Little by little vineyards give place to lands of plenty. In the plain of Marmandais, you can have as much fruit as you wish, full of a generous sunny weather. The Lot et Garonne, "producer of holidays" as it calls itself, grows gorgeous peaches, juicy melons, fragrant strawberries, and other enjoyable foods.
Perched on a terrace overlooking the river, you can catch a glimpse of "Le Mas d'Agenais", the halting-place on the road to Compostelle, the famous pilgrimage, worldwide renowned for the painting of Rembrandt hidden in the choir of the Romanesque Church. The architecture of the villages stands in harmony with the geometry of the orchards and the rectilinear fields.
It is most interesting to stop and visit the old fortified castles (bastides) built between the XIIth and the XIVth centuries, to discover this country while sailing along. You will stroll in a maze of narrow streets, lined with old stone houses, with fortified churches, and angle-posted squares.
After a glass of the red wine of Buzet, you wil soon get to Agen, the first important town after leaving Bordeaux. The famous "Pont Canal" (bridge and canal at the same time!) that spans the Garonne helps the pilot on his way. After eating a few prunes, you will be led into a giddy round of marvellous things to admire in the town that has been elected "the happiest town in France".
New 2008
The Two Seas Canal, cycling along the tow path
Created on the towpath of the Canal de Garonne, this 87-kilometre green route crosses the Lot-et-Garonne department between Meilhan-sur-Garonne and Saint-Jean-de Thurac. What could be more pleasant than to cycle along the banks of the canal, under the plane trees, then the poplars, crossing the rich Garonne plain with its irrigated crops, kiwi and apple orchards, fields of maize and sunflowers…This route forms part of the “Two Seas” green route, with the Canal de Garonne and the Canal du Midi forming an essential part of the Atlantic-Mediterranean through-route, which will ultimately link Castets-en-Dorthe with Sète.