Waterways of Southern France

We were truly fortunate to have the opportunity to travel the waterways of southern France, from Sète to Arles, through the region known as the Camargue on a CroisiEurope barge cruise. I really didn’t know what to expect on this trip, which is a good thing since I had no preconceptions on what we would see. Ocean cruises can’t compare to this type of personalized travel, which has only 12 cabins. The entire crew gets to know you and your personal tastes and the guides join the mini-tours on the ship.

Disembarking takes a maximum of five minutes. The small boat docks overnight within walking distance from the sights and passengers can get off the boat for the evening, if they want. I found I was immediately immersed into what the local towns had to offer. Not well travelled by Canadians, the Camargue is a popular destination and mode of travel for the French, so it was an enjoyable opportunity to see what the French consider worth a visit. The culture is considerably different than the north of France and has a unique manner that resonates well with the Canadian attitude.

The canals were built 200 years ago and were a major route for transporting goods from the Mediterranean to coastal and inland France. The one we took often runs right along the Mediterranean and will get the climate without the rough seas. The boat we travelled on accommodates the shallow draft and narrow canal. The rooms are extremely simple and meant only for sleeping, since this is a more social type of travel which encourages engagement with other travellers and seeing the sights.

The tour started at the bustling resort town of Sète, laced with canals and pleasure boats and rich with remarkable, fresh seafood. We didn’t have to walk far to enjoy the famous French cuisine. We then travelled along the Canal du Rhône à Sète, which links the large oyster lagoon (Étang de Thau), along the southern “Mouth of the Rhône” canal, to the southern Rhône and the entrancing city of Arles.

There was so much to see that I can only describe a few, small tidbits:

• One of the most highly photogenic medieval villages of France, Saint-Guilhem, was constructed in the early 9^th century and there is not a spot where I didn’t want to use my camera. Warning – no photograph can replace seeing it in person!
• The salt marshes and fortified town of Aigues-Mortes, where we meandered through a medieval village located in the centre of a perfect medieval wall, complete with towers.
• A visit to a manade (a highlight for us) – where steers are raised to engage in high adrenaline “games” of skill. Unlike bullfighting the steers are not killed and can even be declared champions of the games. This really opened our eyes to the local culture.
• The city of Arles, populated by the Romans around the time of Christ, is rich in Roman monuments and was even the home of Vincent Van Gogh for a while. The Roman theatre is still used for presentations and the arena for concerts. We felt that this is a town where people are strongly rooted to the history of their place
• An organic olive oil farm, where the oil has a rich flavour we can’t get enough of – tastes awesome on potatoes.
• The abundant bird life, where species migrate between northern Europe and Africa. We spent an entire morning just bird watching while the barge travelled through peaceful farmlands.

Food is family style and the crew is extremely friendly. All spoke English and French. You know you are in France when the chef comes out to announce the menu for the meals and the passengers all cheer (especially the cheese course).

I have a food intolerance and chef Marc accommodated for me at every gourmet meal. He also prepped meals using fresh ingredients that were a specialty of the region. Awesome! When we left the ship we truly felt we had seen a side of France not commonly on the “tourist trail”, yet rich in history and culture.

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If you are enchanted with this type of travel and want to find out more about availability and costs, please drop us an email here or set up a time to chat below. We can set up a full slide presentation for you to see more of this part of France.