We left Colombiers early to get in line for our trip down the "grand staircase" - a series of 7 locks that take us down a total of 46 feet. Constructed in 1697, this series of locks is often touted as the most spectacular feature of the canal. There are two time windows for boats traveling downstream and we wanted to make the 8:30-9:30 am opening. It took us about 45 minutes to complete our journey down.
The view from the top lock:
Midway down "the staircase":
At the bottom of the locks, there is a 90 degree turn towards Beziers:
A view of the cathedral at Beziers from the canal:
The picture above is of the Beziers Aqueduct which crosses high above the Orb river.
After the aqueduct came the deepest lock we've encountered; you tie up not to bollards on top but to vertical poles built into the lock walls. This was also the only lock where we had rain - thankfully, the rain didn't last for long.
We moored at the public dock in Villeneuve-Les-Beziers, a great village where we did laundry, walked the narrow streets and visited a local wine cooperative (see above for the friendly proprietor filling a local's plastic jug, and below for a picture of the crew enjoying the wine tasting). 
The highlight of our stay in this town had to be our delightful dinner at Les Enfantes Terribles. The wonderful food and friendly servers/owners made this a truly memorable experience. Thanks to Jan who asked about purchasing the logo shirts worn by the staff, we all left with complimentary shirts as a remembrance of a great evening.
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