Barging the Canal Du Midi—Sailing in the South of France from Dollars To

From Dollars to Barging the Canal du Midi—Sailing Euros in the South of France by Robert H. Bestor by Nancy Bestor it was our transportation, as we traveled erhaps the question most asked about o start, I don’t think of myself 118 kilometers in seven days, navigating P European travel is “What’s the best T as a “boat” person. I’m not a sailor. I 65 locks. way to change dollars into foreign currency?” don’t know which side of a boat is “aft” or My list of The answer is simple; take your ATM debit which side is “port”. I had never been on a worries before the card to Europe and withdraw the cash you sailboat until I was almost 40. I don’t even trip was short but need from bank ATMs. Be sure you have own a cute striped sailor top, or Sperry significant: a four-digit PIN, and you might also want Topsider shoes. Thus it may come as a 1. How nasty to talk to your bank about raising the daily great surprise to you, as it was to me, that would the pump maximum amount that can be withdrawn. I absolutely loved our family’s summer toilets be on board? To pay for larger purchases, such as hotel vacation cruising the Canal du Midi on a bills, use a credit card, preferably one that self-guided barge in the South of France. 2. How hard would it be for us novices to navigate our 50 foot long boat doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee We rented a 50-foot long penichette through narrow locks? (Capitol One and a few others). from Locaboat (www.locaboat.com) for Not convinced? You’ve got company. one week with another family of four. 3. Eight people on a boat for a week. Some folks actually sing the praises of While not cheap (about $4400 total Would we still be friends when it was all exchanging large amounts of dollars for before gas and bike rentals for the week), over? euros here in North America, then carrying we justified it as such: the boat was our 4. 5. and 6. Repeat worry number them to Europe. Still others rely on traveler’s lodging, there were four bedrooms on three. checks or debit cards pre-loaded with euros. board that very comfortably slept all eight of us; it was also our restaurant as Turns out I had no reason to fear. continued on page 3 we cooked most meals in the small yet The pump toilets are fairly similar to flush nicely appointed kitchen; and of course continued on page 2 Travel Essentials News Winter 2010 Great Travel Products for the In This Issue The Best Carry-on Suitcase Page 5 2010 Holiday Season Lance Armstrong and the Tour Page 6 f you’re looking for the perfect gift Digital Luggage Scale Airline Censorship Page 8 I this holiday season for the traveler Balanzza’s Mini Digital Luggage Scale in your life, we’ve got some excellent ($24.95) is an easy-to-use, money saving recommendations! Some are brand new tool for every type of traveler. Recent products, and some are our all time fee-hikes and crackdowns on luggage favorites. 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All Rights Reserved. matter!), helping customers near and far. continued on page 4 [email protected] Barging the Canal du Midi... continued from page 1 was the extent of our strenuous exercise the whole of our small town fireworks toilets, you just have to pump water in for the week. extravaganza. It was hugely impressive, when you are finished to flush the waste We certainly ate and drank our and all the more fun because we watched out. And after a small mishap at the first share (perhaps more than our share?) of it from the deck of our own boat, sipping lock (my apologies, beautiful pink sun bread, cheese and wine during the week. wine on the Canal du Midi. umbrella, for forgetting to take you down It was fun walking or biking to the local Barge Rental Details when we slipped narrowly under the groceries and markets to choose the day’s • We rented bikes for every member of bridge), we became piloting pros, even pairing of regional wines and cheeses. our group. About $50 per bike for the Our average week, and worth every penny. daily baguette • Barges can tie up anywhere along consumption the canal for the night. See a lovely was four. You tree shaded spot? Tired of driving? know life is Pull over to the side, hammer in your good when stakes, and enjoy a lovely and quiet your biggest evening with a splendid view. concern is when and • Locks are open from 9 am to 7 pm, where you and closed for a one-hour mid-day can get more lunch break. Each had an operator fresh bread. working the lock system, but you are expected to navigate your own boat, I’m and tie it to the cleats on the sides of certain we the lock on your own. (In many cases, would all as my teenage daughters can attest agree that to, the operator was a handsome the highlight young shirtless French man. I did not of our week notice. That’s my story and I’m on the Canal sticking to it.) was Bastille Day, July 14. Unbeknownst to us when • Many lock stations sold provisions, when it came sharing the tight spaces of we booked our trip, our itinerary put us including wine, fresh eggs, produce, the locks with as many as three other large in Carcassonne on Bastille Day, France’s ice cream, water and more. It was boats. Finally, although the interior spaces answer to the United States’ 4th of never a problem to acquire groceries. of the boat were a bit cramped, there were July. The fortified city of Carcassonne, We were always within a short walk plenty of different lounging spots on the complete with castle, towers, drawbridge or bike ride from a market. exterior decks to escape to and read a and more, celebrates Bastille Day with • A barge cruise is not for anyone book, lounge in the sun, play cards or just a 30-minute fireworks show better than sip a glass of wine. And yes, we all still who likes to get anywhere in a hurry. any I have every seen or could imagine. As mentioned before, boats travel liked each other when we split up after Now our hometown of Ashland, Oregon our week together. celebrates Independence Day in grand continued on page 7 The Canal du Midi is postcard style, with a small beautiful, and as we slowly glided (never town parade, a concert faster than five miles an hour) through in the park and a fun sunflower fields and vineyards, drinking fireworks show, but the red wine on the sun deck, I couldn’t help Carcassonne fireworks but think that all vacations should be this show is something relaxing. If anyone wanted a break from entirely different. Part of being on the boat, we’d simply pull over the show simulated the to the bank and let them out to walk or walled city under siege, ride a bike along the path that runs the as it “caught fire”, then length of the Canal. One morning Bob the “fire” was slowly and I rode into a small village boulangerie put out by “water”. for fresh croissants and baguettes. And In the finale alone, other than using my arm muscles to work Carcassonne lights off the ropes when we were in the locks, that more explosives than “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.” — JULIA CHILD Page 2 • Winter 2010 From Dollars to Euros... continued from page 1 the inter-bank exchange rate was 1.45. She dispense such items as rail and parking probably paid 1.55. Thus her 3,000 euros, tickets require a credit card with an Bill Clinton won an election by if purchased that day, cost $4,650. But last embedded chip. Generally speaking, adhering to the phrase, “it’s the economy, spring the dollar did something a lot of European credit cards have the chips and stupid.” When it comes to changing money, people didn’t expect. It got stronger. In the North American cards do not. These are it’s the exchange rate, stupid. summer of 2010, the exchange rate ranged called “chip and PIN” cards. In some cases Recently a man headed to Europe from 1.19 to 1.31. Let’s figure an average of you’ll be OK if you can enter your PIN, so for the first time asked me what I thought 1.25.

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