi or laundry. All has been outsourced to the nearby (but not that nearby) Centre Commercial which apparently features wifi, supermarkets, shops and restaurants. But why would you go to a freaking shopping centre if you were “doing” the Canal du Midi?
On top of that, getting to the town centre is, to put it mildly, a twat. You’ve got to brave multiple busy, big roads through a couple of industrial areas before getting to the train station, where you the streets reluctantly allow you to cross to the Parc des Poètes. From there, it’s gravy, it’s a lovely town both in terms of shops and historical what-not. We tried another route back via the Cathédrale Saint-Nazaire which was better, but still dicier than you’d wish. Admittedly, a buggy with infant plus cranky 4 year old tests any route choice. We were glad to get back to the boat and shut Béziers out until morning. Oh, there’s quite a busy road next to the port, and council folk came along to strim the nearby verdure at 9am, so not really in keeping with sleepy canal life one freaking bit.
Timsformational 