Barge
Cruise: Aquitaine
- Armagnac
French
food and wine at their very best!
Cruise
the canals of southwestern France aboard a meticulously retrofitted six-passenger
barge-hotel (7 days - 6 nights). Visit the historical
province of Aquitaine, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, while savoring local wines
and sampling the famous Armagnac spirits produced locally.
Enjoy
the tasty local cuisine: cassoulet, duck confit, piperade and of course foie gras,
the world-famous paté, also produced in the region. Along the way, tour
quaint medieval towns and ancient cloisters, as well as a few modern marvels of
20th century canal navigation. Barging offers all the comforts of luxury travel
with your onboard personal cook. Go with the flow, relax and have fun "slowly."
TYPICAL
BARGE CRUISE ITINERARIES
This
cruise offers two different routes centered on Agen:
1)
downstream to Castets (about 35 miles from Bordeaux) or
2)
upstream to Montauban (about 35 miles from Toulouse)
(Actual
program may vary and may be tailored to your interests.)
| Cruise
Route | 2010
Departure Dates |
| Agen
- Castets | May
8, Jul 3, Sep 11 |
| Castets
- Agen | May
15, Jul 10, Sep 18 |
| Agen
- Montauban | Apr
10 & 24, May 22, Jun 5 & 19
Jul 17 & 31, Aug 14 & 28, Sep 25 |
| Montauban
- Agen | Apr
3 & 17, May 1 & 29, Jun 12 & 26
Jul 24, Aug 7 & 21, Sep 4,
Oct 2 |
Note:
The Jul 31 and Aug 7, 2010, cruises will offer the option of attending the outdoor
spectacle Au
Fil de l'Eau
AGEN
TO CASTETS (near BORDEAUX)
Day
1 - Saturday: Agen to Serignac-sur-Garonne.
Meet around 3 pm at a designated place in or near Toulouse or Bordeaux and travel
by minibus to the barge. Champagne reception while crossing above the Garonne
River via the 19th-century stone Agen
Aqueduct. Before dinner, pass through four beautifully landscaped locks, and
then dine on the deck to the sound of the birds in the thick trees along the canal.
Moor for the night at the quiet port of Serignac-sur-Garonne.
Day
2 - Sunday: Serignac to Buzet-sur-Baise.
Take an early morning walk through the quaint bastide
village of Serignac and admire its half-timbered houses and its unusual church.
After breakfast, cruise to Buzet-sur-Baise. Lunch on board, followed by a visit
to Viannes, another fortified village with its outside wall almost intact. Before
returning to the barge for dinner, visit Bruch, another medieval fortified village.
Day
3 - Monday: Buzet-sur-Baise to Damazan.
In the morning, cruise to Damazan during breakfast and tour the medieval city
of Nerac with its chateau of King Henry IV and the Gothic Pont Vieux ("old
bridge"). Before dinner, visit a former Benedictine abbey that produces wine,
Armagnac and the aperitif Floc de Gascogne.
Day
4 - Tuesday: Damazan to Mas d'Agenais.
After breakfast, cruise on down the canal, stopping at Villeton to visit a museum
of farming and country trades. In the afternoon, cruise to Mas d'Agenais, where
the barge will be moored for the night. Visit the old Roman walls of the town,
the Romanesque wash-house, the market square, and the 11th-century church with
its painting of the crucifixion by Rembrandt.
Day
5 - Wednesday: Mas d'Argenais to Meilhan.
In the morning, you'll cruise to the pretty port of Meilhan between rows of plane
trees and fields of sunflowers. After lunch, you can attend a fascinating presentation
about the people of the Garonne valley.
Day
6 - Thursday: Meilhan to Castets-en-Dorthe. Today,
you'll cruise to Castets with a stop in Fontet, where there is a matchstick museum
that features models of the Chateau of Versailles and the Cathedral of Reims.
Your last excursion will be to Roquetaillade, where you'll visit a castle - still
occupied - that has been in the same family for 700 years.
Day
7 - Friday: Castets.
After a leisurely breakfast, you'll travel by minibus to your departure point
in or near Toulouse or Bordeaux.
Other
possible visits include:
- A
unique Romanesque fortified mill.
- The
small town of Clairac, with excellent examples of half-timbered houses.
- Buzet's
barrel-makers, who produce oak barrels that are exported around the world.
- A
wine tasting at the cave of Buzet, where you can sample some of the best wines
of this famous AOC region.
- A
visit to one or more famous Bordeaux wineries.
- The
town of La Reole, with its 10th-century Benedictine monastery overlooking the
valley.
On
alternate weeks, cruise will be in the reverse direction.
This itinerary is
subject to change without notice.
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MONTAUBAN
TO AGEN
Day
1 - Saturday: Montauban to Montech. Meet
around 3 pm at a designated place in or near Toulouse and travel by minibus to
the barge. On the way, pass through Granade and Grisolles and admire their market
squares. Champagne reception on board. Before dinner, you can visit a local distillery
that makes liqueurs from local fruits, stroll around the charming town of Montech,
or enjoy a game of petanque (similar to bocce ball) by the barge.
Day
2 - Sunday: Montech to Castelsarrasin.
After breakfast, you can take an excursion to Montauban, "City of Art and
Culture." There, you'll visit the central Italian square and the Pont Vieux
(old bridge) over the River Tarn. Back on the barge, you'll pass through one lock
and enter the Canal de Garonne (the canal that runs parallel to the Garonne River
from Bordeaux to Toulouse). Then, you'll go down the amazing Montech
Water Slope, an impressive experience for everyone. In the afternoon, cruise
to Castelsarrasin and moor for the night.
Day
3 - Monday: Castelsarrasin to Moissac. After
breakfast, cruise through four locks and on to Moissac, "City of Roman Art,"
crossing the brick Cacor Aqueduct over the River Tarn on the way. In the afternoon,
visit the abbey with its medieval church, 10th-century organ and 11th-century
cloister, one the finest in Europe.
Day
4 - Tuesday: Moissac to Pommevic.
Cruise to Pommevic, where the barge is moored in a quiet area under a deep canopy
of trees. You are likely to see some pilgrims walking to Santiago de Compostela,
Spain, following the ancient pilgrimage route that originated in the 6th century.
In the afternoon, you can visit the lovely historic town of Auvillar, which is
known historically for its production of china and writing quills.
Day
5 - Wednesday: Pommevic to Lamagistere.
After breakfast, cruise through Valence and on to Lamagistere in time for lunch.
In the afternoon, take an excursion to Donzac, where there is an excellent museum
dedicated to the ancient trades of this part of France. Go on to the ancient bastide
(fortified) village of Dunes, with its lovely half-timbered houses.
Day
6 - Thursday: Lamagistere to Agen. Today
you'll start with an excursion to Clermont-Soubiran, where you can walk around
the outside of the chateau and view the whole Garonne River Valley. Then cruise
on to the city of Agen, famous for its melons and prunes. On arrival, time permitting,
you can visit the Fine Arts Museum, with its numerous paintings by the Spanish
master Goya and a fine Egyptian and Middle Eastern collection.
Day
7 - Friday: Agen.
After a leisurely breakfast, travel by minibus back to Toulouse.
Other
possible visits include:
- A
wine tasting at a Fronton vineyard, one of southwest France’s hidden secrets.
- The
Abbey de Belleperche, on the banks of the Garonne River.
- A
genuine Roman bridge that is hidden away and not part of any tourist route.
- The
bastide town of Lauzerte.
- The
11th-century church at Lachappelle – modified in a baroque style and unique
in France.
- A
working goat farm, where you can see the goats being milked and the milk made
into cheese.
- A
museum dedicated to Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who founded the city of Detroit,
Michigan in 1701.
- A
visit to an extraordinary winery in Cotes de Brulhois that has been in the same
family for 300 years and where innovative wines from the early 1700s are once
again being produced.
On
alternate weeks, cruise will be in the reverse direction.
This itinerary is
subject to change without notice.
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Included
- Accommodations
with private bath or shower and all meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on
day 7
- Wine
with lunch and dinner and selected alcoholic beverages consumed aboard the barge
- Sightseeing
excursions
- Round
trip transfers from specified meeting points in Toulouse or Bordeaux
Not
Included
- Transportation
to and from beginning and end points
- Health
and travel insurance
- Barge
crew gratuities (suggested 5% of cruise price)
- Superior
vintage wines
- Personal
expenses
- Optional
activities when available
- Other
items not specifically listed under "Included" above
Barge
Features
-
3 cabins:
can be set up as twin or double (6 passengers)
- Crew:
husband and wife team plus one crew member
- Cabin
size: 127 square feet
- Sundeck
- Air
conditioning and central heating
- Air-conditioned
minibus for excursions
Cruise
Departures
Every
Saturday subject to availability (except winter). See chart above the itineraries
for specific dates.
This
barge is normally chartered for groups of 4 to 6. Various themes, such as family
and wine cruises, can be arranged to fit the specific interests of each group.
Single cabins are sometimes available and a "tandem" cruise using a
second barge can be arranged for groups of up to 12 - contact
us for details.
Dates
and Prices
Book
Your Cruise!
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