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We did a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage site Canal du Midi. The canal links the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and was first envisaged by the Romans, but wound up in the “too hard” basket. The Canal du Midi was completed in 1680 and is considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century. The canal was intended to speed up the transportation of goods and to avoid the taxes and pirates associated with traveling around the Iberian Peninsula and the Straits of Gibraltar. Today it is used almost exclusively for sightseeing.

We did a bus ride to Grau d’Agde, where we boarded the barge.

The canal has several locks which raised us a very considerable height.

A few interesting sights along the way.

Towards the end of our barge ride it started to rain.

Sadly the day was very overcast and cool. Despite the conditions, it was an interesting excursion.