From April 2009 you can book a berth aboard this extraordinary solar-powered vessel and find out more about the canal and its flora and fauna, the surrounding vineyards of Minervois and Corbières, and the numerous villages, churches and chateaux which line the itinerary.
These cruises go from the mediaeval citadel of Carcassonne to the town of Béziers (or vice-versa). Guests are accommodated in 2-berth cabins on board and treated to excellent meals either on board or in canal-side restaurants. First and last nights can be spent in quality hotels on dry land in Carcassonne and Béziers.
The SOLEIL D’OC is the result of five years of struggle by one remarkable woman, Dominique Renouf. She used to run an old wooden ‘gabare’ on the canal – a workaday boat from the Dordogne river – but noticed over the years how polluted the waterway was becoming and how customers’ enjoyment of the cruise was reduced by smokey/smelly diesel fumes and spluttering engines.
She had to go to Belgium to create what she had in mind: a simple 6 berth barge powered by solar panels on the roof. The barge was constructed in 2006 and Dominique embarked on an epic 6-month voyage through the canals and rivers of Europe – Seine and Rhone included - to reach her base at Le Somail on the Canal du Midi. All this in winter, when the sun is rare in the cloudy north of France. But the solar technology worked and works perfectly and the barge moves through the water as silent as a swan leaving just a swirl in the water and zero pollution, zero carbon emissions and zero noise.
After administrative and financial hold-ups Dominique finally got the barge fitted out and operational by 2008 when it became an instant curiosity on the canal as it slipped silently in and out of locks and through sun-drenched vineyards. Ms Renouf engaged a chef and started experimenting with local products and canalside suppliers.
Now she’s ready for the world. And it’s not at all expensive. The basic 5night/ 6 day cruise from Carcassonne through the Minervois and Corbières to Béziers costs just €650 per person, full-board. The entire craft can even be hired (with its skipper) for a miserly €2000 per week! For a week’s adventure on the only vessel of its kind in Europe this is not a lot.
More information and booking from France à la carte, Toulouse. www.francealacarte.com
info@francealacarte.com or +33 561 120 794
Photographs available from France à la carte too.
