SLOW TRAVEL at its very

SLOW TRAVEL at its very best in the south of France Janine Marsh explores lagoons and canals and falls head over heels for barge travel… The French have a word for those who like to stroll without a goal other than to enjoy the adventure and unexpected joys and beauty encountered en route – to flâner. I’m not sure there is a word for wandering by barge, but I can tell you that the experience of travelling slowly on the Rhone Canal in the sun-kissed south of France is one you’ll never forget During my trip I would step back in time some 2,500 years, encounter extraordinary wildlife, visit some of the most beautiful towns and villages I’ve ever seen, make new friends and explore the heritage, culture, gastronomy and wine of southern France. And I, like the rest of the guests on CroisiEurope’s MS Anne Marie barge, would be thoroughly spoiled, utterly pampered and totally enthralled by the entire experience. Barging on an extraordinary waterway Sète was the starting point for our journey – a sunny, vibrant city that sits between the Mediterranean Sea and the Etang de Thau, a biodiverse saltwater lagoon (you can read more about Sète and the local area on page 80). Fresh fish is sold along the quays and oyster tasting is de rigeur – washed down with a glass of local Picpoul, a very old French wine, made in the Languedoc for at least 400 years. There’s even a museum dedicated to oysters and those who fish for them, reached by a mulberry tree lined avenue that’s brimming with cafes and bistros, overlooking the sparkling, azure blue lagoon. By the end of the first night on board, all the guests were chatting as if friends, rather than strangers who met just a few hours before. A mix of Swiss, American, British, Norwegian, Belgian and French, though everyone spoke English including the staff who are brilliant, Sète consummate professionals. The bedrooms are comfy, charming and air conditioned, the food and wine is amazing, bikes are provided and there’s a hot tub on deck. Our journey from Sète to Arles took us along the famous Canal du Rhône – a perfectly tranquil waterway that runs through the middle of a lagoon, it looks like a channel carved from the sea. It’s extraordinary, beautiful, otherworldly even. At times we were followed by shoals of fish sparkling in the crystal clear blue green water and watched by flocks of pale pink flamingos. Cyclists passed by on the paths that run alongside the canal peppered with herbs and plants that thrive in the salty sea air and hot sun whose scent 16 | The Good Life France Pink sea Aigues Mortes The Good Life France | 17