'ROI SOLEIL'

The main highlight on the Canal du Midi is the 17th Century marvel of the Canal du Midi itself! With its 328 works and 45,000 trees linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean – traversing a remote, unspoilt, countryside of the pristine Languedoc region, now world famous for its sophisticated wines - and then there are many more highlights…

Being on charter means that you can tailor the excursions according to your party’s special interests. For example:

Historic Tours & Architecture— Follow the path of civilisation – the prehistoric sites and caves; the Grecco- Iberian sites such as the Oppidum of Enserune; the Galls and their Dolmens; the Roman presence in Narbonne (their first colony outside of Rome); the medieval architecture with its hill villages; bastides and magnificent abbeys such as Fontfroide and Lagrasse. The Cathare Castles, witness to religious wars and the expansion of the king of France – Carcassonne as the proudest medieval city. The wine and its domains which, from the 17th Century, gave the Languedoc its final aspect.

Art, History and Antiques— Narbonne concentrates some very fine art treasures from its Cathedral; to the archaeological museum with some of the finest Roman wall paintings; the art museum with its 17th and 18th Century masters and its Oriental collection of the 19th Century. We can round it up by visiting a friendly antique dealer whose friendliness is on par with his impeccable taste.

Gourmet Traveller— Olives – wine – Muscat. This is a hedonist trilogy from the olives to be sampled at the Olibo Olive Oil Mill (one of the most prized in France) to the wines of Languedoc, now a force on the international scene. Languedoc, since Roman times, has intertwined its history with wine making - the landscape of the entire region is modelled by it. We will visit top vineyards in the company of their owners taking in the Corbières, the Minervois and the St Chinian from grand domains to no less deserving smaller wine makers This will be rounded up with the Muscat Petit Grain of St Jean de Minervois, the prime Muscat in France with Beaumes de Venise from Provence.

Cooking Demonstrations— Our gourmet Provençal chef will enjoy demonstrating to you some of his specialities in the open plan kitchen on “Roi Soleil” – all to be taken with a trusty glass of wine in hand. Natural Sites and Village Life—The geography is very rich and extremely diverse with spectacular sites varying from the Mediterranean to the inland mountains with deep gorges as in Minerve, which is dotted in vineyards or hidden valleys such as St Chinian and Roquebrun. The village life follows the rhythm of the vine and harvest and the traditional, open-air markets.

Activities – The Young Family— If walking along the Canal or bicycling on our top of the range hybrid bikes is not enough, there are scores of activities to choose from. : swimming on the Mediterranean beaches or river gorges - scenic flights over medieval castles - Ballooning – country horse riding or rounding up the bulls on horseback – hiking on nature trails - white water rafting – four-wheel driving on Paris Dakhar ralley training tracks – eagle watching show in Carcassonne – visiting spectacular caves & prehistoric museums – windsurfing – African wildlife reserve…

We sincerely look forward to welcoming you on board!

Provence, throughout the Roman Empire has been praised as the ‘fairest of all provinces’ - so rich - so varied – a land of hedonists. Roi Soleil offers you a unique vantage point as we sail down the ancient border between the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne, the river Rhone. When we step ashore to discover the land within, the richness of culture, history, architecture, arts and crafts begins to reveal itself. “Roi Soleil” will then follow a tributary of the Rhône, to enter into the mysterious region of the Camargue...

Being on charter means that you can tailor the excursions according to your party’s special interests. For example:

Historic Tours & Architecture— In Avignon you may see the rich architectural influence of each of the 8 Popes who resided in the Palais des Papes, from medieval to the Renaissance time. The Palais des Papes presents a magnificent image, as we sail by the Pont de Bénézet (famous for the song:“…sur le pont d’Avignon…”) in the pastel colors of the Provencal sunset. Another architectural beauty to see, is the aqueduct of the Pont du Gard, a prodigy of the Romans and one of the wonders of the ancient world. Then there is the Roman arena, the antique theatre, some impressive medieval architecture in Arles, once capital of the whole of the Gaul’s plus the sites of picturesque St Remy de Provence. As an option, you can even participate in a dig on a private site with a top local archeologist. Take the magnificent setting of the little town of Uzès which was the prime Duchy of France, where in the 17th Century, the Duke and the Bishop of Uzés competed in erecting architectural monuments. A breathtaking site from the panorama of the fortified village of les Beaux de Provence, also renowned for it’s ancient cobbled streets and picturesque charm and whose history develops around the rebel barons who defied the King! You can walk along the fortified walls that completely surround the little medieval city of Aigues-Mortes, built on in the marshes as King St Louis sought a safe harbor to embark his crusaders on the route to Jerusalem. Pézenas is a jewel for lovers of art and literature, where Molière and his theatre troop found refuge in the 17th Century, under the protection of the Governor and Prince de Conti.

Local Culture, Arts, Crafts and Antiques— The whole of Provence has always been particularly rich in arts and crafts as you may see through the rich Arletan Museum of Arles, due to its prime position on the trade routes. Since the 19th Century, Provence artists were most successful in preserving local identity and tradition, in defiance of the inroads of industrialization. For any occasion, the Arlesian woman will don their typical costumes with hand-made laces that have been passed preciously down from mother to daughter throughout the generations, and the Guardians will dance and defy each other in games in the bull rings, inspired by their medieval troubadour ancestors. In Arles you can also personally experience the sites depicted in the paintings of Van Gogh. Throughout the year there are colorful festivals in all the cities & villages, where the locals proudly present their talents which have been passed on to them from generation to generation. We can introduce you to local artisans, fabricating by hand, basket weaving, figurines, chairs and furniture, provençal fabrics and “boutis”, paintings and pottery, some of whose work is now sought after internationally. The Camargue region is particularly rich in guardian feasts in honor of the bulls and their prized white horses. In Sète you could witness the fishermen jostling in teams – a spectacle on water… You can be as involved as sponsoring the daredevil “raséteurs” fighting the bulls in the village arena or simply taking in the local game of bowls “petanque” from a terrace café in the typical village of Fontveille. For the connoisseurs interested in antiques … there is a haven of antique treasures in L’Isle sur la Sorgue where no less than 160 antique dealers are presenting their finds.

Natural sites and The Camargue— Beautiful panoramas unfold amongst the hill villages and across the cool waters and gorges as may be seen in Fontaines de Vaucluse. From the tranquil river of the Petit Rhone, we enter into the secret of the Camargue where fresh and salt sea water make up the marshlands – the refuge of hundreds of migratory birds. There we will also see the guardians mounted on their white horses tending their prize bulls for the bull rings.

The Gourmet Traveler— The provençal market is a total feast to the senses where you can delve into the stalls of local artifacts, and amongst the bouquets of lavender and thyme there are branches of artichokes, pyramids of olives in hues of pastel greens to rich black, and hand pressed A.O.C. olive oils … freshly farmed goats cheeses… Tapenades and olive breads. For the sweet tooth, there are delicious almond sweets, Calissons from Aix en Provence, and the sumptuous miniature preserved fruits from Apt. … and then there are the vineyards!! The Rhone valley with its varied terroir and private tastings, beckons the senses – Chateauneuf du Pape – Gigondas – Lirac – Muscat of Beaumes de Venise, and for the new and rewarding discovery - the Languedoc region is making its mark on the sommeliers around the world.

Cooking Demonstrations— Did we mention that our chef is an authentic provençal food artist, eager to share his secrets in the open plan galley of “Roi Soleil” for cooking demonstrations? Pour yourself a glass of wine – and enjoy the show.

Activities – The Young Family— Apart from simply taking a walk through the waterside villages or bicycling along banks of the canal, there are scores of activities to choose from: Ballooning – horse riding or 4 x wheel driving in Camargue – attending the bull races or village processions – bird spotting in the Camargue reserve – an eagle watching spectacle in the Castle of Beaucaire– white water rafting or gentle canoeing - caves to explore … tell us your fantasy and we’ll follow your dream.