Cycling the Canal des Deux Mers across France 

Thank you, I'll do my best.

Oh, how sweet - thanks for your charming words, they are appreciated.

Thanks, I also enjoy combining these two activities. I appreciate the kind words.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it - you absolutely should, even if you only do half the trip. This was the third time Kim and I had done the Toulouse to Sete section.

Glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting.

Your kind words were read with pleasure, thanks. This is a trip (in whole or in part) that's well worth taking.

Thanks! I honoured to read your kind words, thanks for taking the time to comment.

It's passable because it only cost 1 euro, the cheapest thing on the menu, cheaper than coffee or cola. There's no need to wait until you retire - take a week and go for it. And remember that you can also rent boats along the Canal du Midi that come with bikes (leboat.com), and you don't need a boat license for that. It's just such an idyllic place.

You should absolutely do it soon.

Thanks, it was nice to read your kind words.

You are so kind, a pleasure to read your comments.

Thanks for the. kind words. It is a great trip - and we are looking forward to the return - it will be our fourth time on the Canal du Midi.

Thanks for the kind words, always nice to hear from an appreciative viewer - and yes, it was a most enjoyable holiday.

Thanks - it was a trip I've wanted to do for a long time, and it fulfilled all my expectations. And I'd do it again in a minute.

That's very kind of you to say, glad to hear you enjoyed the video.

It is a great trip, I'd recommend it for anyone who's reasonably fit, enjoys spectacular scenery and likes great meals with nice wine. Thanks for the kind words.

@@MaartenHeilbron Thank you Maarten, it would be a great way to see more of France which we love as a country!

Always my pleasure - and we too are always ready to return to France.

Sounds like an excellent plan.

That's very kind, thanks for taking the time to comment.

Glad to see you found it now. Thanks for your kind words.

So we've heard, thanks for the invite.

@@MaartenHeilbron our Easy to West cycle trail is also developed along the old canal waterways

Perfect, checking it out now.

That was the plan - you totally should. Such a great, easy and enjoyable ride.

Thanks, I appreciate your kind words. Although it might be a challenge - you could consider doing short sections or day trips. Another option is to rent a boat along the Canal du Midi - they also have week long excursions, don't require a license and usually have bikes on board to rent.

@@MaartenHeilbron Sounds interesting. We would need something to pull the teen along. She does not walk, but she is not big either.

The boat - check out leboat.com sounds like an ideal solution.

Thanks for the kind word.

I'm very envious.

Entirely our pleasure, thanks for the kind words.

It is fabulous. It's a pretty easy and manageable ride, and you certainly don't have to do all of it. And if you don't want to cycle, there are lots of boating options along the Canal du Midi.

It truly was.

Thanks for your kind words. Toulouse is a great starting point for the Canal du Midi section - in previous rides we've started with a few days in Toulouse.

You'll find the details on the LaRabenne website, where they have multiple options for this trip.

Thanks for the kind words, always nice to see our friends in the comments. Everyone here is fine, thanks for asking - hope all is fine with you too.

Domaine d'Ale. Definitely worth a visit. Thanks for your kind words.

Thanks for the kind word.

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. Mostly the Sony RX100VI ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XcputJoEXws.html

Thanks - they're never big hits, but I'll do some more.

Thanks for your very kind words, appreciated. There are lots of great options - so it does depend on how much camera you'd like to haul around. My current choice is the Fujifilm X-H1, which serves both stills and video with the XF16-55 lens. I'd be equally happy with the A7III, but the good (GM) lenses are pricey - however, the AF-On button on the lens makes this a killer combination for fast moving kids.

Although the Toulouse to Sete section (the Canal du Midi) is nicer, the trail is less well maintained (as I showed in the video). From Bordeaux to Toulouse the entire trail is paved, which is likely an easier ride. On a tandem, I would not attempt the Canal du Midi unless you're prepared to spend some time on roads instead of the path.

It is Domaine de l'Ale, just west of Capestang. www.domainedelale.fr

Thanks, I appreciate the kind words. I did bring my own Mavic Air -I do not expect and have not had any issues bringing it across any border. Should I be worried bring it into Holland? What time should we be there for the BBQ?

Hahaha, no, I was just curious. I am thinking having one myself, and once it's there it's going to travel with me for video work - I have three channels. Here on continental Europe I do not expect any issues, not even when I travel by air, but transatlantic trips make me a little nervous -hence the question. People do (or can do) ''funny'' things with drones, and I do not want to run into issues when I cross North-American borders - and risk losing my investment. Other than that: I haven't looked into the matter - I will never bring my gear when issues can be expected. Bbq? Funny you should say so. That is how this channel once started way back in the dark age. It started out as some sort of joke, reporting from our annual Bbq party in my home town - Hoorn (Holland).

In general I find there's little concern for anything except commercial instruments (money) and agriculture related products when entering a country. There are some countries that require registration (US) or a licence (Thailand), but in general they don't hassle you at customs. It is of course, as you point out, that one behaves in a cautious and respectful manner when flying a drone - France, like Canada and the US requires certain practices to be followed, but they are generally just good behaviour. So, when is the BBQ? We were planning to spend a few hours in Hoorn next week, but may be a little hungover from Koningsdag.

Ha, a meet-up eh? Nice. I will shoot you an email on my schedule shortly.

Oh, and whilst over here, there's a pretty good store at Urk. I know you'll have fun there. CameraNU.nl

I've enjoyed the portability of the RX100 series since the first model, and it's the perfect jersey pocket camera, as I demonstrated in my review - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XcputJoEXws.html Clearly the images are not quite the same quality as a larger sensor, but I've printed many, in both photobooks and wall prints and have always been very pleased with the results. As for comparison to a phone, I haven't done that. X-T30 review will be completed soon. Finally, thanks for the tips on more cycling adventures - we're always on the lookout, although we're currently thinking about Croatia as our next destination.

Merci beaucoup.

www.larebenne.com/fr/velo-vtc-canal-deux-mers-bordeaux-sete

I should, that's definitely on the to-do list. There's no end to the amount of time I'd like to spend cycling in France.

Understood. I have been trying to arrange a loan with Ricoh, but they are very passive/aggressive. They say yes, but never follow through.

Most of these images were taken with the Sony RX100M6, the perfect camera to fit in the back of a cycling jersey. Review (and more France photos) here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XcputJoEXws.html

That's it. What more detail are you looking for?

@@MaartenHeilbron sth like a daily vlog

I see. No, sadly too late to do that.

This was recorded last September, mostly before the protests.