A woman eclusier on Samedi had told us the weather forecast for Dimanche was very good. We'd been having a brief conversation about how bad the wind had been, both shaking our heads in collective Euro-despair. And she wasn't wrong. Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, warm - and blissfully calm. We topped up water and power, and dropped Liberty's top in anticipation both of nice weather and more low bridges (and power lines... the lowth of some of these has t...

Well, the title was sure to get your attention, and you won't be disappointed because this one really is about going topless. Some people have qualms about removing their tops, perhaps understandably, especially if summer hasn't quite started yet. But here in France it's just another part of life on the canals. And yes, Liz and I both sailed topless yesterday. Curb your enthusiasm; we don't do it every day of course, but sometimes it's just necessary. Like yest...

This is a bitter-sweet update. Get a box of tissues ready. Liz and I have finally made it to the famous Canal du Midi in southern France - that 17th century engineering marvel that links the Atlantic with the Med. You might have seen it if you watched chef Rick Stein on the telly travel on a hotel boat along the waterway. Anyway, there are a number of reasons why it's famous, not least of which is that it ranks among those achievements - such as heavier-than-ai...

On Thursday we began the long journey back from Tenerife to our boat in the south of France. Don't worry... we're not expecting outpourings of pity; the only reason the journey was long was a really really early start followed by a three-hour flight to Barcelona followed by an-almost four-hour wait followed by an hour's flight to Marseille. Followed by an hour's (delayed) train trip and a 20-minute walk. But that's okay. No really. It is. While transiting at Aer...

The Apartamentos Bella Vista in Puerto de la Cruz is multi-storey hotel curved in a bow shape. It sits atop the cliffs and its convex side looks north directly out over the Oceano Atlantico, which is a myriad of blues ranging from deep aquamarine through teal to light blue, according to the swells, the wind and the sunshine. The hotel on the other hand is basically white with a bright green trim. The rendering is a stucco-style finish, both inside the rooms, rec...