Canal du Midi day one

Today we left the Isle de Sorgue. We bought some groceries at the local super market before leaving and headed off for Homps and our canal boat trip.
The trip was again a reasonable one of just under 3 hrs and that included taking the toll roads. It’s always great when you get on these three lane highways and although they are expensive you can zoom along at 130km/hr and cover quite a few kilometers very quickly. In our case it cost about €12 for the whole trip.
We arrived into Homps after missing the first turn off that cost us another 24km but got there pretty much on time.
They were quite busy at the main office for the canal boat trip and we had to wait nearly 2hrs before we finally slipped our moorings and were under way.
It was such a thrill to be on the canal de Midi and motoring up under our own steam. Iris as lovely here as all the photos portray with grape vines in the fields and wild life every were along the tree lined banks of this amazing water way.
Our first lock loomed up very quickly so it was all hands on deck as we approached. Sheree jumped off the boat just at the beginning of the lock so she could grab the ropes tossed to her once the boat was inside the lock. This we pulled of without a hitch and felt quite proud of ourselves. Even the lock keeper commented on how well we had done. It was so cool being in the boat as all the water rushed in and quickly raised the boat up about 3 meters. We bough a nice bottle of Rose wine at the lock keepers stall for €4 before proudly carrying on. A few narrow and not very high bridges later we arrived at the little canal side town of La Redort . We parked up the boat on the side of the bank with a little help from another experienced Dutch boatie who spends half his year in Spain and the other half in his boat on the canal, he has done this for 11 years.
Once we where all secured for the night we walked along the edge to a little restaurant on the canals edge. Our tea was delightful and we wondered back to the boat and set up the bed for the night. As you read this I am sitting up in bed writing this story of a wonderful day and will close of now, enjoying the absolute peace and quite of this place.