24th - 30th August 2025
It was a lovely day in Clamecy for our charter group of friends and family. The cruise was all about big blue skies, voluminous white clouds, and dodging the odd rain shower that came and went, leaving behind a bright rainbow.
One thing is for sure - Camille’s cooked up a storm with her scallops with red pepper sauce - which went down like a treat!
There was a delightful visit to Chablis. With the vendange (grape harvest) just around the corner, we learned all about the winemaking process and how climate change is affecting the timing of when the grape pickers begin their work.
Fascinatingly, we also heard that the French Champagne houses - looking to the future - are buying up swathes of southern England to plant Chardonnay vines.
On the way back to the Luciole, we stopped at the Cave de Bailly and discovered that their grape juice, from the Gamay grape variety, was like drinking nectar. The river mooring in Vincelles is always dramatic, but that evening it was especially so during dinner, as a vivid rainbow arched across the sky and was perfectly reflected in the water, forming a flawless semi-circle.
On our Friday visit to Auxerre, in the mighty Cathedral of Saint-Étienne, sunlight streamed through the south-side stained-glass windows - an inspiring sight to behold. As always, the question lingers: “How did they do it?” It is a little like wondering how a plane stays in the sky: the evidence is right before our eyes, we can look at diagrams, and yet the mystery of the achievement endures.
Departure came early the next morning for the journey to Charles de Gaulle to catch flights home. Man’s creations are, without question, extraordinary.
Hotel barge Luciole
Cruising since 1976
Phone: 00 44 1625 576880
From USA: 011 44 1625 576880
Email: info@bargeluciole.com
23 Adlington Road, Bollington
SK10 5JT England
1-2 Quai de la Republique, Auxerre
89000 France
© Hotel Barge Luciole 2025
