Avi

Message: My husband, 4-year-old granddaughter and I are going on a three-week self-drive barge trip (22-Sept to 13-Oct) on the Lot and Baise Rivers in SW France. Some of the towns along, or near, the route are: <BR> <BR>Valence-sur-baise, Condom (not kidding), Moncrabeau, Nerac, Barbaste, Lavardac, Vianne, Feugarolles, Buzet-sur-baise, Saint-Leger, Nicole, Aiguillon, Clairac, Lafitte-sur-lot, Laparade, Castelmoron-sur-lot (where we pick up our retractable-canopy-roof style boat from Connoisseur), Le temple-sur-lot, Fongrave, Saint-Livrade, Casseneuil, Bias, Pujols and Villeneuve-sur-lot. <BR> <BR>Is anyone familiar with this route? There is very little published about this specific area. <BR> <BR>Also, does anyone know what it costs to mail a postcard from France to the U.S.? <BR> <BR>

clairobscur

The only place I know on this list is Condom, but it was a very long time ago. I vaguely remember a little, not very lively town with a pleasant landscape in the surounding area, but my memories are very blury. This response won't help a lot, but at least will top your question...

lynn

Hi Avi: <BR>I'm not able to answer your questions about the individual towns but the area you have chosen is lovely. You will find some great little places with interesting sights without a doubt. <BR>My husband and I are looking into renting a canal boat for one of our trips to France and with that in mind followed the route of the Midi Canal last month. the boats look wonderful and going in September you will miss the extremes in heat. <BR>Condom is a centre for Armagnac so if you are into trying out this wonderful concoction you'll have a great time. <BR>I generally find no matter where you go along these canals and rivers the towns are invariably very old and not overly tourist invaded. Therefore you may find that meal times at local restaurants are different than in larger more touristy towns. <BR>If you are looking for good information check out the Michelin green guides. These are excellent. <BR>As far as the postcard, I sent one back to Canada this summer so the price will no doubt be the same to your country . It was the equivalent of about 70 cents Canadian ( so much less for you!) <BR>Have a great time. <BR>Regards,Lynn

Betty

Although I have spent some time just east of where you will be, I am not familiar with any of the towns you mention. There is a book in the Harper Indepedent Traveler series called South-west France that has a chapter (10-11 pages) on the Lot-et-Garonne and has a page or so each on Villeneuve-sur-Lot and Nerac. It also mentions Penne, Casseneuil, Vianne and Buzet-sur-Baise. In the chapter that includes Gers it has a paragraph or two on Condom. (ISBN 0-06-096459-6) As Lynn suggests a Michelin Green Guide would probaly give you more info but I don't think the one you would need, Pyrenees-Aquitaine, is available in English (unless they have just recently translated it). If you read French well enough, try to find it. <BR>It doesn't sound as though you will be this far east, but if you do get up around Fumel, the Chateau de Bonaguil is worth a visit. Sounds like a wonderful, leisurely trip. I'm sure you will have fun discovering these off-the-beaten-track places.

StCirq

Though not familiar with the specific route (or all of the towns), I've spent a fair amount of time wandering in this region of France. Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a respectably large, sunny bastide town with the river running through its center and a lively market. The distinct checkerboard pattern of the bastides is evident around the old market square. Pujols I remember only for its lovely Renaissance houses. Condom is a center for Armagnac (check out the Musée de'l'Armagnac) and sports a beautiful Cathédrale St-Pierre, which was saved by the town''s citizens during the Hundred Years War when they banded together and offered the Huguenots 30,000F in ransom to save it. The town has numerous lovely 17th- and 18th-century mansions. Nérac is a small but picturesque town with a rich history. It was the ancestral home of the famiy of Henry IV, and a hotbed of the Reformation movement. It sits on the pretty Baïse river, and you can take a lazy hour-long boat ride from the main quai. There is a small museum in the château devoted to life in Nérac. There is also an 18th-century church that was built by Victor Louis, the architect of the Palais Royal in Paris. <BR>If you look carefully along this route you will note that you are crossing the boundaries of a number of départements within France. There will be small but evident regional differences in architecture, geography, food, and customs. Should be an interesting trip.