Rick was pleased to note that: "there are very few signs telling you what to do, or not to do." Much to his pleasant surprise he discovered that "the French, certainly in the south, are actually nice." ~ Minervois Cruisers on Rick Stein's French Canal Boat Odyssey

Happy 2015!

Photo Cred…Carol B.

As we usher in a New Year, 

all kinds of newness are on the horizon for Traveling Simile.

After enjoying many cherished days with family and friends here at home in Texas,

winter sweaters and wool scarfs and boots
 have been emptied out of my suitcases,

replaced with cotton and linen and sandals.

Whaaaat?

Yes, that's right…
my toes will soon see the light of day… 
because we are moving to Bangkok, Thailand.

Ren Man has already there actively searching 
for the BEST pad thai and papaya salad…

 and I will follow shortly…

after a pit stop at our current home in Aberdeen.

With a backlog of travels to share 

before sensory overload takes over in our new home,

here is my concerted effort to fulfill a New Years resolution, 
and catch up with my life.

Snapshots of our memories of the Canal du Midi were shared here…

and others have been waiting patiently to be revealed.

The locks became increasingly easier…

as we learned how to enter,
leave room for other boats, 

tie up,
exit the lock efficiently...

and more impressively with each meter we climbed.

Here, a terrible photo was tweaked in order to show an example of how we rose a few feet per lock as we traveled upstream.  

The two boats above,
 are waiting at this triple lock for the water level to rise,
carrying boats up to their level in order to continue west. 

This graph gives you an idea of our journey climbing the canal,  
traveling northwest from Beziers,

ending our journey a few miles before Toulouse.

Since we traveled at a whopping speed of 5 mph,

it was easy to run along the canal

 or even bike while others stayed aboard.

Biking on board was also allowed
because we were the boss of our boat.

Along the way we encountered wildlife above the water...

and reminders of why you would not want to swim in the water.

I am pretty sure this guy…

swam with the gar at some point,
as he paddle boarded the Canal du Midi.

And then there were these guys and their team???

Training for the Iditarod?

The excitement of seeing field after field of sunflowers never grew old...

and still makes me smile.

Especially on this cold and rainy day in January.