The Canal du Midi – Port de Castelnaudary

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Port de Castelnaudary has been our home on several occasions. Our most recent stay was for six weeks during which we absolutely fell in love with the port, the town, the Capitanerie, port staff, and the boaters.

What is so special about Castelnaudary?

THE CAVE – Each Friday evening, members of the boating community gather at “The Cave” to enjoy excellent libations, charcuterie boards, and the company of fellow boaters and, townspeople. That is not to suggest we won’t be seen there on other weekdays.

One example of the delicious charcuterie boards made on the spot at The Cave

THE COMMUNITY – There is a community of long-term boat owners who visit Castelnaudary and travel the Canal du Midi. Some live in Castelnaudary over the winter. As such, longstanding friendships have developed there between boaters, Captainarie and port staff, shop, and restaurant owners.

This photo includes many of the friends we made in Castelnaudary and new friends we met in Toulouse.

SPECIAL EVENTS

The Captainaerie and team that manages the port are welcoming and inclusive. They make sure we are aware the many special events being held in the area.

Periodically they open the garden patio behind the Port Office to tourists, boaters, and townsfolk providing complimentary samples of delicious meats and cheeses and a selection of drinks to purchase. Just one of the ways they bring people together. These events are widely attended and a great way to socialize.

Our recent addiction to smoked, dried, duck began at one such delicious event.

We were fortunate to enjoy the celebration of Bastille Day in Castelnaudary. This celebration is in memory of the storming of a medieval French fortress, “The Bastille” in 1789. The Bastille was constructed in the 14th century to protect Paris, and in later centuries, was used principally as a state prison by the Kings of France. The storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789, is seen as a precipitating event that kicked off the French Revolution.

Basic training for the French Foreign Legion is located in Castelnaudary and Bastille Day was celebrated with a parade following the inauguration of new members to the French Foreign Legion. There are numerous variations of the Foreign Legion uniform, each of which may specify the particular role a member of the French Foreign Legion plays, their regiment, or the activity they are engaged in.

These Legionnaires have just received their white caps (Kepis) as they had completed their first 4 week training.
The “Pioneers” of the Foreign Legion are bearded, wear leather buffalo aprons, and carry axes. They march first in the parade signifying their role in preparing sites for subsequent regiments.

The crowd of people who attended the parade was impressive and it was heartwarming to witness such national pride.

Later that evening the crowd grew by an order of magnitude prior to the fireworks display at the Basin. Very few towns were permitted to have fireworks due to the extreme heat and drought France is experiencing. Castelnaudary was made an exception as the fireworks display could be held over “The Grand Basin.”

Castelnaudary’s Grand Basin is the largest body of water along the Canal du Midi and serves as the water reserve for several canals

George and I love fireworks and we have seem them in a number of countries. For sheer beauty and orchestration, we have agreed these were the absolute best we have ever seen.

The lone swan in the Basin should not be mistaken as the lonely swan. Multiple attempts have been made to add female swans for his companionships and he has hunted down and killed them all.

Periodically, the beautiful and talented, Anka and head of Castelnaudary Tourism, Thomas assume their theatrical persona and provide a tour around the basin describing the history of Castelnaudary.

Festival Convivencia

The Festival Convivencia is a world music festival that sails every summer on the Canal du Midi aboard a 30 meter barge offering a free festival of music from around the world at each port. The musicianship is outstanding and features a horn almost as long as the barge in some of their pieces. Many offerings of French and other ethnic food are available along with libations to please any pallet.

The impressively enormous horn being relocated from the barge cabin top to a location from which it could be played

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