Canal Barging in France
The barge trip on the canal du Midi in the south of France, was totally relaxing except for the fact that the barge that we rented was a three story barge. This trip is not for everyone, very laid back (slow) and not for anyone but the most agile disabled person; more work than it is worth.
The barge that we rented did not come with services so we were captain and crew. You can see Betsy here "Totin That Barge". Tote dat barge
I would recommend a full service barge for any other disabled person, as they offer car tour service in the towns that you pass and may want to visit. Full service barges are also two stories and I saw one that was single storied. On the other hand the scenery, the pace, the wine and the food are all wonderful. My companions road bikes along the canal and waited for us at the locks. I even had a try at bike riding as you can see from the picture. Even more fun was the joy of purchasing my electric two wheeler. The electric bike was how I could keep up with the others on the longer rides away from the canal.
The weather was warm and so were the French people that we talked to. Unlike the city denizens they were patient with our bad French and seemed honestly happy to see tourists.
My conclusion is that this is the first trip that I have taken that I would say, “hey with so many other great places to go, bypass this one”. However, getting to the barge trip took me through Paris and in spite of the inaccessibility of some of the old buildings and monuments, the museums are accessible. Paris is incredible and although I do not give a travel log on it, my God it is PARIS and you must go! If nothing else you can sit on the Grande Avenue des Champs-Elisée, and drink your favorite beverage.sittin on the Champs In a very few minutes you will see the world pass by. We were able to take a London style two deck bus around the city; these will pick you up and let you off at various destinations along the route. The tour is in English and very helpful to get you oriented. We picked up the tour at the Eiffel Tower, but I think you can do it at a lot of places.
Take lotsa money, France is expensive, good guide books can steer you to the less expensive hotels and restaurants, nevertheless….$wow$
