Indulging in good food is an important part of my cruise experience, and nowhere was that truer than on a barge cruise with European Waterways in France. A luxury barge cruise was unlike any other cruising experience I’ve done and the meals presented on board were equally unrivaled.
I’ve been privileged to take two wonderful French cruises with European Waterways and both have provided some of my most memorable travel experiences. On the La Belle Epoque I explored France’s upper Burgundy Region, discovering off-the-beaten-path historic sights and boutique wineries. On the Renaissance barge I toured the less visited locales in the beautiful Loire Valley.
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What is Barge Cruising?
If you are not familiar with barge cruising, it was like having my own floating boutique hotel for a week with all the highest quality amenities and services. The guest-to-staff ratio was very, very low. On my La Belle Epoque cruise we were 5 guests and 6 crew. On my Renaissance cruise we were 4 guests and 4 crew. Even when full, the maximum passenger capacity on these barges was still only 8 to 12 guests at the most. And since both cruises started and ended in Paris, getting to the barges was hassle-free.
France is crisscrossed with a vast network of canals that were once used to haul goods. Today, these canals and the repurposed barges are used for recreation. European Waterways has taken some of these historic and utilitarian barges and converted them into luxury floating accommodations that come with their own highly trained staff, including very skilled chefs.
The barges were roomy and comfortable for all the guests but were not large enough to haul and store a week’s worth of groceries like larger boats may do. This meant that each day many of the ingredients for our meals were purchased at the villages where we were moored. In this case, locally sourced truly meant local.
Dining Aboard My Cruise
So, my mornings always started with a warm, crispy, flaky, melt-in-my-mouth croissant or pastry from the nearby bakery, accompanied by freshly squeezed orange juice (other cook-to-order breakfast items were always available as well).
Lunch and dinner also included cheese courses as we were introduced to just a small fraction of the many varieties of cheeses produced in France. On each cruise we had the chance to go shopping at a local market and were able to see firsthand the diverse variety of cheeses for sale at the cheese stands. I wanted to take home one of each!
Beautiful presentations are as much a hallmark of French cuisine as are the ingredients and the chefs on my barge cruises set a high standard. Not only was each dish extremely tasty, but the colorful presentation only added to the flavor experience.
Lunch and dinner menus included traditional French recipes as well as French-inspired preparations. Chef Hannah’s coq au vin was divine, as was her bouillabaisse, and cheese souffle. I also had classic quiche Lorraine, gazpacho, rabbit, and a variety of seafood dishes.
And let’s not forget the bread. Crispy baguettes in a variety of flavors were offered at each meal. I would have been content with just French bread and cheese (my weaknesses) but was more than happy to clean my plate with all the other dishes served by our delightful wait staff.
Desserts were equally delicious, and I had to remind myself to leave room for them at the end of each meal. I loved the crepe suzette, swooned over the silkiest chocolate tart ever, and enjoyed all manner of other creative and tasty concoctions that overindulged my sweet tooth.
Dining Off the Barge
Besides all the wonderful food on board, we also had a unique dining experience off the boat on each barge cruise. On the La Belle Epoque we had a delicious lunch with the Count and Countess de Tesne at their chateau home. Delightful conversation and artisanal wines from their property accompanied a classic French meal.
On the Renaissance barge, our tour of the artist Rosa Bonheur’s home included a colorful three-course foodie menu served in what had been her private salon. The ingredient combinations and presentation were a fitting complement to the creative environment we had just toured.
And of course, since this was France, wine pairings and wine tastings were “de rigueur”. Lunch and dinner on the barge always included a red and a white wine chosen to compliment the dishes served. I liked that our hostess always gave us a little description about where the wine was from and its tasting notes and why these wines were the right pairing for that particular meal. Since I was not an expert in French wine, the descriptions provided an instructive lesson into the distinctive varieties and grades of wine produced in France.
And Then There’s Wine
Each barge cruise also included at least one winery tour with a behind-the-scenes look at the wine-making process. These tours were always informative, interesting, and tasty since they also included a private tasting just for our group. The wineries we visited were not on the typical tourist routes and European Waterways set up these special experiences with wine producers that we would not have been able to visit on our own.
There is much about a barge cruise that I love, and these two cruises really spoiled me in so many ways. For me, this slow way of travel hits a perfect balance between activity and relaxation. I enjoyed biking alongside the barge on the towpaths and getting a friendly “bonjour” from a passerby. And I always learned something new on each day’s excursion.
Most of all though, these trips indulged my taste buds with some of the best tasting French meals I have been privileged to enjoy. I can prepare good home-cooked food, but I do not have the patience to make something intricate nor do I spend a lot of time on a pretty presentation.
So, not only do I appreciate having someone else cook for me, but I can also appreciate the planning, the skill, and the creativity that went into the preparation of each meal on board.
There are many reasons to take a barge cruise, and for me, the food and wine tops the list. Bon appétit and santé.
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