
France was great. We were in Paris for a few days and then traveled to the south of France where the Canal du Midi meets the Mediterranean Sea. There, we chartered a river barge and motored north through the countryside of vineyards and other crops. We went through many little towns on the seven day tour. Stopping in most for a little walking or bike tour or for dinner or local fare.
There, there's an intoxicating pace of life that is peaceful and simple and centuries old. The barge doesn't go that fast, locks are closed for lunch and many shops are closed for some of the afternoon. I was hoping to be able to post while there but it was probably a good thing that I couldn't (easily). It's hard to capture the experience there on film (or pixels) because the sights are only hours and many shops close for part of the afternoon. This all helps sets the pace too.
Breakfast was picked up each morning in the local town (pain au chocolat, croissants); lunch of sausage, cheese, pate, bread and wine on the boat; more of the same for the

early-evening snack and then dinner around 8pm "on shore" in restaurant along the canal.
We traveled in a week what's done on a highway in 90 minutes. I took over 400 pictures (that's after editing them down). So, without letting perfection be the enemy of progress, I've posted a bunch to share. I look forward to your comments and other posts.
The Pictures