What could go wrong? Months before, David, reservation frontman and ex-officio Captain, began to express reservations. The reward for remaining civilized throughout this week would be another one together at a villa in Provence, rumored to be large enough to hide from each other if necessary. The ignition and electrical systems were in the galley, but the boat was driven from the controls on the upper sun deck where we were all seated for our one and only practice run.
The experience of guiding the boat around the Grand Basin was like learning to drive in a large, empty parking lot. Sooner or later, one must maneuver in a small lane in heavy traffic, where learning on the run can lead to consequences. Today, it seemed easy and fluid and confidence in our capabilities was high.
Food was always a priority of this crew and it was decided to celebrate our last night in Castelnaudary, or maybe to the known civilized world, by eating the best cassoulet in the village. Along with nearby Toulouse and. Carcassonne, Castelnaudary boasts of being the birthplace of cassoulet and Captain David discovered that chef David Campigotto of Chez David , a small bistro in an alley off the stone street, was famous and cooks it around the world.
This local dish is a rich, slow-cooked casserole that contains pork sausage, duck and sometimes goose confit, pork skin and haricot blancs white beans. The next morning, after a breakfast that lasted longer than planned, we launched into the basin and our sojourn on the water began.
Leaving Castelnaudary was not easy. Beginning with the Excluse Saint-Roch, the gateway lock that exits the Grand Basin downstream, we encountered a three multi-lock sequence, totaling nine separate locks during the initial. A lock is a simple device, used for centuries, to move boats between different levels of water. Once the boats are safely in the small tub-like basin and they have been thrust to the side and secured by a rope, loosely.
