Échappées belles – Canal du Midi, l’art de prendre son temps

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Échappées belles – Canal du Midi, l’art de prendre son temps  28 juin 2025

Loin de l’agitation des grandes routes et de la pression quotidienne, cette escapade au fil de l’eau sur le canal du Midi invite à prendre son temps. Classé au patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco, ce joyau d’ingénierie construit par Pierre-Paul Riquet au XVIIe siècle devient le fil conducteur d’un voyage placé sous le signe de la lenteur et de la douceur de vie. A vélo, en aviron, sur une péniche ou à pied, les 250 kilomètres du canal permettent de découvrir des paysages apaisants et des villages authentiques. Ce voyage est un retour à l’essentiel, entre détente, activités sportives, découvertes locales et art de vivre au ralenti.

… -Hello! Hi friends, I hope you are well. I wanted to say hello to you in front of an extraordinary place. We will arrive in a few seconds at the Béziers canal bridge. It is a bridge where the Canal du Midi passes and it marks the starting point of my new journey. After Béziers, I will go to Toulouse and then, I will travel the entire Canal du Midi to the Thau lagoon, not far from Sète. I am expecting a special trip, quite extraordinary, with varied landscapes and I think there are some really strong-willed people, as they say, with big personalities, waiting for me. I think I am going to really enjoy myself. … Friends, this is Sarah. She is the captain of the ship. Hi, Sarah. -Hi. -How are you? -Yeah. -This navigation is magnificent. We are having a great time. -It is quite a treat. Working like this is happiness. -Even for you, who’s there every day? -Yes, even for me. Really. And then, a crew of girls, too. That’s really nice. … -Do you know why they built a bridge like that, back when the canal was built, which spans a river? -Yes, because before, boats had to go through the Garonne and it was super complicated. So they made a small diversion to go over it. So it’s a little simpler, but when we talk at the same time, not necessarily… Laughter. … And there you go, that’s it. He breathes a sigh of relief. Laughter. I love it when she looks at me. -Honestly, well done. -She’s still there. -It’s impressive to see you maneuvering in all directions. It’s quite a sport, though. How many times a day do you go over it? -Twice. No, four times! -Is she always laughing? There’s a good atmosphere on this boat. -It’s true. We laugh a lot. -I’m so happy to start my trip like this. A bit of action, adrenaline. Afterwards, normally, I’ll go up it in slow mode, this Canal du Midi, flowing, taking my time. -Is that true? Over several days? That’s great. It’s a great trip. -If Sarah says so, it’s true, friends. Can’t wait to see it. … There’s incredible life on this canal. -From Toulouse to the Mediterranean… -At the time it was built, it must have been really like the time of the pyramids. -The Canal du Midi imposes its rhythm. -That’s what I like. This speed. We have time to appreciate things. -I had never designed the canal before, so it’s a great experience, today. -And inspires travelers. -I think it’s the best spot, with the canal narrowing away. It feels like we’re heading out to sea. … -We’re going on a 5-day march with a fanfare, stopping in 4 different villages and playing music and celebrating. -Ismaël Khelifa… -I’d like you to meet Fabien, former captain of the French rugby team. Are you a local kid too? -Yeah. -We went on the Canal du Midi for the adventure aspect. There’s so much to see around that we don’t have time to get bored. -Accept all challenges. -I’m fed up! -We’re located on the banks of the Canal du Midi and we’re probably the only bookstore located on the banks of this canal. There are always people here. -When you come to visit the region, if you don’t eat cassoulet, even in summer, it’s not worth it. -As I say, the bigger the cassoulet, the better. -WELCOME TO THE CANAL DU MIDI. -Well, here we go, guys, I’m going, but I’m scared. Bike bells. -First one to arrive. With the bike, it has to follow. Come on, first to arrive! As Ismaël tries to break away again… He’s going to overtake him on the left. Vincent doesn’t see anything coming but resists until the end! Well done! -You held on, though. -It’s cool. It feels good to start here, in the greenery, in the middle of the canals. I’m super happy to begin this journey in Toulouse. It’s a city I love. -Me too, it’s my hometown, so I’m very happy to introduce it to you. I’ve always lived in Toulouse. I studied there, and I plan to stay here, after all. It’s a beautiful city. -How old are you? -25. -At 25, are you already convinced that you’ll stay here? -Yes, but not necessarily in Toulouse. I can go a little further, but it’s a city I like. -For me, Toulouse is really the nerve center of the Canal du Midi. -That’s exactly it. The Canal du Midi begins here. It goes all the way to Sète, for nearly 240 km, at least , and Toulouse is where it all begins. … -What’s that waterfall sound we hear? -That’s the Bazacle. It’s a sort of small waterfall right in the middle of the Garonne. It makes a lot of noise and it’s quite soothing. -That’s clear. That’s more in the mood for my trip. -You surprise me. -I decided to do it in “slow travel” mode, as they say: take the time to be by the canal, feel it… -I’m delighted to show you this first stage of your trip, in Toulouse. -With a lover of the city! -Yes, that is. … … -Ah, the Capitole! That’s the central and legendary square of Toulouse? -That’s where everything happens. That’s where we celebrate Stade Toulousain’s victories. It’s really the center of the city. -Stade Toulousain’s rugby victories are rare, aren’t they? -Sometimes. -The most successful club in France. -We can stop there. I have a little something to show you. It’s something I used to do as a child. In the center of the square, there’s the Occitan cross and the 12 astrological signs. The little tradition is to take a picture of your sign. What sign are you? -I’m a Libra. -Let’s go get it. -Can we leave the bikes? -Yes… -So, Libra… -It’s right there. -Oh yeah! Let’s take a little picture, shall we? Tada! -Perfect! -All right, you got it? -I got it. -Let’s see? Impeccable. What’s next on the program? -We’ll go leave the bikes and I’ll take you to my rowing club and introduce you to this sport. -Fabulous! … You didn’t tell me there would be so many boats. I thought we were just going to go rowing together, taking it easy. -No, we’re organizing a hike. There are 5 of us boats leaving to do a short leg of the Canal du Midi rally, and we’re going to have fun. -What’s it? -It’s a bit like your route, from Toulouse to Agde, except we’re doing it entirely by rowing. It lasts a week. -So nice! Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Where do I sit? -You can sit at number 4, behind. -Come on, let’s try to be together with Flo. When he puts the oar in the water, we put the oar in the water, and when he takes it out, we take it out. Easy. Relaxed. The handle of the oar is like a little bird. You have to hold it in your hand but without squashing it. -What do you think? Not so simple, eh? -I’m hyper-focused, it’s super hard. When you see it from the outside, you get the impression that it’s just pushing on oars. -Hello! -Hello. It’s magnificent, Vincent, where we are. And yet, we’re just outside Toulouse. -Yes, but in the end, we can discover some very pleasant landscapes without going too far. -You’re really letting us in on it, Ismaël. -That’s nice! You don’t realize how stressed I am. -Olé! -Well, there you go. -We’ve distracted him. -He made a false kiss. We’ll wait. Easy. There you go. -Actually, we have to be very cool, after all. -Always very cool. -How many kilometers do we have to do like this? -17. -17! Oh yeah, okay! -There, 17 back. Whoah… Now, we’re accelerating. I understand when you say we’re not going very fast. -The good thing about rowing is that you can either stroll around, go slowly and enjoy yourself, or be intense and push yourself, go fast. Both are possible. And you can alternate between the two, especially. -We’ll be docking soon. -We’re about to arrive at the first lock, so we’ll slow down a little. A rowing boat doesn’t take the locks like a real boat. We’ll take the boat out, go around the lock , and get back in. -Okay… -When I tell you, we’ll bring in the right shovel and pass it alongside the boat, behind. -Hop there! -I’ve got a little trolley. -2, 3, get out! -Which way? -I’ve got it. Thanks, guys. -Let’s lift. 1, 2, 3. Come on. Let’s put it down . And let’s move forward. -Unbelievable. -And to put it back in the water, we’ll do exactly the same thing. We let the 3-4 cars go through. We go straight down to the right, not too fast. -People must be hallucinating when they see us go by. -Come on! The canal is a moment, it’s a pause in your life. When you come here, you slow down. Everyone takes their time. Going through the locks takes time. We take our time here. -That’s what I like about your approach. In all the boats around us, there are all ages… -It’s a sport that takes everyone. It also takes people with disabilities. Everyone can get on a boat. -I understand, that’s really how I feel. … -Come on, stretch out your arms. Place your body forward and bend your legs afterward. … -Wow, the little bridge. -When it’s together, it’s great. -There’s an incredible amount of life on this canal. -Lots of things happen, yes. -And it’s cool, with all these plane trees, it’s great. … -About twenty kilometers from Toulouse, the Château de Bonrepos was the home of Pierre-Paul Riquet, a tax collector who became the designer of the Canal du Midi. It was here that he imagined what would become the second largest construction site under Louis XIV, after that of the Palace of Versailles. -There, you go directly to the chair. *-But here, at the Château Bonrepos-Riquet, the most famous canal in the world was born. -We take up the pen. *-The Royal Canal of Languedoc… -We turn the page and we write. And we never stop writing. -These amateur actors are preparing a show on the genesis of the Canal du Midi, in the 17th century. -If you feel like you’re doing nothing, it doesn’t matter. -The two of us play P.-P.Riquet. On even days, it’s my friend Frédéric. -And on odd days, it’s Marc. -The show returns to the great challenge that Riquet faced. -There, there’s dancing. *-I tell you, the real question is capturing the water. -What obsesses P.-P. Riquet is the problem of water. He managed to understand that it was through runoff that we could have water all the time and then, to capture it, to lead it to the canal. He bought this estate not to build a castle but because there is a geological specificity below. There is a valley and in this valley, he will imagine this famous Canal du Midi. – Out of sight, he worked for years on the feasibility of this canal. Today, the water retention system no longer works but at the time, Riquet experimented here with the manipulation of large volumes of water. – He will transform this space which was a space with many fishponds and a lot of water, to be able to create a reservoir basin upstream, where he will store this water which will be necessary to supply the canal basin, to ensure a certain water level, a certain water height, to ensure the navigability of boats, which is the objective of the Canal du Midi. – Thanks to his tests, Riquet managed to convince Colbert and Louis XIV. The construction site began in 1666. It will last 14 years and will mobilize 12,000 workers. In Béziers, the 9 locks of Fonseranes form the most spectacular structure of the Canal du Midi. Like a water staircase, these 9 basins in a row allow you to overcome a drop of 22 m. -Are you okay? -Are you okay and you? -Great. -Maud has been working on this exceptional site for 4 years. -There is more risk of making mistakes than on a simple lock. Right now, I am filling the first basin so that the next boat can return as quickly as possible and emptying this one so that this barge can continue its journey. After that, my colleague will take over with the barge and I will go and get the arriving boat, the 2nd passenger boat. -Every year, the site attracts tens of thousands of curious people who come to admire the complexity of the structure. -At the time it was built, it must have been almost like the time of the pyramids. Today, it is electric motors but at the time, everything was done by hand. -Charlotte knows the history of this canal , which revolutionized trade in the south of France, by heart. -Before the creation of this canal, traffic was very complex. When we had merchandise from the Mediterranean, which needed to be transported to the French Atlantic coast, the only solution was to go down to the Iberian Peninsula and the Strait of Gibraltar. So it was a big detour, and what’s more, the King of Spain, at that time, charged a fairly high toll. But what really motivated Colbert, Louis XIV’s Prime Minister, was to abolish this tax. -However, the canal almost never got finished. In 1679, Riquet came up against a hill. He refused to go around it and chose to run his canal underneath it, digging an arch. The idea displeased Colbert, who wanted to stop the work. -Riquet wasn’t going to be intimidated. He was determined. He was going to employ local earthmovers and artificers to work on this hill. In less than 8 days, they succeeded in digging the 170 m of the tunnel and when Colbert’s envoys arrived, they were presented with a fait accompli. Riquet insisted and he was right. So we were able to enlarge this tunnel to allow boats to pass on the Royal Canal. -The Malpas tunnel is the first canal-tunnel ever built. A few months later, freight boats used it for the first time. Today, 200,000 pleasure boaters enjoy this waterway every year, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Improvements are sometimes necessary, as in the port of Béziers. -When the canal was built, it was mainly for freight, there were already far fewer boats. Today, the boom in pleasure boating has meant that these are residential boats. We must respond to this with equipment that will preserve the canal. -Today, we will finish planting this small section. We’re going to put up slats to protect it, but this side remains very rural. -Rehabilitation of the banks, installation of water and electricity terminals and an unloading station. Thanks to this work, which lasted 7 months, the port of Béziers will offer twice as many berths. -The objective was to increase the port’s capacity but also to preserve this heritage aspect, to preserve the locks, the stone of the port, while allowing bicycles, soft mobility, users, to enjoy this space and at the same time, for the neighborhood to develop. -Nearly 350 years after its creation, the Canal du Midi remains an important driver of the region’s development. … -Does this little coffee feel good? -Do you want a biscuit? -Yes, I’d like one. Thank you, for offering me this little coffee. Barking. Birdsong. How did you both discover the Canal du Midi? -I think we first saw it on television. Then we sailed from England to here on the yacht and we loved this canal so much… But the yacht was tossed about, so we sold it and bought a steel boat, better suited to the canals. -And we resumed our journey. -OK! What do you like about this canal, then? Could you have gone somewhere else, in France, even in Europe? -The peace, the quiet, the lovely people, the food, the wine… What’s not to like? -Ah, but you’re here, Ismaël. -There he is! -I’m here. -Hi, Fabien. -Hi, how are you? -I’ve made some friends. -I see! Did they make you coffee? -Yeah. It’s Jeff and Shirley, an English couple who live partly on the canal. -Hello, nice to meet you. They seem nicer than the English I used to meet on the pitch, though. -Not wrong. And you didn’t treat them the same way. -Neither. -Little tackles, little punches, etc. -The notion of welcome in France was a little different. -I present to you Fabien, former captain of the French rugby team. For a long time, you held the record for the number of caps as captain. -Yes, I still do. Now it’s Thierry Dusautoir. -Are you okay, are you taking it well? -Yes, very, very well. -Are you a local kid, too? -Yes, from a small village just behind, Gibel, a tiny village of 160 inhabitants. This is kind of my corner, here. -Thank you very much, eh. Jeff, Shirley, see you soon! -It was a pleasure! -See you soon! You have your bike, I have my bike. “Let’s go”? -Come on. -Here we go. Goodbye. I love little moments like this. Early in the morning, it’s really nice. … You see, the atmosphere here, Fabien, is exactly what I wanted to experience when I came to the canal. This very gentle, very bucolic, very calm, very healthy side, almost. -In fact, you can use the canal a bit however you like. We’ll meet cyclists who come to prepare for their competition. We’ll meet elderly people who walk very quietly, children, on the weekends. In fact, we have everything along the banks of this canal. This is the original canal with the plane trees and we’ve just passed a whole section that was cut down and replanted with other species. Unfortunately, there’s colored canker, a fungus, which attacks the plane trees. There’s no cure for colored canker. The only way to slow it down is to cut down the infected plane trees and replant other species. I believe that’s the mission of our generation, to ensure that we continue to experience the canal as we always have, ultimately. -But how can we take part? I imagine you’re not coming with packets of seeds of plane trees that you throw away at random. -Everyone can participate. Lots of events are organized throughout the year for the replanting of the canal. We can also go to the site. We need donations because what’s expensive isn’t so much the felling, burning, and replanting, it’s the consolidation of the banks. The roots of the plane tree had precisely that function. Birdsong. -Hello! -Hello. -What is this place, Fabien? -It’s a passage. The canal crosses over another river. -Wow! I have the impression that you’re really very attached to this place, Fabien. It must be said that you grew up on the banks of the canal. -Exactly. Here, we experience the canal without realizing it, in the end. When you’re a kid, you come fishing, even diving in it when we win a French championship title. There are a whole bunch of moments we remember, not because it’s the canal but because we’ve experienced things there. We’ve felt emotions there. Come on, let’s continue! -Here we go. … Look how good they are, the fishermen! Hello, gentlemen! -Still! -Still what? -We’ve been waiting for you for an hour! -That’s it, yeah! -An hour, that’s all? -I was told around 11:30. -Apparently, you’re not starving. -What we wanted was to eat fish. -You’ll come to the house. -Normally, it’s better laid out than that. -You could have made little stairs or something. -Careful! -Be careful, he’s not bad at tackles. -We’re welcoming you to Avignonet, it makes us very happy. -Hi. How are you? -You’re equipped like champions. How many rods do you have? -There are 7. He fishes with a lure. -Ah, casting. It’s a very special bait, though. -Exactly. How did we know you were coming? We said we were going to open a specialty. -Thanks for the welcome, it’s wonderful. -Is that Toulouse sausage? -Oh no. It’s from Lacaune. -It’s the heights of the Tarn. It’s not exactly the source of the canal’s water , but it’s in that area over there. It comes from the northeast; the canal’s waters are collected in the Montagne Noire and flow down here. -The Lampy, the Cammazes, all the way to Naurouse. There, Riquet divided the waters. That is to say, there are waters that flow towards the Mediterranean and towards the ocean. -One thing impresses me. This famous Riquet, founder of this canal, everyone knows him and talks about him as if he were a member of the family. I find that you are very connected to the history of your place. -Everything here is Riquet’s. Everything along the canal, the farms, the stones, it’s Riquet. -But then you, you are completely attached to this place. I was saying to Fabien, what surprises me is that I have the impression that this canal also runs through your veins. -When I was a kid, I amused myself by counting the number of barges. I noted up to 174! Surcouf, Belle-Paule, Provence… I have a book that I found at my parents’ house. -That’s funny. -Has this canal evolved? Is there the same activity today? What has changed? -There is no longer the transport of grain. Wine… There used to be the wine merchants. Those are no longer there. Now, it’s pleasure boating. -It’s a canal that’s always moving, ultimately. In 20 years, I’ll still see something new. -Maybe the use of transport will have picked up again. -I like this moment because there’s conviviality, real subjects nonetheless , and the love of this area. That’s what binds you together. -We’re attached to it, you know. -Here, we have plenty of possible subjects. If you’re not too afraid of the sun, we can set up above the bridge. There, I’ve prepared 2-3 drawings. -A travel journal specialist, Elisabeth regularly organizes painting workshops around the Canal du Midi, south of Toulouse. -You cover with a sheet of paper, you ink, and you pose like that. -I find it’s the best spot, with the canal narrowing out, which gives the impression of going towards the sea, very far away. I called it “My little corner of paradise.” -The budding painters choose their subject and their location. Using watercolors, they try to capture the landscapes and the atmosphere of the canal. -I decided to focus on the bridge, on the perspectives, the reflections of the brick in the water. I had never drawn the canal before. It’s a beautiful experience, today. -What would be interesting would be to put a small silhouette. Do you see the people passing by? There’s someone with an umbrella, it’s funny. You indicate a silhouette. It gives the scale of the subject you’ve drawn. Coming here is giving yourself a little bubble of oxygen. We also have lives that are perhaps a little fast. Here, we have slowness, we are at the rhythm of painting, which is a truly calm, serene activity. Hubbub of children. -Early in the morning, these children also enjoy the Canal du Midi with a little more agitation. -Wait! -But I had it! -Chloé is distributing napkins. You’re going to be quiet, look at her, and answer her because otherwise, she won’t have lunch. Here we go, Chloé! We’re a small school in Cantal, with 2 classes. We’re going to the Canal du Midi for the adventure aspect. There’s so much to see around that there’s no time to be bored. -Aged 4 to 10, the students spend a week on a barge as part of their field trip. For the vast majority of them, it’s a first. -My grandpa is a sailor, but otherwise, I’m not really used to being on a barge. At first, there was a bit of stress, but now, a bit less. We’re starting to get used to it. It’s a bit better. -It’s good because it lets you get some fresh air in the morning, and it feels good. -On board, the children learn to live together 24/7 and share cabins. -It’s weird! -I’m just downstairs. They all have perfect positions. No one gets cuddly toys. I’m the one who gets cuddly toys. In fact, they laugh all the time at their jokes in the evening. We get mad. We laugh. It’s great. It’s truly a dream trip, really. -A dream trip. The mornings are devoted to cruising on the canal. Laughter. -It’s one of the narrowest bridges on the Canal du Midi. You don’t touch the bridge, of course, you remember! Cruising on the Canal du Midi is slow. It’s a special rhythm. That’s what I like. This speed. We have time to appreciate things. -YEAH! -Today, the group stops in Capestang, known for its imposing Saint-Etienne collegiate church which dates from the 13th century. -What are these gargoyles for? There are two uses: one spiritual and one practical. The first use, which is a bit spiritual, is that it helps scare away evil spirits, demons, to scare people. The second, very practical use, is that it allows water to drain off roofs. These are gutters. -The children are not on vacation, although for them, it is a little bit like that because that’s how they feel. They learn a lot of things and it’s really a classy stay, 5 days of class with a difference. -Are you coming, Brigitte? -Brigitte, Christine, Valérie and Nadine, they are indeed on vacation but they have chosen to give a little of themselves. -Me, I don’t like lazy vacations, not at all. I like vacations that are a bit sporty, a bit active. We have chosen short stages, so as to mix a bit of sport, a bit of sightseeing and rest, of course. -Leaving Toulouse, the 4 friends will reach Béziers by bike in 5 days. A little more than 200 km punctuated by locks and encounters. -Bring the boat closer. -Ho! Hoist! Ho! Hoist! Is that how it should be done? -It’s perfect. -We’re off, the 4 girls, “girl power”! -Did you know each other before? -YES! -Ah, girlfriends, okay! That’s cool. -We’ve already seen them, they’re our Bretons! -A cycle path has been built on the old towpaths all along the Canal du Midi. This morning, the rain is driving them to seek shelter at the Château de Paraza. -That’s the entrance! -Follow me. It’s a castle that was built in 1612, shortly before the canal was built, by a wealthy family from the Toulouse region. -The Danglas family bought the estate 20 years ago to offer bed and breakfasts and make wine. -How many hectares do you have? -70 hectares of vines. -We just wanted to take shelter and the lady offered us a tour of her estate, even a wine tasting. All along the canal, we had surprises. -The Canal du Midi attracts more and more tourists who don’t hesitate to explore the surrounding area. -They often have an itinerary, but it’s fairly approximate, which gives them the opportunity to go with the flow, to stop where they feel like it, and sometimes to spend a little more time than planned in the cellar. -Here we go again! -For all those who enjoy gentle wandering, the region can be explored on foot, by bike, or by barge, at the leisurely pace of the canal. -It’s the perfect weather for caving. -It’s ideal. -It’s a bit apocalyptic, as an atmosphere. -Yes. I won’t show you the view because we can’t see it. -No, it’s true that we don’t have a view at all. … It looks pretty steep! -There’s a bit of a drop, yes. -Ouch! I caught a branch in my head. -Maybe we should have put on our helmets. -I don’t know if I’ll go down as fast as you. I hope not, actually. -It’s yours. Don’t get there too fast. Holy cow. It’s clearly hell. You have to earn it. -I didn’t sign up for the Legion, actually! Laughter. A little caving. Hop! There you go, guys, I’m going but I’m scared. -We’re there. -Wow! I was wondering, when it rains like this, because we’ve had this very violent storm since last night, we can still go caving, isn’t it dangerous? -In some mountain ranges in France, yes, it’s scary, there’s flooding. Here, we’re pretty safe. It’ll just siphon off 2-3 passages but we’re not risking our lives. -But you, what pleasure do you get from doing all this? -I love going where no one goes. This environment is so hostile, that’s what interests me. -Did you discover that in the area? Are you a native of here? -Yes. My parents had taken me to a cave in Cabrespine and I knew I would do that. Like love at first sight. -That’s beautiful. -Vocation. -Where do we go from here? Do we go in there? -Yes. -That’s everything I was afraid of, starting directly through a tunnel like that. -We had to put that in to make it safe because it’s ultra-crazy, as they say in the jargon. They put in beautiful concrete culverts to make the entrance safe, so it doesn’t close. -OK. Since we’re here, I’ll follow you. -All right, let’s go. -Is that okay with you? -It’s okay. -Are you sure? Really, if it’s complicated, I’m not coming. -Ismael, when you have to go, you have to go. -Okay. -Ouch. Breathe with effort. We’re going to have a discussion afterward about the pleasure you take in doing this. -Better not, you’ll be shocked! … But you’re a professional! … Come on, great! -That was graceful, wasn’t it? -Very. -Are we going into a passageway? -We’re about to arrive in the great hall. You look superb. Did that entrance work? -Uh… Listen, it’s a little scary all the same. -Yes, but it’s punctual. -That’s it. Wow! It’s amazing. We’re underground, right? This is the first time I’ve ever experienced this. -Is it true? Well, there you go. -Wow! Do we know how all this was formed? -Back then, here, there was a huge ocean and lots of marine animals. They have one thing in common, their external and internal structure, the shell and the skeleton, made of calcium carbonate. All these animals, once they die, these shells and skeletons will disintegrate, settle on the seabed and eventually, it will form a sort of big crust, a bit like cement. Over time, it will form a rock. This means that here, we are in the heart of a marine animal cemetery. -What’s great is that from that moment, which goes back to the dawn of time, this is what allows us to pump the water by capillarity and bring it to this canal built by humans thousands of years later. -Millions of years later. This limestone is 540 million years old . It’s one of the oldest still observable in the world. -It’s crazy. It’s incredibly moving. -Exactly. That’s why I go caving. You just figured it out for yourself. I find it incredibly moving. -Come on! The walls are much wetter there. -Very. -You can feel there’s water nearby. Ouch! Wow. Luckily I have a helmet. -Exactly. Safety, that’s where you feel it. Water flowing. -Oh my! -There’s our famous water. -The scenery! So this water is the one that will later go into the Canal du Midi? -For example, exactly. You’re right behind the scenes of the Canal du Midi, there. -Oh no! -Oh yes! -Oh my. How do I get through? -Like from the beginning. Wow! You look great. Oh my. -Oh no! -Oh yes. -My boots are soaked. My pants are soaked. I’m soaked. -Well, there you go. -The time for cathedrals has come. It resonates well here. -You see, Isma, that’s what’s so interesting about caving. Singing underground makes all the rock around us vibrate and it balances all our energies. Many caving enthusiasts do like you and start singing. -Come on, let’s sing together and balance our energies. -Here we go. -THE TIME FOR CATHEDRALS HAS COME. THE WORLD HAS ENTERED A NEW MILLENNIUM. -I’m vibrating! You’re laughing, but we feel vibrations everywhere. -It really feels good. -It’s a bit of a pain in the eardrums. -No, you sing well. -That’s nice. I sing well, but you know, it’s occasional. Laughter. In the long run, it’s a disaster. -It’s a one-off! -Oh my! -I wanted you to see this. Do you understand? -Wow! Scream followed by an echo. -It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Water flowing. Are you okay, Isma? -I went really far away there. -It’s nice, isn’t it, it’s crazy. -Honestly, it’s crazy. I’m filled with this place. When you close your eyes, you feel the skin getting a little cold. I was really scared to go into that cave, honestly, but now I feel safe. -That’s exactly what I wanted you to feel. It’s the thrill of going there and telling yourself that actually, it’s OK. It’s major. -It’s magical. … -I walk in the Montagne Noire very often but this is the first time I’ve seen this massif from above. You can clearly see that it’s a massif. -Yes, it’s the foothills of the Massif Central. -There, you can see the lake of Saint-Ferréol. How beautiful it is! -Straddling the Aude and the Tarn, the Montagne Noire massif owes its name to the dense forests that cover it. -There are a lot of beeches, a huge number of trees, cuts. In spring, it’s magnificent, it’s green. There’s water, lakes… Water flowing. -A photographer, Nathalie chose to settle in the Montagne Noire 25 years ago. For several years, she has shared her passion for images and her love for this region with her partner, Paul. Walking along the mountain channel that supplies water to the Canal du Midi is one of their favorite walks. -Whether the weather is nice or not, the channel is beautiful in all weathers. -Yes. Especially with the fog, too. -We love it with the fog, in autumn, with the rain, even when it rains. It’s still paradise, isn’t it? Camera shutter. Birdsong. -Together, they are preparing a photography book on the village of Saissac and its castle, one of the oldest in the Montagne Noire. Perched at an altitude of 450 m on the edge of the plateau, this ancient fortified castle dates back to the 10th century. Birdsong. -There was originally a castrum located a little lower down. You can see that some of the castle’s towers are older. It’s not the same architecture. The castrum is a fortified village. It’s not a castle. The castle was built later , and then the upper part of the village was later. -The two photographers have thousands of photos of this old fortification. -There’s something here that reminds me very much of Scotland. What I really like here is the feeling that we’re completely somewhere else. It’s very heavily overgrown with vegetation, a little isolated on its rock. In fact, the origin of the word Saissac is “rock,” “castle built on a rock.” -I think it represents in a nutshell everything you can find in the Montagne Noire, here. There’s the castle, of course, the old village, nature as far as the eye can see. Nature, forests… The charm of this region is its authenticity. That’s what I love. -Emile has never left this rural area. An organic market gardener, he goes to refill the farm crates he installed in the center of Montolieu, 2 km from his home. -We go there every day to refill the crates. In summer, it can even be twice. -Emile fills each crate with fresh seasonal vegetables. In 2011, he was the first farmer in the south of France to install this type of dispenser. -Everyone around me told me I was a little crazy to do that. In the end, everyone came and it worked right away. -Every Friday, he sells his produce directly from the farm. It has become a must-see for the local residents. -Here, it’s happiness. There’s generosity, it’s fresh, it’s probably grown with great care. -Selling directly like this, having a direct relationship with people, it encourages us to produce lots of varieties of vegetables that I didn’t produce before, like peas, snow peas, etc. These aren’t vegetables that bring us much, it’s a lot of work, but being able to offer them, having a variety of vegetables on Fridays, is very interesting for us. -Emile has always sought to diversify and innovate. Three years ago, he even started producing oranges and clementines, a first in the Montagne Noire. -That’s the most beautiful orange tree we have, and we’re proud of it. If they were all like that, we’d have a very good harvest already this year. -Emile is adapting to climate change. Hot summers and increasingly mild winters are now ideal for growing citrus fruits. -Fifteen years ago, however, I wouldn’t have tried it because we had much harsher winters: 10-15 days of frost at -8 or -9 degrees. The trees wouldn’t have survived. … -At the foot of the Montagne Noire, the music of shepherds from ancient times still sometimes resounds . -This instrument is the boudègue. It is part of the large family of bagpipes but has the particularity of being ours, it is that of this country, of the Montagne Noire. It is made of a whole goatskin, turned over with boxwood and reed. The reed makes the sound. -This instrument had almost disappeared after the Second World War. Determined to revive it, Sophie created an associative boudègue school in 2004. -This instrument truly carries the country’s heritage and people are interested in it, but it was not accessible because you also had to have instruments. So you needed people to build them. My husband and I started building them. It all goes together. … -The musicians rehearse regularly before the village festivals or festivals in which they participate. The future of the boudègue seems assured. Since 2015, it has been taught at the Carcassonne Conservatory and even appeals to young people. -You might think not, but people my age love it when I bring the boudègue to high school or during parties. It’s really appreciated. … -Thanks to its authentic and passionate inhabitants, the Montagne Noire has managed to preserve its identity. … -Hello! -The kind knight, he had a great reputation for being very welcoming, with many young girls in exchange for modest accommodations. The princess, understanding the sacrilege, flew into a rage, grabbed her basket of large stones, returned to where she was and made this prediction: when all the stones form a single block, the world will regain its modesty, its shame, and respect for others. -Bravo, my friend! -Thank you. -How did you become a storyteller, Aimé? What made you take a boat and tell stories on the Canal du Midi? -The storytelling show I created, which has a name, like in the South, where we take our time… It’s “The Extraordinary Legendary Adventure of the Royal Canal of Languedoc.” “Aren’t there stories related to the canal?” I looked, and there weren’t that many. Maybe ten. I said, “Why not create them?” That’s how I tried to create stories with a root of truth, but then, always a bit of romance and dream. -It’s magnificent! Wow! It looks like a cathedral of greenery. -250 years of history looking at us, sheltering us. -Look at the top of the tree, it goes to the other side. -It’s true. Mind-blowing! -Romantics might perhaps see a love story somewhere in it . -Like the one you have with the canal, Aimé! Besides, your name is Aimé. -Absolutely. Birdsong. Now, if I shout, it’s just for safety. -Very good. Oh my, that’s impressive! Now, are we going to lift ourselves up? -No, we’re going to go up. -How many meters apart is there? -This one, 2.40 m, I think. -It’s something, it’s a little emotional, honestly. You feel that there are things you can’t miss, you have to be focused… -With practice, it comes easily, but there’s a little pressure: “I can’t miss.” That’s when you mess up your maneuver. -There’s still a very childish side to it. It’s kid stuff. We dream of experiencing that as kids. -It’s grandpa’s electric train, right! -Definitely. Maybe I’m becoming a grandpa, then! Wow, it’s a great thing to experience! I love it! There it is, it’s opening, we can be freed. Wow, the lasso, mastery! In addition to being a storyteller, you’re a cowboy, Aimé! -Also, yes. -Thank you. -With great pleasure. Waterfall. Birdsong. … -When you make pure rag paper, you have to spend a few hours cutting this rag. -Hello, Céline. -Hello, Ismaël! You see, I’m cutting. We can then grind… -To make paper? -Yes. In the 17th-18th centuries, it was children who did it. You’ll see them in the image below. You had to be careful of your fingers. -What are these machines? -That’s a Dutch battery. It was installed by my ancestors. It’s used to grind the rag I just cut. Normally, you put 2000 liters of water and 50 kg of rag. The crusher, the cylinder you have there, will turn and shred the rag that passes underneath. -How old is this machine? -About 150 years old. It was installed in 1877 by my ancestors. -This activity is really deeply rooted in this part of Occitania? -Absolutely. Today, we are the last paper mill in Occitania, but the first one was established in our village at the end of the 17th century, more than 300 years ago. -Your uncle makes paper, right? -Yes. Quite a little guy, 6th generation of papermakers who will make you make paper! -Cool, shall we go see him? -You’re going to put on your apron. -Great. Hello, André. -Hello, Ismaël. -I won’t disturb you. -Are you coming to lend a hand? -That’s the right word, I think. For once, it’s reality. -Yes. -What are you doing that’s beautiful? -I’m making sheets of paper of this size, with a sieve called a shape. Each shape gives a format. I can make them large, small. -Already, I’m learning something: the word format comes from the shapes, therefore from the wooden frame that was used. -Here, I have a lot of water because the paper is essentially the water that works. When the water drips, it tightens the fibers and weaves them together. There’s a tiny bit of cellulose in it. Depending on the thickness I make, there’s 3 to 4% cellulose. The cellulose comes out of the Dutch pile that’s there. -It’s the rag we ground together earlier. Do you want to try it, Ismaël? -With great pleasure. -I’ll get the apron. -It works. Can I go? -Yes. -Then I dive… -You go right to the bottom and you come up suddenly. Hop! There, you can vibrate, if you can. Very lightly. -Then… -Right at the edge of your board. -About there. -And then I go down? -Yes. -I swear it gives me real emotions, actually. There’s a little tension to succeed. -We have the same tension each time we lay down a leaf. -Each leaf is unique… -Each leaf, We have this apprehension: “Will it be successful?” -Maybe we can make it official as a paper mill. -Wow! -Superb. -I’ll put this under the press and… -And we’ll start again! -We have to press. -We have work to do, André! We’re not here to joke around. -I’m going to press. -You seem to really like this bridge, Céline. -I hate it! -Céline, look! Laughter. Do you see all this nature, and all this water, especially? -It’s great here! -Superb! Shall we settle in? -Come on! Is this the water from the Montagne Noire? -Yes. It’s the Dure, a river that flows down from the Montagne Noire on which there were more than 67 mills in the 19th century. We’re one of the last in operation. In any case, as a paper mill, we’re the last. 7 generations. -It’s beautiful! As a child, you must have come here a lot to play. -Yes. It was the center of our vacations. With our grandparents, especially my grandmother, we came for snacks, walks, swimming… It was very nice. -The best cassoulet is the one from Toulouse! -No, the one from Carcassonne! -But no, the one from Castelnaudary! -Three variations for the same dish, the king of Occitan gastronomy, cassoulet, a stew made with beans and different meats. The oldest known recipe comes from Castelnaudary and dates back to the Middle Ages. A few kilometers from the capital of cassoulet, Eric’s restaurant is an institution. For 40 years, the chef has been preparing it according to the rules of the art. -Here are the beans, I soaked them overnight with double the water. Normally, they have doubled in volume and pumped out all the water to cook better. Basically, they’re half that. Now they’ve puffed up, which allows for better cooking later. We’re going to add the ingredients for cooking the beans. Onions… There you go. We close it and let it do its thing. -Meanwhile, Eric prepares the pork sausages and the duck confit. -A cassoulet isn’t difficult to make, but it takes a long time. Well, you have to take your time. There’s a cooking time, a resting time… Now, we’re going to make the rinds. It’s the pig’s skin. It binds the cassoulet together. They say that a cassoulet without rind isn’t a cassoulet. That’s a grandmother’s recipe passed down through 3 generations. It’s not vegetarian, it’s really the thing that holds together. -Once the various cooking steps are complete, Eric assembles the cassoulet by arranging the ingredients in successive layers. -It’s a generous, festive dish. You need what you need inside. As I say, the bigger the cassoulet, the better. It’s a dish where you can get together, talk together, have a good evening. A cassoulet all by itself is less fun than treating yourself to something nice. -The chef prepares between 150 and 200 cassoulets every day and up to 400 in winter. -Bon appétit! -THANK YOU. -When you visit the region, if you don’t eat the cassoulet, even in summer, it’s not worth it. -What I like about it is the crunchiness on the top, the melted rind, I think he cooked it for a very long time. The bean is crisp, the sausage is well grilled… All this makes the dish excellent. -Well-prepared ingredients in a cassole, the container that gave cassoulet its name. On the banks of the Canal du Midi, time seems to have stood still at the Not pottery. Casseroles have been handcrafted here since 1883. It’s always been a family affair: grandfather, father, uncle, cousin, and now, I’m with my son. It’s a source of pride to pass on this know-how. That’s why we’re still here. We’re lucky, of course, to have this cassoulet in Castelnaudary, which keeps us working all year round. -The cassole has the shape of a truncated cone with a narrow heating base and a large gratin surface. Potters shape them in series, and yet, each piece is unique. -It’s handmade and we don’t weigh anything. We don’t weigh the clay. Each potter has their own touch, too, meaning that with the father, if we make the same piece, we won’t have the same result. Maybe I work finer than the father, or vice versa. -The cassoles then dry for several days before the potter can proceed with the glazing. -It’s this layer that will make the clay waterproof, give the shine and color to the cassole. We’ll let this glaze dry for about 24 more hours to make sure the moisture we bring back into the casserole leaves before we can bake it. -After baking, quality control is done by ear. Tinkling. -When a private individual comes to pick up a casserole, we always ring it like that to check if it’s cracked or split, a crack we wouldn’t have seen. If we sell it cracked, it risks breaking in the oven behind it. -Their expertise is recognized: private individuals, roasters , and restaurateurs in the region buy their products here, and recently, their products have been exported to the United States and Northern Europe. Cassoulet is so popular in the region that it even inspired a dessert, frozen cassoulet, invented in 1950 by a pastry chef from Castelnaudary. This time, no beans or sweet sausages, Fabrice fashions a nougatine casserole. -You have to hurry so that the temperature of the nougatine doesn’t drop too much. Otherwise, it won’t be able to be worked. The hotter the nougatine, the easier it is to work with. -This is the most delicate step. The nougatine must then cool a little to be handled. -If it’s too soft, by the time you take it and put it in the casserole dish, it will deform. It’s a matter of minutes. This is the final shape. Some people have a savory cassoulet as a regular dish and have a sweet cassoulet as a dessert. Many don’t know it. When you offer them a cassoulet, they expect to put a dish in the oven, but no. Regulars order it regularly, and others are very surprised and want to taste it. -After a few minutes in the fridge, the nougatine has hardened. The casserole dish is now ready to be filled. Ice cream flavor of your choice, coulis, meringue, whipped cream, the pastry chef is free to fill it however he wants. Around Castelnaudary, cassoulet delights both savory and sweet palates. … The ducks quack. – Tomato paste. … – Hop là! Hello, sir. – Hello. – Ismaël, nice to meet you. – How are you? – Fine, and you? – Yes, thank you. I want to buy some little things for a picnic by the canal. – We have what we need. I’ll let you take a look. – So… The tapenade. This one, for example? – Green. The cheese in the fridge… The sausage on the side. – The little hawker? – Very good. – Raw milk farm goat. Does it come from here? – From Bize-Minervois, 4 km away. – I’ll have that with a small baguette. “Muy bien.” I’ll buy you the coffee too if you want to have one with me. – With pleasure. Thank you. I’ll bring it. – Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. -Here you go. -You live on the barge? -Totally. -Cool. How long has it been? -8 years. -Oh, really! I feel like it’s a tiny hamlet. but there’s a lot of traffic. When you ask about the Canal du Midi, you get the impression that this place has a history, an importance for the canal, even though it’s not a big city. -No, it’s very small, full of energy, let’s say. Everything happens around the bridge. It’s the charm of the place that attracts people. -What do you recommend I go see in the village? Are there people to meet? Things typical of Somail? -You shouldn’t miss the bookstore. It has a lot to do with Somail’s reputation. The door creaks. -Hello, madam. Excuse me, I’m looking for Nelly. -The manager… So… Logically, she should be at the back of the bookstore, near the windows. -I’ll go and see. What do you do? -I restore waxed books. On undamaged things, we re-wax them to make them shinier, let them dry, and then I polish them. He’s gone for a second life… -Magnificent. I’m going to see Nelly. -Okay. Thank you. Bursts of laughter. Fantastic music. … -Excuse me, are you Nelly? -Yes. -Pleased to meet you. Ishmael. -Hello. -Skender sent me. He told me to come see this bookstore that reminds me of the world of Harry Potter. That’s not wrong. This place is amazing. -Indeed, it has a certain notoriety because we’re located on the banks of the Canal du Midi. We’re probably the only bookstore located on the banks of this canal. -There are more people inside than outside! -Yes. -It’s a kind of attraction for people passing through, isn’t it? -There are always people here. -Amazing, I’ve rarely seen a bookstore like this. Are you working on an old book? -It’s not an old book, but it’s numbered with illuminations inside. -Oh yes, copy No. 4. I just came to pick up a paperback to spend a quiet afternoon by the canal, and I see it’s not exactly that type of bookstore. -We have a pocket library with paperbacks, but not only that. We also have a children’s corner, a comic book corner that’s very popular. -There are some exceptional and quite old books. -There are some rather rare and old things in the windows. We have works from the 16th and 17th centuries… -Have you always worked here? -No. We arrived in Le Somail in 1980. I followed my parents, who were Parisian booksellers. It has evolved over the years to arrive, today, at these 86,000 works that we can present to the public. -When you have a bookstore like this, there must be a reserve? -I can show you the main storage room. -Wow! It’s even more impressive here. There’s an entrance with a secret code and a handle that recognizes just your fingerprint? -That’s it. -It’s impressive in terms of security. We dream of visiting such places. -Yes! Everything that’s stored, I discover later. From time to time, I’m quite surprised by things that don’t look like much but will interest this or that person. -Guy de Maupassant, “Bel-Ami,” the book that made me want to become a journalist. -Incredible. -It’s the story of a journalist in the 19th century. Brilliant. -Do you have it in your library? -No. -Well, I’ll give it to you. -Is that true? That’s nice. -If it makes you happy… -It makes me more than happy. It’s great. Are you the one who dusts here? Nelly bursts out laughing. -Not every day, no. -Thank you, that touches me… This Maupassant has a future. -Yes. … Birdsong. -Hello, gentlemen. -Come on! -Ismael. Nice to meet you. -Easy to find? -Great. Looking at what was happening in the area, I saw that it was a large fruit-growing area. -We have an exceptional area in terms of land. We have very stony soil, very filtering, and at the bottom, underneath, it’s very filtering too. The peach tree needs as little water as possible on the roots. It produces extraordinary fruit. What do you grow? -Mainly peaches, apricots, cherries, stone fruits. Right now, we’re putting the branches out so the sun can get into the tree. -Shall we get some cherries? -Come on, 1 km. -OK. Hop there! How many hectares do you have here, Philippe? -The farm is 80 hectares, but I rent 50 from a cooperative in the Pyrénées-Orientales. I’m focusing on direct sales. -From tree to consumer. -There. That allows us to pick them very ripe. -I love cherry trees, they’re so beautiful! Full of life, full of energy, beautiful red color. -Shiny. That’s a super important criterion for the cherry, the shine. -Oh yeah? Can I taste one? -I hope so! -Look how beautiful it is! Little earrings. -It’s pretty. The doctor told me recently that you shouldn’t eat a lot of fruit because of the sugars and all that, but I can’t. -Yum! -But that’s no problem! We’ll pick a few for the aperitif, then. Come on, here and there. -Isn’t this little aperitif cool, right there? -Great. -We have cheese and dessert. -What did you do before going into agriculture, Didier? -Truck driver. Then I decided to go south. I met Philippe and I haven’t left since. -It’s wonderful that this canal and this operation brought you together. It’s great. Thanks, guys. Eat, eh! Everything has to go. -It was very nice to have come by. -Frankly, it was a real pleasure. Fanfare. … -With his sousaphone, Abou has been one of the pillars of La fanfare du Minervois for 25 years. -Luckily, it can be dismantled and is light. -Abou is getting ready to leave his barge to join a collective of around thirty musicians. For 4 days, they will give concerts in different villages. -Moving 35 musicians who have remained children… It’s friendly, when I say that, but it’s still a bit like that. It’s going to be quite an adventure! Ready to go. Carillon. -1st stop: Olargues, a medieval village ranked among the most beautiful in France. -Guillaume, you move forward just over there to the side, behind the gray car. -Abou, the event’s conductor, is directing the musicians. -All the tents are on the edge. You settle inside. But anyway, they’re over there. -Yes. -Are you paying attention, Lison? -Shall we go? -Yes. -Good set-up. Don’t forget my bell! -The town hall has made the village hall and the soccer field available to them, transformed into an impromptu campsite for the night. Several show-offs have dragged their spouses and children along for the adventure. -We’re going to go on a 5-day march with a fanfare, stopping in 4 different villages and playing music, celebrating. This is the camping part. We settle in. Lison sets up her pillow. -Perfect, magnificent. Thank you, wind. We’re part of the band, and among the band’s madness, sometimes there are projects like this where we can get the family involved. It’s so cool! Bike bell. -How are you, old folks? -As soon as we’re settled in, the musicians get ready. for the first concert of their tour. Everyone puts on their costume , more or less freely inspired… -The Minervois fanfare band is 25 years old, something like that. It’s been 25 years since the theme of the disguise hasn’t been super clear. -The theme is “high class”. -High class, but it’s a very open concept. … -The musicians are expected in the village square. True to the spirit of the popular dances, the fanfare celebrates street music in different forms. … -YEAH! -The goal is to share the pleasure of music. -What we like is to succeed in doing good around music but also sharing. There are children everywhere, old people, young people. Everyone finds a village atmosphere. Occitan villages are not dead. -Uniting, the fanfare band makes all generations dance until late into the night. … -When there’s music and dancing, humanity, there’s something that vibrates and resonates between everyone. It’s nothing but joy! -It’s great, it lets you meet people. It brings life to the villages. There aren’t often opportunities like this, and really, we’re taking advantage of it. Besides, my husband went to bed, and I came back. I wanted to dance and have fun. -After an evening in full dress, it’s time for a sporty morning. -The dress code today is cycling champion. There are only champions in the peloton. A bit crazy, it must be said, we don’t take ourselves seriously. -The musicians have chosen to reach the different villages by bike. For 4 days, they travel the Passa Païs, a greenway in the heart of the Haut-Languedoc Regional Natural Park. -We have to respect the schedule. Tonight, we’re playing. We mustn’t get too tired on the road. -Today, they have to pedal for about twenty kilometers. Despite the training, the climb remains difficult. -We prepared on the flat, on the Canal du Midi. We didn’t prepare the teams for such climbs. It’s nice, what happens. Effort. It’ll soon be over, Lison, we’re not going to climb the whole mountain, after all. -After all this effort, we still have to play. The braggarts have been invited to perform as part of a local festival. -You hide wherever you want and the idea is to do something like an animal. It’s a sleeping brass band and we wake up slowly. Afterwards, we’ll regroup underneath. -There, we’ll play a bit of hide-and-seek. We’ll be in the bushes and we’ll make strange noises. We’ll answer the birds. We’re playful. We play music, but we play. When we’re together, we play. They imitate the sounds of nature with their instruments. -The audience, who participate in an artistic stroll, doesn’t know what awaits them. … Sound stroll. … Dressing up, creating surprises has always been part of the DNA of this joyful band. … After 25 years of existence, the Minervois braggarts hope to continue bringing their little touch of madness wherever they can. … -YEAH! Applause. … Hello, Laurie. -Hello. -Are you watching the boats go through the locks? -Exactly. It’s so beautiful! -It’s rare here, too. -Yes. -Are you okay? Shall we kiss each other? -Of course! -How much is it in Agde? -3-3. -12! -Let’s go. -There, it’s the continuation of the Canal du Midi. -Exactly. We will go to the side of the Thau lagoon and, on the other side, to the side of the Hérault and the mouth which leads directly to the Mediterranean Sea. -Here, there’s still a lock keeper. -Indeed, this lady manages the passage of boats every time. -When we think of Cap-d’Agde, we think of larger tourist complexes, naturism… -Exactly. -I wanted to come with you to see the whole fishing side linked to the canal and, at the same time, this Agde soul. -We welcome a lot of tourists but nearby, we have Agde, the residential district, Grau-d’Agde, the fishing district, and La Tamarissière, much wilder, calmer, with reeds, etc. It’s very nice to discover. -Shall we go? -Come on! Let’s go. There, you’re still on the Canal du Midi. And after, you have the Hérault. You see, when we take the bridge? Afterwards, you’ll see, it’ll be the Hérault. -Very good. -You really reconnect with nature, the calm. -Shall I go first? -Please. -We’ll race! -Here we go. -Just kidding! Ah! I’ve gone off the rails! -Well, there you go! Laurie bursts out laughing. -I let you win, for real. -That’s it, of course! You’re being dishonest, though. -It’s true! Ismaël laughs. You told me that the cathedral over there is black. What’s that from? -It’s lava rock. Agde was built on lava, so you have lots of lava rock. If you look, everything is black. They used these stones to make the cathedral. Seagulls calling. … -Do children come to visit the fish market? -Exactly. -So fish culture is passed down. -It’s important. And there you have Claude. -Can we walk on the net? -Yes. -You have to step over it. -Claude is mending. I call it art. It’s the art of repairing fishing nets by hand. -You’re super fast at that! How long have you been doing it? -60 years. I started with boats that had nothing on them, no electronics. -Unbelievable. -Now they have automatic seats . It’s great! It’s impressive. It’s life-changing. … -It contrasts with the calm of the city center. -It’s really nothing like that. We’re going to see the Raymond Elise. It’s coming back from its day of fishing. We’re going to park over there. Hello! -Hello, gentlemen. … It’s crazy, all the birds around. -It’s impressive. The fish that aren’t necessarily good for sale, we put them back in the water and of course, all the seagulls and seagulls behind are waiting to eat. -There are egrets, too. -Cormorants too. -Hello. Are you here to get bait? -Yes, to fish. -I saw you, you’re like the seagulls, off to the side… -Same. Worse! -Everyone’s taking advantage. -Fishermen want to get in at the beginning of the sale because you have the large and medium-sized stores. They’re not necessarily price-conscious. They can buy at a bit more. It’s not a problem for them. -It’s really a race. -Completely, a race that’s created at the quay, here, at the auction, between boats. There, you’re in the cold room. -Hello, gentlemen. How are you? Where’s the auction? -Just behind. If you want, go! -Wow! Whoa! And here’s Cedric. -Hi, Cedric. How are you? How’s it going? -Okay. -What did you come to buy? -A bit of everything: sea bream, red mullet, hake, sole… -You can tell everyone is very focused and ready to press the buzzer. -It’s going fast. -I see a price displayed. Then does it go down? -The auctioneer types in a price and then it goes down until someone presses it. -So when you see a bin of fish you like… -If I like the price, the size and the quality, I press it. -You shouldn’t wait for it to drop too low to be the first. -Otherwise, we’ll miss out and have to wait for the next ferry. -What do you like about all this, Laurie? -It’s always a pleasure. We all say hello to each other. It’s friendly, there are notes of humor… You’re not there: “Why aren’t you here?” It’s really a world apart. -Oh! Emeline! -Hi, Ismaël. -How are you? -Very well, and you? -Good. -I’ve put on a little weight. -Slightly. We have to stop oysters. A child from the Thau lagoon. -Maybe a future oyster farmer. -So nice. -We’ll be able to taste that over there. -Because there, with the smoke… -It’s not great! -A little paradise, here! Magnificent. I really enjoyed myself. When I saw that, on the canal road, at least at the end, I was arriving at your place… -A friendly restaurant. -I told myself that I was going to see the “friends” as I was told all along the trip. I think it’s happening! -That’s it, Hugo is bringing us the oysters. -That’s why I came. Mission accomplished. -My beautiful oysters! -Thank you, Hugo. Friends, it is on this good mood that this trip on the Canal du Midi ends. This is what struck me the most throughout the kilometers I traveled between Toulouse and the Thau lagoon: the friendliness, the kindness of those who welcomed me, and a very raw side. We speak with our hearts, our guts. We laugh a lot. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much. This canal connects very different people, whether they’re rowers in Toulouse, farmers, storytellers along the river, or oyster farmers in the Thau lagoon. I recommend you check it out. Let’s go! Here we go. See you soon. Bye! france.tv access