In June 2007, I took a mother-daughter barge vacation in Burgundy, France on the Luciole and it was a huge success. I was looking for a vacation where I could spend some quality time with my daughter before she left for college. We both wanted to go to Europe so when an all inclusive French barge vacation was suggested, we decided to go for it.
We booked a trip in Northern Burgundy on the barge Luciole. Neither of us had any idea what to expect, but the thought of seeing the French countryside floating down the beautiful Nivernais Canal seemed perfect. We packed our bags and headed for Paris, France where our journey was to begin.Paris, France
We arrived two days early so we could explore the streets of Paris on our own. I would strongly suggest this for anyone planning a barge trip. We had plenty of time to sightsee and get rid of the jet lag before our weeklong trip on the barge. For 12 Euros you can ride on the Batobus on the River Seine all day and get on and off at your leisure. We were able to easily see all the famous sights and explore neighborhoods and shops. Just walking along the River Seine eating ice cream is a great experience. We walked over to see the Eiffel Tower at dusk. It was amazing watching the lights come to life as everyone is cheering. Paris is truly magical.
Day 1, Sunday: Hotel Mansart
At 2:00 we headed for the Hotel Mansart. Here we met our fellow passengers in a private room, there would be 14 of us. I soon learned that we all had the same concerns about being on a vessel with such a small group. Within minutes the conversation was flowing easily and we all became acquainted. There were three other couples and another mother- daughter duo. We met Richard our guide, who chauffeured us to our final destination, the Luciole (moored in Auxerre). We were greeted with a Champagne reception and the smiling crew assured us that we were in excellent hands. Our first fabulous meal would follow shortly. As we sat on the deck enjoying our appetizers I could see a beautiful Abbey in the background. I knew we had made the right choice.
Day 2, Monday: Auxerre
After breakfast we were shuttled to the beautiful town of Auxerre. The gorgeous clock in the Town Hall was our entrance into the city. We were in the middle of streets lined with quaint shops and wonderful architecture. The shoppers in our group took off immediately while some people chose to sit at one of the sidewalk cafés and enjoy the scenery. My daughter and I would look for an internet café so she could stay connected to home. Back on the Luciole a most amazing lunch was served on the barge as we floated down the river. The atmosphere made it easy to meet our fellow passengers. We had a very active group that took full advantage of the great tow path along the canal. Every day after our meals we would all go out and explore by bicycle – or walk into the nearest town.
Day 3, Tuesday: Chablis
Our trip today was Chablis to the Laroche Winery. Our tour took us through the whole process of wine making. It was so fascinating to see. After own wine tasting we had time to walk around the town,: then it was time to head back to the barge. We were excited to see what was for lunch. I was beginning to see that meals were a major part of barging. You just don’t eat lunch - you experience it..
We learned the secret of French dining: relax and enjoy the company. The Chef comes out and introduces each entrée. The crew take turns thoroughly explaining the wine and cheese from that area. Conversations flowed easily as we ate and watched the countryside go by. I made it a point to sit by someone different day.
Day 4, Wednesday: Avallon
The morning trip was to the center of Avallon. Our visit began at a glass blowing shop the Verrerie d’ Art where the owner Olivier gave us a wonderful presentation. The tour was only scheduled to last 20 minutes but he liked us so much it was well over an hour. We were amazed at Olivier’s skill as he transformed the glass into marvelous pieces. A lot of my souvenirs came from his shop. We had time to walk around Avallon. I loved trying out my French on the local merchants. We stopped for another winetasting on the way back to the Luciole.
Day 5, Thurdsay: Vezelay
A 12th Century Basillica was our stop today. As we toured I was in awe of all the history around me. After the tour we spent time in Vezelay. I liked the time we had on our own. Keeping up with my daughter was a job in itself. It was fun comparing our shopping finds in the minibus on the way back to the Luciole. I looked forward to our relaxing lunch.
Day 6, Friday: Our final tour was to Chateau of Bazoches, home of Vauban, France’s great military engineer). We took a tour of the chateau and walked around the outside where the most fantastic view of the vineyards could be seen. The whole week the weather was perfect. I could picture a lovely lunch right here in the gardens. Our last shopping stop was in Clamecy. Everywhere in France the windows had the most gorgeous lace curtains. They were all so beautiful and not one was the same. I was on a mission to bring some of this lace home. In Clamecy I found the most exciting shop filled with every kind of lace you could imagine. What a great way to end my trip. We found our Internet café located at the top of a hill so we worked our way down the hill through all the shops. I don’t know if it was because we were leaving the next day or the town had so many cute shops but I definitely had a hard time getting back to the barge!
Day 7, Saturday: It was a sad farewell after breakfast. We took a group picture to remember our new friends, both passengers and crew. We were chauffeured back to Paris. We spent one more day of sightseeing before we came home.
This trip was so much better than I could have ever imagined. I was able to relax and enjoy my daughter, which was the point from the beginning. The other passengers were so interesting and our crew was utterly fantastic. My daughter wants to know where we are going next year! My son is leaving for college soon. What a great family tradition this could be!
