Canal du Midi

One of my dreams is to own a house that is approached by a long tree lined avenue so when I spied one for sale I persuaded His Lordship we should go and take a peek, just a little harmless peek you understand. It is true that there are many dreamy houses in the Aude, the problem is they rarely come on the market but all the same I like to keep abreast of properties for sale in the Languedoc.

We decided to take a quick perusal of the area beforehand mainly because a)I fancied a jolly and b)the sun was shining. What better reason ?

We drove through Castelnaudary and soon found ourselves in a beautiful peaceful spot alongside the Canal du Midi, a wonderful piece of engineering from the 17th century and now on UNESCO's list of world cultural heritage sites. At 240km long and running from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean it winds its way through stunning countryside providing boating enthusiasts, cyclists, walkers, painters and photographers an endless kaleidoscope of colours and backgrounds throughout the seasons.

Through the trees we spot the most marvellous lawns sloping down to the waters edge, an avenue of high palm trees runs away from the main house. Is this it do you suppose ? we both silently wonder. The words of the agent form vaguely in the background of my mind, the dreaded phrase 'complete renovation' comes to the fore of my reverie with startling clarity. No this is not it, only in your dreams woman.

I'll take my camera and let you know, remembering to pack some common sense too, once bitten, twice shy as they say !!