Our Location

August, A month in Port Sud (Toulouse)

(Click on the town names to see a map of the location)

	Well after all we decided to stay the whole month in Toulouse at Port Sud. August in Southern France was VERY HOT HOT HOT - one of the biggest heat-waves in the last 100 years. As a consequence the water level on the Canal du Midi and Lateral a la Garonne was very low, so low that the VNF (French Waterway Authorities) recommended to not drive into Toulouse and friends on another barge told us that even with their draft of 1m it was difficult to tie up on the Lateral. So we decided to take it easy, stay in the shade and take a vacation at Koni (Betty's brother) & Ruth's Hotel in Soulac sur Mer - http://www.oceanhotelloisirs.com. If you want to visit the most famous wineries of the Bordeaux and stay at a nice place book your vacation now at reservation@oceanhotelloisirs.com.
	Another series of pictures from the what floats in the Canal du Midi picture book. A frog ...
	a crayfish and ...
	a Boa Constrictor. Well at least it is a snake. We saw it swimming about a mile upstream from Port Sud.
	During our time in Ramonville, the town Port Sud is located in, Racine also discovered a mirror. Either he is admiring himself or his looks are due to the catnip he discovered in a small bag buried under the supplies!
	This picture solves the mystery on how a 38m barge can pass the 30m locks of the Canal du Midi. You just cut out the middle of the ship! You see the cut out sections as floating (ugly) apartments all over the Toulouse stretch of the Canal du Midi.
	Remember the Gondoliers we saw in Vias? Now there is a big rowing event happening on the Canal. About 50 rowing boats plan to row from Toulouse to Beziers in one week! About 180km of rowing and walking around 60 locks in 5 days. Some rowers looked very fit, others looked like they were about to pass out at km 12 (with 168 to go).