Review: European Waterways Burgundy Canal Cruise, France: Days 1 to 3 on La Belle Epoque

Cruising slowly along the Burgundy Canal, connecting the Yonne and Soane rivers, the 12 liter the beautiful epoque, of the European river tracks, explores a almost forgotten French idyll.

It is an intimate cruise with many privileged moments: lunch at the Chateau organized by the Baron and the Baroness, a creator of Chablis who organizes a private tasting and an exploration of serene spirituality Abbaye of Fontenay.

For six nights, this old Logge, first released in 1930, offers a luxurious French trip through the best of Burgundy life: champagne, castle, cheese, culture, gastronomy, history and wine. For Francophils, this is the best education in Burgundy.

Our week, address Sunday and disembark on Saturday, is a hotel cruise with guests, usually speaking English, reserving from the entire planet. Then knowing himself for a cheerful and cheerful boat party.

He thought that friends and families are increasingly reserving all the barge for a cruise. In addition to the 6 double cabins of the Belle Epoque, the European river roads have smaller barges for groups of 8 or 10 in France, England, Italy and Ireland, in addition to two larger barges in the Caledonia channel in Scotland.

Day 1

The cruises meet in Paris in the golden greatness of the Westminster hotel for an afternoon game for Burgundy.

Some guests arrive the day before to enjoy walking through the district of La Opera, others take a 50 -minute bus from the Charles de Gaulle airport to the opera, from where it is five minutes walk from the Westminster hotel.

Pascal, the driver of our gleaming Mercedes Negro, takes us along the right shore of the Seine, the Fontainebleau forest and southern Southwards. With a rest of the comfort of the services, it takes us about three hours to see the first view of the elegant lines of the beautiful epoque tied in the small city of Readin: around the boxes of the thoughts, the strawberries, the strawberries.

These are really the good times, the best times, for the Leno de la Belle Epoque with its nostalgic art work, polishing chrome and luxury carpets. He thought that barge lasted more dramatic days on World War II when she, and French resistance, secretly transported to the southern aviators to Spain.

Welcome with Champagne and Canapés, Captain Craig, born in England but raised in Burgundy, introduces us to his crew of five.

The host Luna guides our cozy cabin with air conditioning, where our luggage has already been delivered. Twenty minutes of unpacking in the drawers and the closet and we are shipswape. A fast rain shower and it is time for cocktails and canapés on the sun deck. Althegh The Open Bar and Hot Drinks are available all day, the hosts EMA and Luna are usually close to deliver coffee or cocktails.

A chromesquis cheese duo dinner, a duck in raspberry sauce, cheese and Norwegian omlette (think of baked Alaska) established the gastronomic tone for the cruise. EMA presents the Penand Verslasses 2020 White and the Pernand Verslasses 2017 Red.

Day 2

I join Craig in the early morning “Breed Run” to return with armed bread and pastry from a local bakery for fresher breakfasts; Together with the fruit salad, the cooked egg at the request of the day and coffee.

Built at the end of the 18th century, the channel was once an occupied industrial artery. Now, for next week, we are the only container in a silky river route framed by innumerable airplanes and the occasional willow. A gray heron follows our trail, playing to feed with the low black, tent and perch. We keep our eyes wide open for the flash of a Martin or the splash of an otter while navigating the blockade after the blockade.

Lunch is a quiet matter, with the host Ema, recommendation of a target: “Can you find floral notes? – And a red”, are you getting a long end with pepper? “In addition to explaining a cheese board from Chaource, Buche de Chèvre and Camembert.

After lunch, we took the Mercedes to slide through quiet French peoples towards Chablis White of limestone, a town of only 3,000 inhabitants. “Hidden life, happy life,” says Craig about the locals who live behind closed and worn blinds. Historical, a carved heart in a shutter indicated a young detached woman who hoped to be courted.

Ten thousand acres of wavy slopes, dyed of limestone fragments and innumerable plots of vineyards, announce that we have arrived in the country of Chablis. Descending to Laroche wineries, which dates back to the ninth century, our Regis Guide explains that the limestone contributes to the minerality of wine. The grapes for Chablis can only be grown within a denomination patrold by lawyers.

Regis guides us through a tasting of five bottles, where a couple of hundreds of meters, and the sun in the afternoon instead, make the difference between a chablis and Grand Cru chablis high -end. Preferring to be called the creator of wine, instead of winemaker, Regis explains that the wine industry is constantly evolving. Wind mill heater or electrical heating cables in the vineyards are now used to counteract early spring frosts. Spraying powdered algae in wine to transport sediments to the bottom of the barrel is cheaper than traditional filtration. While the screws are better for wine than the cork.

“We are players: we bet with frost, rain, heat and disease,” Regis concludes while he with satisfaction sorbe his grand cru.

Day 3

“It is on sale,” says Craig pointing to the elegant chateau of Ance Le Franc. “The initial price is around € 42 million.”

For the price, you get an elegant 16th century castle, second Renaissance, with power and prestige construction.

Craig shows us how, in a relatively peaceful era, the castle was designed as a great home to impress, proclaim the state and show loyalty to the king. The guests were guided adjusted to the room of the guards who exhibit the Duke’s private army. Portraits, stained glass and heraldic shields announced powerful allies.

Incredible, the castle was built in just eight years. Partly because of the power of the Duke, wealth and because the use of trumpe-l’lil paint techniques so that it seems that the stone had intricately carved bone: save time and money. Interior design and decoration would take another two decades before the castle was “ready for the king.”

Around a quiet afternoon, we navigate in farms, we work amounts of limestone and houses of the locking guardians, before going once again towards cocktails, canapés and a gourmet dinner.

We descend to our cabins waiting for three more complete days exploring Burgundy.

The cost

A hotel barge

Based on Two Pasangers Sharing A Cabin, 6-Night/7-Day Cruises ABOARARD THE 12-PASER LA BELLE EPOQUE START at $ 6,850 per person and include all gourmet meals, Fine Wines, An Open Bar for The Duration of The Cruise, Daily Transfers, and The Admissions, Admissions, Admissions Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions, Admissions and Cruises.

Group letters

2025 letter prices aboard the beautiful epoque begin from $ 77,000 based on 12 passengers traveling. The Belle Epoque also sacrifices a selection of itineraries of ‘Thematic Cruises’ (reservables at a base of the private letter) for travelers with specific interests, including relatives, golf, walks and wine appreciation.

Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by European river paths.

Michael Edwards

Michael Edwards is a travel writer from Oxfordshire, the United Kingdom. Althegh Michael had published his first travel pieces almost four decades ago, he is still finding new luxury destinations to visit and write.