Barging Through Provence
Get Intimate With the South of France

For seven leisurely days, you and your closest friends can cruise down the 300-year-old Canal du Midi aboard the Anjodi. Carrying only eight passengers, this Dutch-designed 100-foot barge is like a private, mini hotel, featuring four air-conditioned cabins with en-suite bathrooms.

When taking a breather on the sun deck, you can also relax in the sunken Jacuzzi as the barge travels through the South of France. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about the packing and unpacking you’d have to do if you were traveling by land. Lavender fields lend the area a delightful aroma, which will undoubtedly lead you to bring home countless fragrant souvenirs like hand-made soaps, lotions and perfumes.

The trip starts at Avignon, referred to by Dante as the “Babylon of the West” due to the corruption of its popes. While you’re here, visit the Palais de Papes and see for yourself the opulence they lived in. The journey ends with a visit to Carcassonne, a medieval walled city straight out of a fairy tale, complete with musicians and performers in period costumes. Between Avignon and Carcassonne, your barge will make stops in Arles, Aigues-Mortes, Sète, Béziers and Trèbes.

The Canal du Midi and Provençe barge tour starts at $2,550 per person.

(Published: 12/02/05)