Heavy rain throughout the night had cleared by morning, and while there were some dark clouds around, it was interspersed with bright sunshine. Stuart & Christine headed back to the UK today for a few weeks, while Graham and Linda have headed off to Montauban. Learned from Iain that the canal was closed between Montech and Toulouse because of large trees brought down over the canal by the storm. Won’t be cleared for a few days, so lucky that Nick and Sally were not trying to get Pomme de Mer to the Toulouse workshops in a hurry.

Went up to the Post Office to collect the Carte Grises for the car, and along the way Rita got talking with some guys who were doing a survey along the canal. Turns out they were working for VNF doing a report about the history of the canals, the barges and the adjacent buildings. We exchanged contact details, and they will contact us to talk about Kanumbra and maybe go for a short cruise (they have never been on a barge themselves).

While reading The Age on the web, I learned that Paul Mees, a transport planning colleague/foe from Melbourne, had died aged 52. Now is not the time to say what I thought of Paul professionally, but he certainly put everything into what he did in preaching the joys of public transport. I admired his boundless enthusiasm, and always enjoyed being in a debate with Paul. But it just shows how fragile and uncertain life is, and how we need to ensure that we make the most of every day as it occurs. As Tony Soprano (whose real-life actor James Gandolfini also died this week) once said “Everyday’s a gift, but does it always have to be a pair of socks?”. I’ll settle for a pair of socks every day, even if I have to go and buy a new wardrobe to fit them all in.

Walking around the Cloisters at Moissac Abbey in the afternoon gave a great opportunity to compare the shortness of a lifetime with the longevity of such buildings which where built and modified over several hundred years starting in the 11th century. A very contemplative day, and one that put many things in proper perspective!