Luciole Blog

27th April - 3rd May 2025

A week when the sun shone and the nightingales sang long into the night. This cruise welcomed American and Australian guests—by chance, all from Sydney.

Cruising past Les Roches de Saussois was as stunning as ever, with the mighty cliffs admired by climbers and swooping hawks alike. Vincent our wonderful French guide led the afternoon visit to Christopher in Vézelay who was as inspiring as always, explainging the building of the Basilica. On the return to Mailly-le-Château, Vincent took passengers to the viewing station beside the château to fully appreciate the panorama of the Burgundy countryside.

Captain Charlie and Cailan, our experienced deckhand, face all sorts of obstacles to navigate each week. One such challenge is passing under one of the lowest bridges on the canal—removing the wheel and ducking while keeping the barge cruising straight is all part of the joy of this unique waterway.

In Accolay, we wandered leisurely to the restaurant, pausing to admire two of the village’s three lavoirs—old washhouses fed by crystal-clear, fast-running springs.

We arrived at our wonderful Auxerre mooring on Friday afternoon, ready to enjoy a delicious Captain’s Dinner, followed by a stroll across the walking bridge to view the floodlit Cathedral of St Étienne and the Abbey of Saint Germain. A skyline to dream about—unchanged for centuries.