Today is a short ride - only 6 km and 3 locks, 2 of which are double basins. We had time in the morning to wander around Homps, watching a tanker truck fill up at the local wine cooperative.
Another war memorial - this one particularly poignant with the doughboy sculpture.
On the canal and in the villages, there are beautiful flowers - amazing to see in mid September.
It is also tragic to see the devastation caused by the fungus that is killing the London plane trees that line much of the canal. It is easily transmitted and the only way they can treaty it is to destroy the infected trees by burning. They are implementing a multi-year plan to replace these trees but it will be many years before the new trees provide the landscaping benefits of the existing trees.
This lock keeper got our vote for the most personable, humorously asking us if we knew what we were doing as we entered her lock. This is also a great view of the ways plants adapt to various ecosystems - note the plants on the gates of the lock. 
We stopped at Pechlaurier Lock to take a walk up to a viewpoint. From there we could see the town of Argens-Minervois, the old chateau, the modern wind turbines, and the vineyards on both sides of the canal. We also saw one of the biggest boats we have seen - with 3 teenagers, a dog, and a father visible on board.
We found a nice spot to moor our boat in Argens-Minervois, pounding stakes in the ground to hold the lines.
That night we met again 3 fellow canal boaters who shared with us great recommendations for the Paris part of our trip. One of the fun things about this slow pace is connecting with people from all over. We have met travelers from all over Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and several others from the USA.
14th century chateau
Lovely planter by the canal
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