They were planning the whole thing and I liked the idea of someone else doing all the work. I half seriously asked them if my wife, Susan, and I could come. And being friends who we had know for years, they said yes.
The highlight, apparently, was renting a barge for a week to float along the Canal du Midi. Not knowing anything about what they were talking about, I did do some research.
I found a Rick Steves’ video that showed exactly what it is about. There Rick was floating by beautiful French vineyards and villas, glass of wine in hand, smiling that Rick Steves’ “good life” smile. He looked relaxed and peaceful. Who WOULDN’T want to do that!
I am not a mariner or have I ever owned a boat. So I was relieved when my friend said that he would be piloting the barge. That meant all I had to do was sit back and sip wine and enjoy the scenery.
When we arrived to pick up the barge, it appeared as advertised: a 1940’s era, wood varnished interior that exuded charm and nostalgia. She was about forty feet long with three bedrooms and three baths. There were six of us to make this our home for the next week.
A local French man gave us a brief introduction to the barge.
We had six days to reach our final destination so we wanted to know how long we should motor each day. “Oh, about two to three hours a day” is what I remember him saying.
We left shortly after the introduction, but since it was late in the day, we motored smooth and easy to a nice quiet peaceful spot to spend the night. There wasn’t a breeze in the air.
The next day we awoke to strong crosswinds over the canal.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2020-Ausgabe von The Good Life.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 2020-Ausgabe von The Good Life.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Nita Paine
‘I love that we provide an outlet to people to express themselves, to find out who they are’
Looking at life from a different angle now
Bout with cancer, plus pandemic made couple wonder: Why wait to really live?
Keeping family ties strong
Twelve months of COVID makes for a long year away from kids and grandkids
It's a kick to be a zebra — or a canary
When making the call is your calling
Saved family letters tell of war horrors, peacetime hopes and dreams
Loving letters from long ago
Varied Thrush: Making a bold statement
Globally, the thrush family contains 169 viable species; three other thrush species are now extinct.
Clean shots
For real estate photographer, the art is in the uncluttered details
Visiting the glory years of our parents
Obituaries – They’re really NOT for the dead
Going deep with Dan Feil
Warm crystal clear water, incredible fish, spectacular scenery, why not jump off a boat in the tropics?
Bringing a glow to the night
Who says outside lights are just for Christmas time? Drivers on Maple Street in Wenatchee will now see lights year-round.