21st - 27th June
We welcomed aboard a lovely family spanning three generations. Nicer passengers they could not have been. By chance, their cruise coincided with an unexpected heatwave across Europe – thank goodness for the Luciole's air conditioning. The saloon remained as cool as our delightful passengers.
Host Sarah works her magic each morning with a beautiful selection of fresh fruit – the perfect start to the day before the customary croissant and pain au chocolat.
The Luciole cruised to Châtel in the morning, followed in the afternoon by great fun on the River Cure in kayaks. As the quote from The Wind in the Willows says, "Believe me, young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
After our river expedition, we hot-footed it to Vézelay to visit the Musée Zervos of modern art, followed by the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. An action-packed afternoon for our Activity Charter.
Tuesday brought more adventure with a visit to a cool limestone quarry, carved out of the hillside, brave individuals traversed the towering stone walls and zipped across the vast cavern. It is an extraordinarily impressive place, and one cannot help but wonder at the sheer volume of stone that was cut from its 15-metre-high walls.
The day was rounded off with Vincent driving the bus to Avallon for dinner at Cuisine Angeline. The frozen chocolate mousse to finish the meal was, some declared, the perfect ending to the day.
It was pleasantly cool in Noyers-sur-Serein for market day, with time to browse the delightful boutiques. In the afternoon, swimming proved the perfect antidote to the heat. We generally cruise along the River Yonne, however, there is a short section on the Vermenton Arm of the River Cure. It was the Cure that provided wonderfully cooling waters for a swim, while the shade of the riverside trees offered a gentle breeze that we all appreciated.
Thursday was Chablis day. The wine tasting was enjoyed by the grown-ups, who perhaps drew the short straw compared with the youngsters and Penny, who drew the long straw and enjoyed ice creams (I scream - you scream - we all scream for ice cream)! On such a hot summer day they were delicious, with the blackcurrant flavour providing a particular punch. That evening we moored in Vincelles, where the beauty of this riverside setting never fails to capture everyone's attention.
The Luciole cruised into Auxerre to moor beneath the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne for the final day. As it happened, we had a book aboard that seemed the perfect antidote to the summer heat – Looking for Alaska. By an extraordinary coincidence, the very author of the book was with us, happily signing the copy and kindly offering to hold the edition aloft. We also learned that his next novel for adults will be rolling off the press shortly. I will be looking out for it for the Luciole library as well!
An enormous thank you to the family for the fun, laughter and World Cup football enthusiasm you brought to the Luciole this week. We loved having you aboard – we really did. Our sincerest thanks from all the crew.
Hotel barge Luciole
Cruising since 1976
Phone: 00 44 1625 576880
From USA: 011 44 1625 576880
WhatsApp: 00 33 6 09 92 20 76
Email: info@bargeluciole.com
23 Adlington Road, Bollington
SK10 5JT England
1-2 Quai de la Republique, Auxerre
89000 France
© Hotel Barge Luciole 2026
