France's Canal du Midi, a waterway that combines Gallic beauty and extraordinary engineering skill, is facing something of an existential crisis. A fungal disease is mortally affecting the 42,000 plane trees framing the nearly two-century old structure. Every tree must be replaced. According to an article in today's Los Angeles Times, new trees will be slowly be introduced along the canal's 155-mile length. (A story on the same topic, with some French domestic politics noted, appeared in the July 27th edition of the Guardian.) As it happens, plane trees take a long time to mature. Consequently, the historic canal's gorgeous canopy will not have the aesthetic impact it currently does. This is a matter of some poignancy for local citizens as well as the nearly two million tourists who annually visit the canal.
A journey along the Canal du Midi, while cliched, really does provide a memorable "south of France" travel experience. The boats travel around five miles per hour. The bankside towns and cities have largely been spared warfare's destructive impact. Industrial development has not marred the canal's singular charm.
UNESCO recognized the Canal du Midi's unique character and declared it a World Heritage Site. Hopefully, you'll take a leisurely reading voyage and read more about this civilized passage from the Mediterranean to Toulouse. Also, you're welcome to explore another post I've written about allées, both the canal-side styles and elegant, framed walkways.
Very well written
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