The site of the town is believed to have been inhabited as far back as the tenth century and it’s name to have originated from the name of a man: “Castel de Serratius” Today was market day in the town. Unlike other villages we have visited, there is no market square here. Instead, the […]
A 9km motor to Castelsarrasin this afternoon. Seven locks, a stop at the supermarket where Bob purchased a couple of beach umbrellas along way and we were soon there. Image: the scene from Gratis.
After the humid 40 degree heat of the past few days a grey morning with thunder reverberating around the hills greeted us. A quick walk of Moissac in rain freshened air and we were off. The power of the water as it filled the locks was immense. One wouldn’t want to fall over board. An occasional […]
More pics on the link below: http://www.gratisaustralis.com/?page_id=2676
Moissac is a town overshadowed by St – Pierre Abbey Church and saw its beginnings as a Roman settlement. Sadly, as a result of invasions that took place at the hands of the Saracens, Normans and Magyars, much of the Abbey’s history was lost during those times of destruction. Legend goes that this massive structure […]
There was time for a walk through Moissac this morning. For more about the Abbey: www.gratisaustralis.com/st-pierre-abbey-moissac/ The old water mill, now an hotel, provided us with an insight to its working as we wandered around it. On the bridge leading up to the Pont Napoleon, where we had supped the previous night, we came upon […]
A thunderstorm blew in from nowhere last night. Upon waking this morning a Gratis covered in leaves, twigs and fruit greeted our eyes. A rapid clean up and we were off: or maybe not!! Arriving at the first lock of the day 5 minutes later, no lock lights greeted us. Mooring to a dredging barge, […]
We stayed put this day and explored the town. Flowers trees Pigeon house/roman bath – restored.
A spot of rain this morning, but we were back on the move regardless. The train track ran parallel with the canal for some distance, whilst the long, straight watercourse stretched for endless kilometres ahead of us. The waterway was wider in this section and depths of two metres made for easy motoring and […]
It was a short move from our Agen mooring this morning. The guys were going to move the outdoor helm from its position in the cockpit to the stern. Visibility would be much improved. A little visitor popped his head out in curiosity.
The Aqueduct upon which the boats cross the Garonne River in order to enter Agen. Today was our last of travelling in the vehicle for now. Some of the pics. The market in Villenueve: Pujols, a picturesque village:
It was another day spent exploring the Lot River region. First stop was Villeneuve – sur – Lot, a town first constructed in 1276. Bastille Day, the forces were preparing to march in celebration of the ‘Storming of the Bastille’, the commencement of the French Revolution (www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day). . Massive gate entrances, enticed the visitor to […]
Cahors, an old fortified town of in which resided the Cahors. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” address=”Cahors, France” marker=”yes”] Here we found the most amazing 13th Century church that was undergoing a massive renovation effort. Upon walking through the town we stumbled upon a much smaller derelict church from the […]
Our planned itinerary for the previous day nowhere near covered, this morning had us setting out for part two of our River Lot exploration: the towns of Cahors and Bouzies were the places on our list, whilst La Bastide was an unexpected find. Agen-France-to-Agen-France-Google-Maps-13th-July.pdf Upon the way, we came across the only bakery that made and […]
After A day spent relaxing, today found us exploring the Lot River and the tilt shift lens was christened.. Here is the link to a few more of the pics – no spiel at the moment. http://www.gratisaustralis.com/?page_id=2676
Lot River We hired a car for the coming days and commenced exploring further afield. This day found Bob, Myself and our friends – Dicko and Shirley, who had joined us for a few weeks – heading north to explore the the River Lot region. Agen-France-to-Agen-France-Google-Maps-12th-july.pdf Not long on the road, an unusual tower was […]
We arrived in Agen late this afternoon: Exhausted plus!!! [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” address=”Agen, France” marker=”yes”]
Our first lock for the day was a double with an aquaduct passing over the la Baise river. Quite a rise was required in order for the river to be safely crossed, hence the deep double lock system. A bit of surprise on the last few locks with the control systems now being to port […]
Another full on day. What sights seen as we motored past thick bush, and visited Les Mas – d’Agenais, a town with in excess of 2000 years of history. Visiting the church to view a Rembrandt was the highlight.
A cool overcast morning with a feel of autumn to it, Gratis departed Pont des Sables at 08:00. At Caumont – sur Garonne – a never ending row of campers in caravans parked upon the canal’s edge, whilst a number of barges moored nearby. Children canoeing brought a vibrant contrast of colours to the green […]
