Wine Around The Bend – Burgundy Barge Bliss
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Reflected sunlight from the water outside dances on the chestnut ceiling of my cabin the first morning I awaken aboard the luxury barge La Belle Époque. I get up to look out the open porthole window and am greeted with a friendly squawk. A large white swan approaches expectantly, followed by several mallard ducks. We are eye level with each other. Having no bread to offer, I quickly close the window.
After a shower in the tiled bathroom and rub-down with a thick nautical blue towel, I head upstairs. On an antique oak sideboard in the main salon hostesses Fanny and Barbara have laid out a breakfast of granolas, yogurt, and fresh fruit. While I was still gazing at the ceiling of my cabin, Captain Lee had been in the village of Auxerre buying fresh baguettes, croissants and pain chocolate.
La Belle Époque is one of several luxury canal barges operated in France by European Waterways. Once a working canal barge, it has been redesigned with both elegance and passenger comfort in mind. The salon is hunter green, rose and mahogany, with comfortable banquettes and vases of fresh flowers. There are a sun-deck, Jacuzzi spa, sauna, fitness studio, and bicycles for guests to ride along the canal paths.
It's a fine fall day in France, still summer in the afternoons, with nights that offer a crisp reminder of winter to come. This state-of-the-art hotel barge carries just twelve passengers, with six crew members to take care of every possible passenger need.
Nick, our guide, had picked us up in Paris the previous day in front of the Hotel Ampere. A two-hour journey by minivan through rolling French countryside had brought us to the medieval town of Auxerre, where La Belle Époque and her crew awaited. We enjoyed a champagne welcome accompanied by freshly-baked popovers. After meeting the crew and getting settled into our cabins, we explored the cobblestone streets and fashionable shops of Auxerre.
At the junction of the Canal du Nivernais and the River Yonne, Auxerre was a pivotal town on the ancient north-south road through France. It was a big market town for lumber and wine as well as an important spiritual center. Surrounded by timber-framed buildings are a 15th century tower with a large decorative 17th century clock.
Our first dinner aboard La Belle Époque introduced the talents of chef Guy. "Scallops Mating with Snails", followed by a charolet filet with red pepper puree and potatoes gratinee au dauphin. Dessert was shortbread with raspberry coulis. A white St. Veran and a red Aloce Coton (wines of the Burgundy area) accompanied the meal, and we discovered there is no limit to the number of bottles we may consume.
Monday morning, about "tenish", La Belle Époque glides gently away from the Auxerre waterfront. Before the week is ended, we will travel through 31 locks to the town of Clamecy. Barge speed is limited to 3 mph on the canals and 10 mph on the rivers.
Soon we reach our first ecluse or lock. La Belle Époque slides into a chamber to rest while a set of gates at each end closes so that the water level can be raised or lowered. Potted flowers and a picturesque stone house indicate where the eclusier (lock keeper) lives. At Captain Lee's call he comes out to manage the gates. Timing is important, however. If we arrive while the eclusier is at lunch we will just have to wait. The French take their dejeuner very seriously.
In France there are over 2,700 miles of inland waterways including a 750-mile network of connecting canals. Many locks are hundreds of years old. Most canals were built in the 19th century, but some are two centuries older. Because canal barges were originally horse drawn, poplar trees were planted along the way to protect the horses from the sun.
The Canal du Nivernais passes through western Burgundy, crossing the Yonne Valley and sometimes merging with the Yonne River itself. It was originally built to transport wood from the Morvan forests to meet the firewood demands of Paris. This wood trade was the main source of income for this area until the 1920s. The canal saw the last of its merchant traffic in the 1970s.
As we glide by a rolling patchwork of green hills and picturesque vineyards, lunch is served: quails in creme fraîche sauce, tuna pasta salad, caprisi salad, fruits, a white Savignon St-Bris and a red Chitry. There are two kinds of cheese with exotic names—Delice de Bourgogne and St. Mair de Tourraine.
After lunch there is another lock, and while the barge rests we pile into European Waterways' minivan. Nick takes us to St-Bris le Vineux, a little wine village above a network of medieval passages. At the stone farmhouse (complete with satellite TV dish) of Monsieur Bersan, we descend into an ancient cave for a wine-tasting. The cool air is strongly scented with damp, wet wood and thriving mold. Everywhere there is a flat surface, wine bottles lay in horizontal slumber.
"This is the only place in Burgundy
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Carolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent – Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com
About the Author
Carolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com Leave your email next to the logo for FREE e travel newsletter.