Luxury barge cruises canal du midi in FRANCE

built in 1937 at a shipyard in Thuin, Belgium.

She was originally 38,5 meters long and 5,07 meters wide, designed for loads of 400 tons, but in 1999 the ship was converted to a houseboat and shortened to 29.37 meters (100 feet).

Her present length now allows passage through the smaller locks of the famous Canal du Midi. She is docked near Poilhes, a charming village on the Canal du Midi, 12 km from Beziers, 20 km from the Mediterranean Sea and close to Narbonne.

You will either embark or disembark from this village that contains many remains from the Roman times. Do not hesitate to enjoy the (heated!) pool after a warm afternoon … or just relax while enjoying some pre-dinner drinks …

The large lounge / dining room has two big portholes offering direct views of the Canal … and its inhabitants: our friends the ducks and geese.

A home theatre with a wide choice of DVDs and CDs will give you some added pleasure, as well as a choice of books and parlour games. We offer you internet access through a Wifi connection based on the cellular network (2G or 3G). Also, a Marshall loudspeaker to be used all around the barge and offering a Bluetooth connection to your laptop or smartphone.

The bar is well stocked with many of your favorite drinks, all of them offered to you. There is also a specific bar fridge and a coffee/tea making machine for your own use.

The kitchen is either open onto the lounge or closed, depending on whether our chef will allow you to watch him prepare his secret dishes … but, don't despair, he sometimes does share his secrets with you!!!

For your important documents or anything of value, we have a safe.

We hope it will never need to be used: we do have a CARDIAC DEFRIBILLATOR on board...

Two large guest rooms with en-suite bathrooms, totaling between 18 and 20 sq m ( 190 to 210 sq ft) each, are located on the sides of the boat.

These cabins each have two entrances: one leading directly outside to the front of the barge near the pool and another one opening inside to the lounge. This allows both intimacy and independence.
The rooms have large portholes which offer panoramic views of the Canal du Midi.

The cabins are fitted with king size beds that can be separated into single beds upon request. You will be supplied with bath robes, bath amenities (from the famous product line "L’Occitane en Provence") and a hair drier. In your room, you'll also find a mini-fridge full of cool drinks and a tea & coffee tray with biscuits.

Both cabins have air conditioning. In the event of a cool night at the end of the season, the cabins are equipped with central heating, as are the bathrooms which are also fitted with heated towel rails.

Daily housekeeping is provided and we can propose a laundry service upon request.

The Alegria has a crew of 4, either French either foreign, including the Captain, Olivier Baudry. •

Olivier Baudry, the owner of the barge, is a French native. He has been passionate about rivers, canals and river boats for thirty years. In the 1980’s he owned successively two house-boats moored in Paris and he had a great time cruising with friends across the French capital for several years.
In 1989, with his passion in mind, Olivier left his secure job as a corporate banker and launched two luxurious river-boats in Paris. These were focused on the market of corporate and incentive events.
Olivier then passed fifteen years in Cape Town, South Africa, managing his own tour-operating company. Late 2007 he came back to France to fulfill his passion and launch a cruising hotel-barge.
Olivier has settled down along the Canal du Midi and he now runs Alegria for your pleasure ...

Having a real French Native as your Captain is definitely a Huge Plus for your cruise!!!

• You have your own exclusive CHEF on board! Our Chef will provide some outstanding gastronomic meals through typical and sophisticated French cuisine... The wines we carefully chosed will perfectly match your dishes and you will enjoy up to three different French wines with every meal...

• Your hostess is English and French speaking. She is an important part of your daily life on board for serving the meals, preparing your rooms and being available to help you to find your way on the barge... and around the Canal.

• The Tour Guide is also French and English speaking; His/ her knowledge of the region and its history will ensure you some great visits around the region, and will allow you to deepen your knowledge of the French culture. o

• The maintainance of the barge and the asistance to moorings are provided by a Matelot.

Our Chef proposes a gastronomy based on a few excellent principles, such as giving priority to ORGANIC FOOD and to buy FAIR TRADE products whenever possible.
You will taste some typical French local dishes as well as the best French gastronomy. Each meal will be accompanied by different wines and we mainly serve the excellent vintages from Languedoc and Rousillon (the Minervois, Faugères, St-Chinian, Corbières becoming more and more renowned) straight from our Wine Cellar on board. You will never be offered the same wine twice during the week (unless you insist on drinking again "that one" you particularly loved !)

For your added pleasure, we set your table with different services for breakfast, lunch and dinner: from the festive one through the ethnic one to the classic one with its Silver cuttlery. Weather permitting your meal is served outside on the deck.
• Our Chef will cater specifically for you and might even share some of his cooking tips as he prepares a dish.
• And ... we will also invite you for two meals (drinks included) off the barge in some local restaurants!
• For Breakfast you will be served a selection of pastries and breads, cereals, yogurts, fruits, fresh fruit juice, cheeses, cold meats, smoked salmon, eggs cooked to order, a selection of teas, coffee, etc

On this Sunday morning our guide proposes you a “multi-site” excursion: the City of Béziers, the famous “stair case” of the Nine Locks of Fonsérane, the archeological (6th century BC) site of the Oppidum of Ensérune, and the Malpas Tunnel, the first tunner built in the world for a canal. After the lunch (or during lunch… depending on the weather conditions) you cruise to La Croisade and pass underneath the lowest bridge on the Canal: the famous bridge of Capestang. Mind you head! This 18km cruise is typical with its numerous meanders: yes the Canal actually looks like a River! After this four-hour cruise the dinner is served onboard and you spend the night in a restful place, a stone's throw away from ... an old 17th century stone bridge.

In the morning we cruise slowly to Le Sommail, one of the most charming villages along the Canal. Should you need a book for the week you can buy one from a unique book shop that has approximately 50 000 second-hand books in stock ... in many different languages! In the afternoon you may chose to relax on the barge, roam around, cycle, etc but we also propose you to visit a wine farm or an olive mill nearby, or any other site that might suit your wishes. At the end of the day you are invited for the Captain's Dinner in a local auberge. It's the perfect opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of a French restaurant!

In the morning you visit a beautiful town, Narbonne. Narbonne is full of Roman history and includes the "Palace of the Archbishop". You will love its Mediterranean and Gothic style. And ... you will be offered lunch there in a typical restaurant that has some fish specialties. After lunch you are driven back to the barge for the afternoon cruise. You pass your first lock after Roubia and we cruise to the port of Homps, one of the busiest harbors in the old times of the Canal commercial era.

In the morning you visit the great City of Carcassonne, the biggest medieval City in Europe. You are just fascinated by the size of the walls and the narrow streets inside. You are right there in the middle of French history! There also many shops where you can buy typical souvenirs to bring back to friends or children. After lunch you embark on the last leg of the cruise for the week, from Homps to the area of Puichéric. You pass the last lock of the cruise and you can admire the wooden and iron sculptures made by the most famous lock-keeper on the Canal. The barge is moored just on top of this most beautiful lock. You spend your last night onboard Alegria after the Farewell Dinner prepared by our Chef.