7th - 13th September 2025
A crystal-clear September light greeted our passengers in Clamecy. Among them were Tennis and Jeanne, who last cruised with us in 1998 - where does the time go?
Tennis kindly shared a film he took of that cruise. In so many ways, it seemed a different world. For a start, the Luciole measured 30 metres then, rather than the 34 metres she is today. Nowadays, we can store the bikes on the front deck instead of on the sundeck – which is now teak decking rather than covered in an orange carpet - and the plastic chairs and tables are long gone too. What a difference those changes have made.
Once thing that has not changed though is the height of the bridges. Cruising under numerous, Captain Charlie has a decision to make – wheel on or wheel off? There are only inches in it sometimes – which certainly can get the heart racing!
Vincent led his tour to the wonderful Château of Bazoches, nestled on the edge of the Morvan Forest. It is the perfect setting for the classic staircase shot.
In Chablis, the vendange (grape harvest) is now over for another year. Looking over the sweeping panorama, it is hard to imagine the bustle of the past few weeks, as men, women, and machines collected grapes destined to become this renowned wine. The Chablis vineyards cover approximately 5,800 hectares; the town itself is small, yet around 40 million bottles of wine are produced each year. No wonder that, as we drove through, we spotted winemakers hard at work and caught the unmistakable scent of ‘grape must’ hanging in the air.
The Luciole cruised into Auxerre as clouds billowed across the sky. It truly was a wonderful week with our delightful passengers. Thank you, lovely people - and a special grand merci to Tennis for the film. It is already treasured by past and present barge crews from across the decades.
P.S. The Luciole celebrates 60 years of cruising in 2026 – where does the time go…..!
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
