Boat Rentals France - Canal du Midi Hotel Barges
BELLE TORTUE - a Gourmet cruise - Carcassone Beziers
April - November
6 nights / 7 days of discovery on the Canal du Midi. Between Carcassonne and Beziers

6 PASSENGERS, 4 CREW
1- 3 DOUBLES, 1- 2 SINGLES (3 CABINS - ALL WITH EN-SUITE BATHROOMS)
CENTRAL HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING
Prices include 6 nights on board, all Meals, all Drinks, minibus visits to tourist sites,
pick up from airport, railway station, hotel, or other pickup point.
Prices and Booking Availability (2007)   Prices and Booking Availability (2008)      Sample itinerary
hotel barge rental toulouse gascony
Enjoy the good life on board Belle Tortue
and experience gourmet dining on the Canal du Midi



BELLE TORTUE AND
YOUR ACCOMMODATION

Belle Tortue has three cabins and can take up to six guests. There is one cabin with a fixed double bed and the other two cabins can be made up as doubles (queen size) or twin beds.
And each cabin has an ensuite bathroom.


Prices include six nights aboard Belle Tortue with all meals, beverages and visits.

Also included is the pick-up and transfer to Belle Tortue from a designated point at approx. 5pm on Saturday and transfer at approx. 10am on Friday morning to a pre-arranged choice of airport, railway station or car rental agency at a major town.

Not included are other travel and personal expenses, or staff gratuities.

To make a reservation please email the booking office at belletortue@southfrance.com

References

Belle Tortue has featured in Conde Nast Traveler Magazine and appeared as a guests recommendation in American Express Travel Magazine.

Sample Menus

Lunch

Spinnach and Roquefort Tart
Caramelised Red Onions with Bacon and Pine Nuts
Roast Tomatoes with Basil and Balsamic Dressing
Mixed Salad Leaves with Croutons and Tapenade Dressing
Cheeses:
• St Maure de Toraine
• Ardi Gasna
• Cantal Salers
Fresh Fruit and Nuts
Wines:
• Chateau Helène 1997 - White
• Domaine Ollier Caillefer 1997 - Rosé
• Chateau St Eulalie 1996 - Red

Dinner

Sample Menu 1
Zucchini and Parmesan Térrine with a Red Pepper Coulis
Fillet of Silver Sea Bream on Saffron Mash with Champagne Sabayon
Brie de Meaux
Brioche Pudding with Dried Fruits marinated in Banyuls
Wines:
• Chateau La Coupes - Roses 1996 - White
• Chateau Belot 1995 - Red
• Muscat de St Jeanne de Minervois - Sweet White

Sample Menu 2
Asparagus wrapped in Bayonne Ham with a Foaming Lime Hollandaise
Fillet of Charolais Beef on a Potato and Horseradish Galette with a Thyme Jus
Papillon Roquefort
Hazelnut Meringue with Strawberries and Kiwi
Wines
• Domaine Boyer - Viognier 1996 - White
• Chateau de Gourgazaud - Grand Réserve 1995 - Red
• Domaine Le Mas Nau 1996 - Sweet White


salon - hotel barge boat canal du midi

Dine in the elegant salon, with hand finished teak panelling, comfortable sofas,library, stereo (with over 60 CDs from jazz to the classics)
  
gourmet cooking - canal du midi hotel barge carcassonne beziers

In addition to the mouth watering cuisine, a full stocked drinks cabinet is available - with a wide choice of liquor, fizzy drinks, still water, and a plentiful supply of ice. You will be able to enjoy over 36 different local wines whilst on board the Belle Tortue

bathroom - carcassonne beziers hotel canal barge

å All bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms. Each has a shower, a toilet, and a wash hand-basin, with cupboard, and shelf for storage of toiletries. A hairdryer is also supplied for each bedroom. Towels are supplied and changed on a regular basis.
bedroom - canal du midi languedoc hotel barge cruise

All bedrooms measure 7ft x 9ft 8ins. In bedroom 1 & 2, there are two twin beds, measuring 2ft 8ins x 6ft 4ins, and these can be made up as a double bed if you wish. There is plenty of space at the end of each bed so a tall person will not feel hemmed in. Bedroom 3 has a fixed double bed measuring 5ft x 6ft 4ins. There is ample hanging space and shelves for all your clothes and belongings, but we strongly recommend that you try to travel light. We have storage for luggage elsewhere on the barge, so that your rooms don't get cluttered. Bed Linen is changed mid-week.

salon dining - belle tortue - gourmet cooking - canal du midi hotel barge

There are 4 crew members on board, including the chef, the pilot, the guide (for mini bus trips), and our hostess.
cheese plate - haute cuisine on hotel boat cruise, canal du midi

Belle Tortue, has a NO SMOKING policy, so we do not allow smoking inside the barge. Guests who wish to smoke can smoke on deck with the permission of ALL other guests. There is a mobile phone on board that can be used to receive calls, and reception of faxes, and emails can be arranged. Your computer, phone, camera, can all be charged on the barge, as long as you have an adaptor for a French socket
 
A typical week on Belle Tortue (Other cruises itineraries include - Golf cruise - wine cruise - historical cruise)
DAY 1
SATURDAY		 DAY 2
SUNDAY 		DAY 3
MONDAY 		DAY 4
TUESDAY

DAY 5
WEDNESDAY

DAY 6
THURSDAY		 DAY 7
FRIDAY
Beziers - Poilhes Capestang - Argeliers Le Somail - Ventenac - Paraza Narbonne - Roubia - Homps Minerve - Aguille Carcassonne - Lastours Trebes
At 5:00pm, Sally will be waiting to greet you at a pre-arranged pickup point which may be either the Béziers train station, car rental agency, or a hotel in Béziers or immediate environs. She will then transfer you directly to Belle Tortue in our air conditioned minibus. Dinner is your first on board meal.
We start our cruise at Colombiers, a pretty village just outside Béziers. After a champagne reception, we cruise off through the Malpas Tunnel, the oldest canal tunnel in the world, to the tranquil mooring of Regismont Haut with pretty bridge, historic buildings and an array of British warship cannons. Take a stroll before aperitifs and your first gastronomic delights.		 An early morning cruise to Capestang, the largest village on the canal, in time to visit the colourful street market, with stalls selling a wide variety of local produce, clothes and flowers. Then off in the minibus to visit the Oppidum d'Ensérune a pre-Roman hillside site occupied from 600 BC to 100 AD, only discovered by archaeologists at the beginning of this century. There is a fascinating museum containing many artifacts found on the site. Back to Belle Tortue for a colourful lunch of salads, tartes, wines and cheeses, then a cruise along the canal, which meanders through the vineyards to the village of Argeliers. Our morning starts with a short cruise to the quaint village of Le Somail. Visit the fascinating antique bookshop and the local potters and artists. Before or after lunch we can visit the Amphoralis, the largest excavation of Roman pottery in Europe.
Another short cruise brings us to Ventenac where we moor outside the Chateau and have the opportunity to visit the wine cellar and sample some of the excellent Minervois wines.
And then on to Paraza, a picturesque hillside village overlooking the canal, commanded by a magnificent chateau. 		Peter, your chef and Captain, takes you to Narbonne, the ancient capital of Roman Gaul and will guide you through the outstanding covered food market. Choose your lunch from a variety of homemade pâtés and charcuterie, and freshly caught fish for dinner. Afterwards, visit the amazing gothic Cathedral with one of the highest naves in France; walk along the Via Domitia (the recently uncovered Roman road), or just do some shopping in the chic boutiques on the charming pedestrianised streets.
Return to Belle Tortue for a short cruise to Roubia for lunch. Your afternoon cruise takes us through four locks, two doubles and two singles, to Homps where you can visit the church, a replica of the Basilica of Lourdes. Tonight you will be escorted to the wonderful 'Auberge de l'Arbousier' for your evening meal.		 A morning visit to Minerve, an ancient village that stands on a rocky outcrop formed by the valleys of two rivers: the Cesse and the Brian. It was once a Cathar stronghold, overthrown by Simon de Montfort and the Crusaders. The local museums do a fine job of explaining the history of the region and its geological features. Also visit the church where the altar dates back to 456AD.
Back to the boat for lunch, and an afternoon cruise through 3 locks. The distance between locks is two to three miles - ideal for a bike ride or a walk if you feel so inclined. We moor for the night at the top of the third lock, Aguille, the home of an enthusiastic and friendly lock-keeper who makes amusing sculptures from tree branches and trunks. Watch out for the crocodile!		 A morning visit by minibus to Carcassonne, the finest example of a mediaeval walled city in the whole of Europe. For those who have already visited this magnificent city or who are staying there after the barge trip, we suggest instead, a visit to Lastours, spectacular site of four ruined Cathar Castles - with, for the energetic, a climb up a steep rocky path to the remains, to get a feel of what life was like in those ancient times. In the afternoon, a peaceful cruise through one of the most magnificent tree-lined stretches of the canal, where linked overhanging branches form a superb green canopy, known as the 'green cathedral'. Our last mooring is at the peaceful setting of Millepetit, where you can relax and enjoy your last evening of the cruise under the stars with Belle Tortue. After breakfast we cruise to the triple lock at Trèbes with its beautiful views over the Alaric Mountains. From here we say our goodbyes between 9:00am and 10:00am and you will then be taken to Narbonne, Carcassonne or Béziers for your onward journey.
ON ALTERNATE WEEKS, CRUISE WILL BE IN A REVERSED DIRECTION
 

Prices include 6 nights on board, all Meals, all Drinks, minibus visits to tourist sites,
pick up from airport, railway station, hotel, or other pickup point

Check Availability and Prices for booking your cabin or chartering the hotel barge for 2007

Interested? Contact belletortue@southfrance.com
map of canal du midi from Carcassonne to Beziers
Map showing Canal du Midi - and some of the ports that Belle Tortue will visit

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