The voyage aboard barge Raymonde begins witha pick up at the Paris Gare du Nord and then a bus to Epernay writes Carolan Nathan.
We are welcomed by a smiling staff and three young captains who will be taking great care of us for the next 6 days...catering to our almost every whim and fancy.
Not to mention a great master chef preparing delicious cuisine for me and my fellow voyagers.
Cocktails are served and then we are shown to our cabins each with two single beds and ensuite bathroom with amenities.
That night we are docked in Epernay on the river Marne.
The banks on either side are filled with lush greenery and flowers and herbs so a walk along the riverside is recommended after the three course dinner with wine and some great local cheeses.M
My favorites included Coulommiers, Neufchatel, Chaource and Brillat Savarin...yes i do so enjoy the cheeses of France many of which we sampled at lunch and dinner during the cruise.
French wines
The wines of France are splendid too and a variety of rose, white and red were great additions to the cuisine served by Chef Mohamed whose touch of Morocco added a singular taste experience.
Each morning after a buffet breakfast we are taken to visit places of ancient and modern interest:small villages and larger towns to explore cathedrals and markets and covered walkways even do a little personal shopping!
Itinerary:
A visit to some of the fascinating sites of Paris…the Opera and Louvre walking along boulevards where budding trees welcome us.
Meaux and its beautiful Bossuet Garden followed by a visit to Brie de Meaux Exhibition Room with a tasting of that so named "King of Cheeses"
Later we met the barge at Saint-Jean-Les-Deux so were given an opportunity on the bus to see the rolling countryside of this picturesque area of France.
Day four arrived and we spent the morning sailing, passing Champigny and Drachy, through the heart of the Seine-et-Marne countryside and its Champagne vines.Later we visited Chateaux Thierry and the Jean de la Fontaine Museum.
The next day the barge departed for Dorman and by coach we were taken to Reims and a guided tour of that historic city and its wonderful cathedral.On our return to Raymonde the lively crew met us with a different cocktail experience…..very imaginative and delicious they were.
Splendid dinners
Each night after a splendid dinner we would join fellow passengers in the comfy lounge and drink and talk and laugh before sleeping soundly in readiness for the next day's tour.
Early on day six the barge sailed to Epernay and in the afternoon were taken on an excursion along the famous Champagne route and a tour of Hautvilliers the birthplace of Champagne.
There we visited an interesting champagne house…its cellars where we tasted the different stages of champagne production and then its tasting rooms where many purchased bottles of pink or original champagne to take home with them.
That evening we were entertained right royally by the crew and a musician before sleepily going to our cabins to pack for the following morning departure.
Day seven Over breakfast we made our farewells to each other and to the smiling crew who so well had taken care of us during this most interesting journey aboard barge Raymonde.
By bus or taxi we went our separate ways from Paris.