5th -11th October 2025
Randy - thank you for gathering your delightful friends together to cruise with us. The camaraderie of long friendships is also a joy for the crew to see and share in whilst we cruise together.
We were blessed again with magnificent autumn light and the sight of a vast Harvest Moon rising spectacularly over the canal. It was particularly dramatic above the Roches des Saussois, which the Luciole had cruised beneath earlier in the day.
The sun shone in Vézelay, and it was lovely to welcome everyone back to Fontenille for an apéro. Thankfully, Randy is well used to bending at the waist to pass through the small doors - so getting from the kitchen to the garden terrace was not too much of a problem!
Tuesday – aside from the excitement of the Harvest Moon - was a day of celebration marked by the arrival of a parcel from Paris, delivered by taxi. Yet, on opening, the joy was somewhat dampened by the discovery of only two coats instead of three. The old Meat Loaf song ‘Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad’ sprang to mind - but an exchange of someone else’s undergarments for coat number three? Really, how could this be true? Thankfully, consternation was soon appeased, the hotel came up trumps, and ‘Reunited’ by Peaches and Herb proved a far more fitting soundtrack for the story’s end.
The long cruise from Mailly-le-Château to Accolay was bathed in sunshine. Passengers sat on deck, watching the bucolic countryside slip by. At this time of year, the air cools as the sun sets, but there are plenty of cosy blankets to wrap up in whilst sipping one of James’s famous cocktails.
The next day brought our Chablis tour - as enlightening as ever - and of course, the Caves de Bailly are always a wonderful surprise at the end of the tour. One can’t beat a good bubbly!
Arriving back to the Luciole, the early evening light was particularly spectacular across the River Yonne, illuminating the trees on the far bank and the Irancy vineyards in the distance behind. It was the perfect photo opportunity - especially with host Sarah’s magnificent, much-admired garden dahlias in the foreground.
Auxerre makes for a dramatic finale to the cruise. The light on the west face of Saint-Étienne Cathedral was particularly attractive during Vincent’s Auxerre tour. At the end of the afternoon, passengers wound their way home through the medieval streets to the Luciole, with thoughts of the Captain’s Dinner and Camille’s delicious creations to look forward to.
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
