Alouette: CARCASSONNE TO BÉZIERS

Board Alouette, your exquisite floating palace for the week ahead. Enjoy a warm welcome and chilled champagne in the company of your dedicated crew and guide as you take in the 360-degree views on deck. Your chef is busy preparing your first feast of the cruise, a spread of vibrant dishes crafted from intensely flavourful ingredients, tailored to your tastes. As delicious wines are uncorked, raise a toast to the start of a sublime vacation.

Awake to a beautiful day on the water and a breakfast of local delicacies. Spend your first morning relaxing as you cruise along the Canal du Midi, one of the most stunning waterways in France. Lined with willows, irises and plane trees that tower over the water, its banks abound in wildlife. After lunch on board, alight with your guide for a tour of the colossal walled city of Carcassonne. Explore the intricate fortifications of the two castellated walls, admire the views from the battlements towards the Pyrenees and visit the cathedral, remarkable for its stained-glass rose windows, elegant Romanesque nave and Gothic transepts. Return to the barge in time for cocktails and a sumptuous dinner beneath the stars.

Enjoy a leisurely morning cruise, soaking up the ever-changing vistas from the comfort of the deck, or perhaps stretch your legs with a walk or cycle ride along the towpath. Disembark mid-morning to discover Minerve, an ancient village perched on a limestone cliff, which overlooks the vineyards below. Its now-ruined castle was once a Cathar stronghold, besieged and captured by Simon de Montfort. Return to the boat for lunch and an afternoon cruise to our mooring at Homps. Tonight, enjoy dinner on shore at a charming local restaurant. 

This morning’s cruise brings you to Le Somail, an achingly pretty canal-side port, where ivy-covered walls, humpback bridges and umbrella pines create a feast for the eyes. After lunch on board in a sun-dappled spot, accompany your guide on a short drive to a local olive mill, where you can uncover the farmer’s secrets with a private demonstration and tasting. On the way back to the boat, stop to sample wine from a local domaine. Back on the boat, aperitifs whet your appetite for a relaxing dinner and lively conversation into the night.

In the company of your chef, visit the wonderful covered market in Narbonne to choose ingredients for your dinner. The indoor market, bustling with bakers, butchers, charcutiers, fishmongers, cheese purveyors and more, is the perfect place to experience the rich culinary culture of France. While there, savour a traditional bistro lunch in the market. Narbonne, a former Roman port, brims with historic architecture and shady boulevards. Return to the barge for an afternoon cruise to the port of Capestang, where dinner is served on board. 

Relax and absorb the picturesque scenery as the barge navigates the final stretch to our mooring in Béziers. After lunch on board, disembark with your guide to visit Fontfroide Abbey. This 11th-century Cistercian monastery, now privately owned, delights with its tranquil chapter hall, refectory, cloister and well-kept rose garden. On the way back to the barge, stop to marvel at the engineering wonder that is the Fonserannes Locks. This iconic set of staircase locks comprises eight chambers and nine gates. Return to the barge where your chef has been busy preparing a farewell gala dinner. Sit out on the balmy deck and share stories over an array of seasonal delicacies.

Have breakfast before the crew bids you farewell and you disembark for your onward travel arrangements.