Kicking Off the New Year with a Free Night in Paris - Courtesy of The Barge Lady!

A Free Night in Paris - Ooh La La!

We had an incredible 2011 here at The Barge Lady - which included lots of travel to our favorite country of France! Here at home, I was honored to be named a Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist - only 133 in the world - great excitement! We enjoyed matching hundreds of Barge Lady guests to that PERFECT barge and the great feedback when they returned. This is such a HAPPY business! After such a wonderful year we thought what better way to kick off 2012 than with a special offer exclusively for our fabulous Barge Lady guests!

Book a cabin on the Burgundy barge Luciole
for the weeks of:
** April 22-28 **
** May 6-12 **
** May 20-26 **
and receive one free night at the Hotel Mansart in Paris, 
courtesy of The Barge Lady. The Hotel Mansart, pictured below, is elegantly located off the Place Vendome on the Right Bank. 
Luciole offers great value and cruises on a most idyllic canal in Burgundy.

 
We also have similar offers in conjunction with barges
Caprice in Southern Burgundy and Meanderer in Upper Loire.
Call us at: 1-800-880-0071 for more details and a
 FREE NIGHT IN PARIS!

We wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year! 

We are looking forward to a fabulous 2012 filled with travel, starting with a February trip to California where The Barge Lady will be attending a meeting of the Conde Nast Top Travel Specialists! Then in April she's off to Holland for a Tulip Time cruise aboard a Barge Lady and guest favorite, Barge Elisabeth.  We also continue to search out value-priced Paris hotels and sightseeing in our favorite city. We will keep you posted on these and other new discoveries in 2012!
 

Ellen Sack, The Barge Lady Named to Condé Nast Traveler’s Prestigious Top Travel Specialists List!

Conde Nast Traveler has named moi, Ellen Sack, The Barge Lady as The 2011 Top Travel Specialist for European Canal Barge Cruises!

Conde Nast Traveler recommends only 133 travel specialists using a very rigorous selection process. The Top Traveler Specialists list is run by award-winning, world travel expert Wendy Perrin, the Director of Consumer News for Conde Nast Traveler and author of BL favorite: The Perrin Post , a top travel blog and go to source for smart traveling tips.

In the article, Wendy writes, "The travel planners collected here represent the best blend of destination knowledge, insider connections, user-friendliness, and value for your dollar that I’ve found in more than two decades of scrutinizing the travel industry for this magazine. They have all been road-tested by Condé Nast Traveler readers, editors, or both." This year's Top Travel Specialists were chosen from more than 10,000 applicants, making it statistically more difficult to make the cut than getting accepted to Harvard! This list was announced in the December 2011 issue, both in the paper copy and on the Conde Nast Traveler website.

While I have been honored with other industry accolades, being named to the Top Travel Specialists List is really a career high. It has been thrilling to be recognized for my 25 years of service to the barge cruise industry and to hear from so many guests and colleagues when the award was announced.

The excitement will continue in early February at the Travel Specialist Summit, when all 133 Specialists will meet at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Also in attendance will be the top Conde Nast editors and major suppliers, so this promises to be a real education in the marketing of luxury travel.

Ellen, The Barge Lady with husband Nick, on a barge cruise
aboard La Nouvelle Etoile in Champagne, France

Intimate Burgundy + Ultimate Pampering aboard Papillon

"We boarded Papillon in the afternoon taking a minute to admire the beautifully flowered deck before heading inside. As we stepped into the salon we were enveloped by the French country charm that oozes throughout Papillon. I loved it! It felt like our own adorable personal hideaway on the Burgundy canals. The attention to detail in the décor is apparent and second only to the attention to detail provided by Papillon’s wonderful crew. Captain Cedric, Host Emma and Chef Sarah truly went out of their way to pamper us! It is no wonder they are regarded as some of the top crew in barging.




We headed back to our cabins which were cozy, light and adorned with beautiful fabrics and wallpaper. The bathrooms are spacious and boast gorgeous tiling. I especially liked the convenience of having sink separate from the bathroom.

After getting settled, we sauntered up to the deck for an afternoon cruise to find afternoon tea and cookies awaiting us! I don’t think there is anything quite as relaxing as enjoying a cup of tea watching the beautiful Burgundy countryside float by. After tea we jumped off at a lock for a bicycle ride and a little exploring.

Chef Sarah wowed us at every meal. Even with severe tooth pain (brought on by an unfortunate abscessed tooth that decided to rear its head on the last leg of our trip) I could not get enough – it was so good it helped dull the pain! The duck breast with balsamic sauce she served as our main the first night melted in my mouth - it was impeccable! Our second night Sarah prepared an amazing pumpkin soup using pumpkins she had purchased on our trip to the Montbard market that morning. I don't think there was ever a spot of food left on either of our plates.

After we visited the Montbard market, Emma took us to the medieval town of Semur-en-Auxois, where she gave us a walking tour and an opportunity to shop in some of the cute stores. (I picked up some black truffle seasoning salt and a fantastic almond apricot jam which is sadly already gone) When we returned Sarah had a delicious lunch of fresh salads, charcuterie, terrines and pates ready for us. After lunch Cedric took us to the Cistercian Abbey of Fontaney, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the adorable village of Flavigny where the movie Chocolat was filmed. All too soon it was time for our last dinner on Papillon. Sarah's decadent Molten Chocolate Cake with fresh berries and Creme Anglais was the perfect ending to another amazing meal.

Even though we were only had two nights on Papillon, Sarah, Emma and Cedric made sure that we got the most out of those days. We felt like personal friends that had come to visit. We were very sad to leave come Saturday morning, but happy to have made new friends and wonderful memories aboard Papillon! "

Gourmet Cruising in Burgundy-Beaujolais - A France Sojourn Indeed!

In August 2011, Barge Lady Creative Director Kelly and her mother Terri Snyder were among the first to experience Sojourn’s Burgundy-Beaujolais route on a four day cruise with an abbreviated itinerary.

"We arrived at Sojourn moored in Chalon sur Saone, a charming town on the River Saone. As I stepped inside I was stuck at how light and spacious the bar area, salon and dining room feel. The ambiance of Sojourn is French country charm meets Beverly Hills glamour. It is like being in the sophisticated and elegant home of good friends with great taste! Large picture windows line the public spaces, filling them with natural light and views of the beautiful scenery. I loved the light wood floors and paneling throughout Sojourn.

Sojourn's Salon

After a champagne welcome, introduction to our crew and a quick tour of the barge, we are taken to the “orange cabin”, our room for the next week. I immediately noticed the desk and “Hollywood dressing room mirror” – this will definitely come in handy.

The rooms are fun and colorful; the beds dressed in custom-made linens. There is plenty of storage space with a closet in both the bedroom and bathroom – as well as a little pull-out drawer under the bed (as a notorious over-packer I appreciated this) The bathrooms are big by barge standards with heated towel racks and Redken products in the shower.

We settled into our cabin, then headed upstairs to enjoy some aperitifs and conversation in the before dinner. Our first dinner set the tone for the gourmet week ahead - absolutely delicious!

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Champagne Grapes

Light Honey Dressing

* * *

Sauteed, then Grilled Hake 

Shallot & Parsley Beurre Blanc

Roasted Potatoes
Haricot Vert and Round Carrots

* * *

Reblechon, Brie and Beaufort

* * *

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

Fresh Strawberries 

Lemon Almond Tuille

Throughout the week Chef Ollie continued to delight us with indulgent dinners and bountiful buffet lunches showcasing fresh herbs and local produce. Here I am at right nibbling on the Parmesan crisp that perfectly complimented her fresh tomato bisque. One night she used pressed pine nut oil from the Huiliere in Beaujeu we visited earlier that day - a pleasant surprise and quickly devoured by all.  After dinner we enjoyed chocolates and a little more wine in the salon along with a lively game of Catchphrase with our fellow bargers. This became a habit and somewhat fierce but hilarious competition by the end of the week.

The next morning we had some time after breakfast to explore Chalon-sur-Saone, a charming town with cobblestoned streets and cute square, pictured at left. I used this opportunity to take a morning run around the town - much more enjoyable with the scenic backdrop! I figured with all the amazing food and wine I would thank myself later.

Then it was back to Sojourn where we set off on the Saone cruising towards Tournus. After a couple hours of cruising and a delicious buffet lunch on board (where I cancelled out my morning run by going back for a second and then third gougere) it was off to Chateau Cormatin. The tour of Chateau Cormatin, with its moat, beautiful gardens and maze was fascinating. After the tour we strolled around the gardens and my mom attempted the maze. I was not quite as adventurous.

Visiting the adorable town of Beaujeu the next day, was one of many highlights. There we enjoyed a winetasting and later sampled oils at Huilerie Beaujolais, a local oil producer's boutique, famous for its freshly pressed nut oils. Foodie that I am, I somehow managed to restrain myself and bought only some pine nut oil and a small bottle of mango balsamic. However, now that I am back in Chicago and experimenting with my souvenirs, I'm wishing I hadn't put the other oils back!

Another thing I really enjoyed about this route was time to walk around and explore the different towns Sojourn moored at each night, Lyon being my favorite. On our last day we cruised into Lyon and had a lovely alfresco lunch moored right in the center of this enchanting city. We loved the shopping, the Old Town, and the many squares and public spaces. Here we are (at left) at a merry-go-round, set up for families to gather around and enjoy! Our last dinner on board (featuring a succulent Magret de Canard with a Juniper sherry sauce - OMG) reflected the excitement of Lyon, with many shared memories of our all-too-brief cruise on Sojourn. We hope to return!"