Kayak Across France: A Canal and River Adventure Unlocked
- ISBN-10
- 1736420313
- ISBN-13
- 9781736420317
- Category
- Biography & Autobiography
- Pages
- 242
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2021-09
- Publisher
- Nigel Kayaks
- Author
- Nigel Foster
Description
Sea-to-sea kayaking adventures on the French canals and rivers, by tandem kayak. For a little contrast, and so you can laugh a little at others' misfortunes, Foster has included stories from his 1978 journey across France from the English Channel to the Mediterranean. This crazy spur of the moment escapade, in late winter, inspired the second. The main story is about crossing France in balmy late summer, through wine country, from the oyster farms of the Mediterranean to the oyster markets of the Atlantic Ocean.Imagine floating, shaded from the September sunshine by an avenue of plane trees that arch overhead. Reflections of breeze-tickled-leaves, and pale dappled bark, flicker on the water. Here is a waterside café for coffee and croissants. Nearby, an open market for fresh produce. Located enticingly close beside the canal: vineyards, and wineries, and chateaux offering wine tasting. Cafes and restaurants serve local cassoulets and flans. French cheeses and fresh-baked baguettes are just a stroll away. As the evening light mellows, there is time to find a cozy camping spot right beside the water before the sun sets, glowing between the trees. The warm creamy sandstone of the canal architecture glows. Soon, owls call from the trees beneath a fat moon.The Canal du Midi, built in the 1660s, follows an ancient overland route, later paved by the Romans as the Via Domitia and Via Aquitaine. The area oozes history, from Phoenician to Roman, from the Medieval crusade against the Cathars to the punitive chevauchées of the English Black Prince. There are cities too: the medieval fortified town of Carcassonne, the rose city of Toulouse, and the pearl of Aquitaine, Bordeaux. Join Nigel Foster and Kristin Nelson as they climb, lock by lock, from the Mediterranean to the parting of the waters and descend to the Atlantic, in an adventure both charming and insightful.
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