Canal du Midi

We began yesterday with a walk along the Canal du Midi, and went back for another walk later in the day. The Canal du Midi, is a 240 km long canal that joins the 193 km Canal de Garonne in Toulouse, connecting the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.  Construction of Canal du Midi lasted from 1666 to 1681, and is considered one of the greatest construction works of the 17th century.  We think it is quite special!  Chateau Puicheric is a short walk from the Canal du Midi, with vineyards long the road along the way.  Grapes still on the vines are deep purple and very heavy.

After breakfast in the garden of Chateau Puicheric, overlooking the village and the Montaigne Noire, we set off to check on a couple of houses in a nearby village.  We saw someone outside at the first one, started a conversation with him, and he gave us a tour of his home - all four stories, plus the garden outside the walls.  He was a doctor in his early 70’s and had spent two years doing research at the University of Chicago medical school many years ago.  The tour was interesting but the house was too big, with 18 bedrooms.

We drove to the nearby village of Nevian, to see another house that had been on our short list for months.  Alas, it recently sold too!  The Nevian house had the fanciest interior of any on our list and after walking about the village, we were very disappointed that it got away.  

We came back to Chateau Puicheric by mid afternoon, and relaxed, ending our day with a simple pizza dinner at a nearby restaurant.  We picked up fruit, brought it back to the chateau and had our dessert in the chateau garden, enjoying the view at sunset, and talking with Philippe and Dominica.  A good day!