And now it is winter - or at least the winter period.

Each year, the VNF - Voies Navigables de France - closes canals for renovation and repairs. The dates and places change from year to year in most cases but here in the south, sections of the Canal Lateral are drained every year, and so, we all come to a stop. In other, northern areas, there are also >chomages= - as the maintenance period is called - and up there, they are also affected by ice which also tends to block many canals. In any case, this period becomes so cold that no-one wants to be cruising anyway and many people fly south to Portugal, Africa and Spain for the winter.

We have stopped in a town called Montech. 10km from Montauban, about 55 from Toulouse and a similar distance from Agen, it sits on the Canal Lateral a la Garonne and houses less than 5,000 inhabitants. The facilities here are very good with a pretty, small port, dug in off the side of the canal between a bridge and the 5 locks of Montech. Each mooring has a small finger jetty with power and water. The >bureau= (office) is equipped with showers and toilets, a meeting room and an office - all closed for the winter.

Nearby is the famous >Pente D=Eau= - a water slide for boats. The Pente D=Eau was designed and built as a prototype replacement for flights of locks as we have here. Essentially, two large tractors are coupled together over a concrete water ramp. The tractors are equipped with a big rubber scoop that pushes the water your boat floats in, up the hill, over the distance taken by the parallel 5 ecluses. Ingenious n=est pas ?

People come to Montech to experience the trip through the pente d=eau in one of the two local excursion boats. We are in the mooring of one of those two boats, the one owned by the man we call >Captain Gruff=. Also the Port Captain at Moissac, another canal side town further west, this man has two >bateaux touristique=. One is the Vent de Nuit, a converted peniche and the other a smaller, purpose built, day boat. This day boat has been hoisted out of the canal for the winter which has made their small jetty available for us - somewhat against Capt Gruff=s advice from what I overheard at the Mairie (the Town Hall). I was in the office of the town council=s responsible officer when he made arrangements with the captain for us to take his place. He turned the phone onto speaker so I could hear the arguments of the taciturn commercial skipper. Monsieur Dumas, the town=s executive officer, did not seem over impressed by the huffing of Capt Gruff as he winked at me during the phone call. We have tried on several occasions to engage the man in friendly repartee to no avail.

The other >commerciant= and his wife, owners of >Cathy=, a small canal boat registered to take 35 people on short excursions, are far more pleasant. They also live aboard Cathy and are in the act of cleaning up an unused VNF owned house which they have rented, that sits at the end of the port. They will use the house and its surrounding land for storage and logistic support for their operations come the next summer season.

Montech, while small, has a library with a large CD collection and some English language books, a couple of supermarkets, two boulangeries, two boucheries and a range of other shops including the inevitable hairdressing salons (four at last count), two florists; three tabacs and two driving schools. Unfortunately it has but one restaurant which is attached to the one small hotel in the town=s central marketplace. We went one night and were the only diners. The food was OK but the wine selection was a bit rough and ready. Fortunately there are other restaurants nearby and in small villages surrounding Montech such as Castelsarrasin, we have a wider choice, including a Bodega (Spanish wine bar), an Asian café and several >recommended= status French provincial restaurants.

Life has taken on a winter rhythm. We tend to rise later as the sun comes up after 8.30am. If there is a market in town or nearby, we head off in the morning to wander through the stalls, mostly just >window shopping= but also picking up fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, local wines and cheeses.

French markets are a part of the culture. Vendors, some with sophisticated trucks that have hydraulically operated fold-out racks and display devices and others with a van and folding tables, circulate on a daily basis to a schedule of towns and villages, offering a range of goods including mattresses, clothing and shoes, hardware and windows. Meats, breads, vegetables and fruits, fish, cheeses and wine, sausages, olives and spices are all on display and available fresh, at very good prices. Many of the stalls are duplicated so there is price competition and of course they have to compete on quality with the goods available from the local shops and supermarkets. The bigger the town the bigger the market and sometimes the more regular the occurrence. Most villages have markets visiting once a week but the bigger towns such as Montauban have various markets, several times weekly. Since Montauban is only 10km from Montech, we have access to quite a range of market days.

The Tarn et Garonne >departement= (region), is the area in which Montech is situated and it enjoys a reputation for art, culture, history and picturesque surroundings. Toulouse Lautrec was borne and spent much time in the region and there are several galleries with his work on display. Apart from the Canal Lateral, there are many rivers (including the mighty Garonne that flows through Bordeaux to the Atlantic) and so the area boasts much water activity. Rivers and the canal meant farming and transport, so many Abbeys and Chateaux were built here from the 10^th and 11^th century onwards. The area was over-run by Spaniards, Moors and Goths from time to time and a miserable time was had during the Hundred Years War when the Black Prince spread his protestant vengeance throughout the area. The Cathar religion (a catholic sect) was put down by the Catholics and in their turn they were subjugated by the protestant Black Prince. The Protestants were eventually overthrown by the Catholics and in each case, people suffered. Bloody torture and massacre was dealt out by all sides to the detriment of the health of the locals and their religious orders.

Our afternoons often see us driving off to visit a town or isolated Abbey to explore and discover more of the history of the buildings and the region. We recently visited (by appointment, since many of the attractions are closed for winter), the Cistercian Abbey at Bellperche. Built in the 12^th century and raised to major status and wealth by the lands and produce it controlled, it also boasted a reputation for fine entertaining - as many Abbeys did. Destroyed, first by fire and rebuilt, then by the Protestants and rebuilt, it was also raised by the Revolutionaries who sold the remains off to farmers. Five families partitioned the buildings for their housing, using the refectory for their animals. A wealthy local bourgeoisie bought it back in the 19^th century and had an architect begin to remodel it into a hotel until finally the departement bought the remains in the late 19^th century and began the task of rebuilding it properly.

We were escorted through the buildings, some handsomely renovated others in need of millions of euros work, by a young man who obviously has a great deal of his interest firmly invested in the future of the property. He explained, slowly in simple French, the history and future plans for the building and took us >backstage= to areas not available to the public to see the extent of the damage, the renovations and the future possibilities. He also explained how Abbeys were among the beginnings of the >grand hotel= tradition.

Abbeys controlled great tracts of land and the farming and production that entailed. The end products of wine, preserves, fresh meats and game, vegetables and fruits, cheeses, pastries and gourmet items such as foie gras, confits and spices were well used to provide generous hospitality to visiting nobles in order to obtain and maintain their protection and favour. The reputation of the monasteries and abbeys grew and their buildings were expanded and developed to provide accommodation for those travelling, visiting and being entertained. This area of France is also on the route of the pilgrims from the north to Lourdes and Compostela in Spain. Not all pilgrims were dusty, low born commoners. Many were high born devout Christians with much to be provided in the way of grace and favour to those they respected and were beholden to. In this way the religious orders and their facilities provided a great and growing service while gathering support for themselves as a result.

The Revolution came at the storming of the Bastille, symbol of monarchial repression, in 1789 and from the early years of the 1790s the revolutionary council oversaw the resumption and sale or destruction of most religious buildings and aristocratic estates. Those that were not resumed were set upon by local peasants and torn down for their building materials, now to become part of the new order=s housing. In this way did the Cistercian and other order=s monks lose most of what they had spent 500 years building up. Bellperche became mostly, like so many other abbeys and monasteries, churches and cathedrals, rubble and ruined buildings. The church was completely destroyed and carried away, brick by brick, along with several other main buildings. What remained lost it=s integrity during the next two hundred years and is only now being restored to something near it=s original state.

Winter and the chomage, the draining of canal sections and the rebuilding and renovation of its attendant structures, has laid open the foundations of the canals. Long stretches of muddy ditch lie exposed between locks. The ecluses appear abandoned with their doors lying half way open, desultory trickles of muddy water seep through their bottoms to pools of isolated water in which fish, stranded by the receding waters, circle in the dwindling pools. Autumn coloured leaves carpet the mud banks, giving the deserted water roads a decorated look with yellow and orange hues.

Far from being regularly shaped, deep channels, one can now see the effect of erosion, mostly the more recent collapse of the canal banks due to modern boat operator=s single minded demand for speed. The hire and private boat=s propellers, cause suction that vacuums the fragile sand banks into the centre of the canals. Looking down the canals when empty, you can see a shallow vee shape, with the only part of the canal still anywhere near its optimum depth being right in the middle of the trench. For two hundred years the canal walls stayed mostly intact as barges, drawn by slow moving horses, donkeys and humans, glided softly between locks, disturbing only the leaves that scattered the water surface. Since they were opened to motor driven barges the canal=s banks started to degrade but still, the slow moving, slow revving boats did little damage. Now, hundreds of small boats each year pass without any regard to the integrity of their environment, and in many cases, with no knowledge of the damage they are wreaking on this fragile and finite resource.

Since parts of the canal were to be drained, our choice of winter moorings was complicated. There were three alternatives within 24 kilometres (so much for the northern barge owning doomsayers who predicted we would not find any places available), Montech, Castelsarrasin and Valence d=Agen. Castel was closed to us until after the chomage finished on 19 December as they were concerned the water level may be reduced by the drainings in other sections and Valence looked a bit primitive so we opted to start at Montech and move to Castel. However, later investigation indicated that we were getting a very good deal at Montech with the office available to us and a flat fee of 92 Euros per month including unlimited water and electricity. The town also has a good range of facilities, the people are friendly and the church has a choir. Since I like to sing and church choir=s offer that option, plus the opportunity to get to know other citizens and speak French more often, we decided to stay put.

We were not sure how different winter would be this far south. We knew it would not be as cold for as long as it had been in St Jean de Losne and since we had free electricity we opted to buy a radiator to keep the ambient temperature of the boat at a reasonable level and to take the pressure off the diesel central heating. 500 litres of red fuel was delivered by the local fuel concession and a supply of wood and charcoal established. We were ready for the cold.

When >the freeze= came it was pretty mild and very short. A thin layer of ice began forming in mid December but only managed to stay put in the shadows until early in January. We had a visitor arriving on January 4 and the morning after his arrival, as we prepared to depart for a three day cruise to Moissac and return, we awoke to a lovely blanket of snow. That lasted about three days and (so far) has not been repeated.

What to do for Christmas ? We had met a few English speaking people on boats in Valence and Castel, but were they available for a Xmas feast ? Some quick calls and we discovered they were all planning to be away for the festive season. Oh well, we=ll just enjoy ourselves. Then the phone rang.

Kate Hill, our American gourmet mate from near Agen rang with an invitation we could not refuse. Come to her canal side home, stay a couple of days including Xmas and enjoy the company of her two friends and her great cooking. Would we bring the Champagne ? Of course ! A few shopping expeditions later we had discovered a supply of Grand Cru Champagne at the right price, a stock of excellent white and red wines, suitable for the occasion and just to add a bit of exotic flavour, some Liqueur de Peche. We boxed the lot and some nibbles and headed for Camont, her home in Gascony.

Foie Gras cooked fresh, fresh Brittany oysters, stuffed turkey, roast vegetables, fruits, cheeses, pastries, wine, champagne, cognac and more - and more. A gastronomic Olympics was set upon by the five of us over two and a half days and while the eventual effect was a slight case of overindulgence, it was fabulous.

New Year was not to be so accompanied, but we had a really good time anyway, with plenty of champers, a special meal and some loud music on Van Nelle.

Toulouse is a very big city and only 45 minutes away by the autoroute. Maureen had learned of an old Englishman who lived on a narrow boat just past Toulouse and who apparently had some interesting tales to tell about the French Resistance during WWII. Thinking that might make an interesting subject for a paid magazine article, she arranged a lunch and interview with him. I drove her to the meeting and reconnoitred the local area, including the nearby port town. I had wanted to go into Toulouse also to visit the Cite d=Espace - France=s premier space museum. This gave us an excuse.

The Cite is just off the autoroute and easily provides hours of interest with full size Mir space craft, Spacelab, mock ups of the Arianne rockets and actual engines, space suits and plenty of interactive displays. We had to return to see the old chap anyway and so, leaving the afternoon free, we were able to take in both activities in a single trip. Trips to Toulouse normally include a visit to the food markets where I enjoy a stand up lunch of wood fired oven pizza and quiches, fresh oysters and glasses of local rose wines.

The centre of Toulouse is the Capitole, a magnificent building with a number of reception rooms, always open, amazingly decorated with frescos, including the most detailed nudes we have seen anywhere in France. Just outside the Capitole is a huge city square, surrounded by very up-market hotels and a range of cafes and gift shops. Radiating from the square (or more correctly >place= in France) are narrow streets jammed with art and antique shops, music stores and restaurants.

We had pleasure showing our first guest for the year through this area on his last day in France. Michael had come to us from Vienna where he had enjoyed the traditional New Years Eve concert, sitting just a couple of rows in front of the President. We had picked him up from the airport some days before and had cruised from Montech to Moissac, staying there for a night and enjoying the excellent Chapon Fin Restaurant where he was captivated by the >serveuse=, the manager of the restaurant whose husband is the chef and who entertained us on her visits to our table with her good English and tantalising descriptions of the food on offer.

Maureen decided to go back to Australia at about the time we were settling in to Montech, so a quick trip to the travel agency in Montauban had a ticket arranged and bought. Contacts in Perth arranged work for her during the time she was to be in WA that would cover the cost of the ticket and so I was left with a range of jobs to be done over the intervening 10 weeks. She departed on the overnight train to Paris on January 15 and in a few long hours, was back in Perth.

So, I hunkered down and started a routine that would last for the ten weeks of her absence. Long walks along the tow path (chemin d=halage) give me the feeling that I am doing something to remain active during these mostly cool to cold and cloudy days. The pile of books wait to be read and the music, with new selections available weekly from the biblioteque, play almost continuously on the CD player, while at night the pot belly stove radiates a friendly glow.

Our satellite TV receiver has allowed us to build up an impressive collection of old films in English that we will use when on the move again and in need of a bit of mindless TV. Meanwhile it provides me with updates on the world news via CNN. The Australian bushfires, now apparently an annual occurrence, the approaching deadlines with the US and Iraq trading insults and Israel=s continuing demolition of the Palestinian=s infrastructure. There is a lot of serious stuff happening out there - I=m glad I=m here.

Maureen will arrive back at the end of March and the beginning of April should see us on our way again, headed for the end of the canal to the west - direction Bordeaux - and then a slow retracing of our wake through the Canal du Midi to the Mediterranean near Marseilles and then the trek back up the Rhone and Saone rivers to St Jean de Losne - in time for next winter.

At this time we have three groups booked in for >instruction= share cost cruises with another two couple planning to come >some time in summer= so we will have a busy season. We are looking forward to being back on the move, those beautiful, quiet canals stretching out in front. There is much more to discover yet.