I am about to float down the Burgundy Canal past picturesque wine villages aboard a beautifully appointed barge. Every detail is designed for my comfort, including a private tour guide, a Michelin-style chef, and a hostess ready with champagne and hors d'oeuvres at every turn of the boat.
Yet, I am nervous.
European Waterways arranged for me to meet with the other six passengers at the tony Hotel Westminster, located on the Rue de la Paix near the Paris Tuileries. We would all embark on our immersive journey into French wine culture together. Would we get along? Would my ignorance of wine culture set me apart? Most of all, can I chill from my usual frenetic sightseeing habits and genuinely enjoy slow travel?
Spoiler alert: It was paradise.
I expected to learn more about French wines, enjoy the picturesque countryside, and de-stress—all that happened and more. The "more" came with the surprise of making new friends and meeting a new me. One who can relax at home or away.
We all have little tropes, a memory, a song, an image we invoke on a rough day to calm us down. Because of this trip, mine is the pageant of gliding past the small, shuttered cottages with their ever-present scent of summer roses and lavender that dot the banks of the Burgundy Canal.
Meet the Finesse
After a two-hour drive from Paris, we met the Finesses at the Canal Summit in Escommes. Champagne, French cheeses, olives, and other treats were offered the minute we boarded. It was immediately evident that the Finesse is a floating 5-star hotel.
Each of the eight cabins is large, immaculate, and fully furnished with an upscale on-suit bathroom in silver grey and champagne color ways. There is ample room for luggage. My husband and I were in the second week of a two-month trip. Yet, ALL our suitcases disappeared into the big space.
The upper deck is furnished with comfortable couches, outdoor lounges, and a dining table for the three meals a day we will eat together.
The open demonstration kitchen is a draw for all of us as we sip an aperitif, wine or fine beer from a fully stocked fridge and watch our private chef perform culinary magic before our delighted eyes.
About the Food
Oh my. Frankly, I thought three meals a day would be a challenge for me. I don't eat meat, shellfish and certainly am not a foodie. But I never missed a meal. Our Chef tailors every presentation to my peculiar needs and even my diabetic husband has sugar free desserts as delicious as any of those traditionally prepared. Standing in front of the open kitchen, we watch our Chef bake bread, grill fresh caught fish, and slice market vegetables bought that day. We can get up early and accompany the Chef to the local market and help him choose the produce.
Dinners are served by candlelight. Our hostess produces innovative table settings for every meal, whether the lovely buffet and cooked breakfast or the elegant Captain's farewell dinner. The paired wines remind us of why we all take this journey.
About the Wine Tastings
I have enjoyed dozens of tastings, especially in California where I live and in Alsace where I walked for ten days through the vineyards with my fellow Freewalkers.
But this is different.
We sit with each other in the wine caves at long wooden tables, learning the history of the families who cultivate the wineries. Just the eight of us and the vintners. We discuss the basis for awards and rankings, what makes a good year and a bad, climate change and the chemistry of winemaking.
We discover how barrel-type, grape variety and time chemically change the taste of the wine.
As we enjoy our meals, we become more aware of what we are drinking and what we like. This deep understanding is an invaluable take-away that helps me choose every bottle of wine from now on.
About the Itinerary
Our itinerary is set and yet flexible. Our tour director explains what is planned for every stop and whets our appetite for ad-hoc sightseeing on foot or on bicycles.
Each day we make unplanned stops, walking to a village for off-the-beaten-path sights, a monastery, an ancient graveyard, or simply exploring tiny hamlets. We meet the barge at its next stop, usually only two to four miles away.
The set stops are exclusive to us because of personal relationships cultivated by European Waterways. We barge to Vandenesse-en-Auxois to visit Chateau de Commarin for a private (yes just for the eight of us) exhibition of medieval falconry. We meet the present Chateau resident Count Bernard de Vogue, who is 26th in the family line to maintain the Chateau since the 13th century.
We visit Pont d'Ouche to reach the Cote de Beaune, a renowned wine center. We start a one- hour cellar tour and private tasting with a leading vintner of Jean Baptiste Jessiaume domaine. Our tasting lasts three hours, as we have so many questions and so many tastes! Slowly I realize that I am tasting the wines in a unique way, clearer about what I like, more attuned to my feelings of wellbeing and more understanding as to how the wine is affecting my mood and taste buds.
We travel on to La Bussiere through the UNESCO listed vineyards to the town of Beaune, the capital of Burgundy wine country.
We visit the oldest winery, Maison Champy, for a private tour of its 15th century cellar and another wine tasting. We lunch there in a huge wine barrel made from signature wine vats purpose-built for dining. At a table decked out with candlelight, heirloom China and sparkling wine glasses, we discuss the nuances of Gran Cru. This visit adds a layer of expertise to my wine understanding as I discover the changes in tase engineered by the wood of the barrels, and the length of fermentation. I finally know how to evaluate a wine label.
My lingering desire for sightseeing is fulfilled at the Hotel Dieu Hospice, a 15th century complex with its recognizable tile roofs. Founded in 1443, with a museum of medieval life, Nicholas Rolin built the hospital for the community. And a happy community must have been, as we see firsthand, the way wine was made in this thriving 600-year-old wine center.
Eventually we wind our way to Clos de Vougeot, headquarters of the Chevaliers du Tastevin. There we learn more about vineyard planting and construction, the health of the vines and the natural aspects of grape growing.
The Last Day
We end our journey in Dijon, where our last day is devoted to sightseeing in that beautiful petite city. I had been to Dijon before but somehow after my initiation into slow travel I like the city better. My last visit was spent deciding which of the hundreds of mustards I would buy and rushing around to see it all-Notre Dame de Dijon, the produce market, Museum of the Burgundian Arts, Museum of Beaux-Arts, Museum of Natural History. This time, I give myself the time to wonder and wander.
Confession: I love wall coverings. I carefully examine the papers I find on the second floor of the National Museum Magnin, 4 Rue de Bons Enfants. Instead of rushing through the halls and taking pictures I could enjoy later, my slow travel experience gives me the patience to stop, reset, and enjoy the present. That is a gift.
About the People
On a European Waterway journey you get close to two sets of people, who become the mainstay of your social life each day.
The first is the "cast." The staff selected by the company are top notch and their individual personalities resonate with you as you feel safe, cared for, and protected every step of the way. Frankly, it took me a day or two to accept all the help and support I received being such an independent traveler. But once you get such service it is a bit hard to go back to carrying your own bags.
Then there are the other passengers. In our case, we bonded immediately and found so many cross interests that we truly stay in touch. On many journeys, families and friends go together and take over all the cabins. But as a couple, we would not hesitate to take a chance again.
The freedom of barging lets you be you. For example, most of us walked from town to town, my husband felt free to stay on board doing his cryptic puzzles in peace and quiet.
Luxury means many things. For us it means an environment that is so comfortable and accommodating that we are free to effortlessly float through a beautiful world.
For more information visit European Waterways at europeanwaterways.com. I cannot thank European Waterways enough for hosting us for the journey.
And I thank my readers. This all came about because I covered the barging scene in my free eBook Luxury travel for Less which you can download here. Thank you for being travelers, not just tourists.
