Michael Edwards cruises like an aristocrat on a European Waterways Burgundy Canal Cruise
At times it seems as if La Belle Epoque, the European Waterways 12 berth hotel barge on the Burgundy Canal, is floating on champagne. Craig Jenner the captain, born in England, but growing up in France is on a mission. This season, stretching from April to early November, he wants his beloved barge to have the highest consumption of champagne per head in all of the European Waterway’s fleet of luxury barges.
Nor is it bulk-buy cash-and-carry Champagne. Mid-week, Craig will take us to the Champagne vineyards to meet his supplier from the House of Taisne Ricour, Baron Charles de Taisne for a tour of his vines and winery. Then it will be a caviar canapés and champagne welcome at the Baron’s elegant limestone chateau before we sit down, beneath the ancestral portraits, overlooking acres of estate, for a four-course luncheon. European Waterways have a distinctly aristocratic take on Burgundy.
We are cruising slow-travel-slow for six nights / seven days from Lezinnes to Venarey-les-Laumes, rarely breaking 5 kmph. Over the week, La Belle Epoque, built way back in 1930, will travel less than 50 miles, far from the crowds of French mass tourism.
As we left Paris, from the Hotel Westminster pick-up, the long, long queue for the Louvre and the crowds on the Seine’s right back had persuaded us that heading into rural Burgundy was a smart choice.
Of course, boarding La Belle Epoque after a three-hour drive South, Craig and his crew of five, welcomed us aboard with champagne and canapés. Then hostesses Ema, from Manchester, and Luna from Strasbourg, had guided us to our Hornblower-rich-dark-wood cabins. Though Admiral Hornblower would not have enjoyed the luxuries of air-conditioning, rainfall shower and Occitanie toiletries. It is also doubtful whether he would have had a sundeck for cocktails and canapés.
Craig, the ultimate bon viveur making every week a unique party, is a foodie living in a gourmet paradise. He born for this job. Especially as he has an intimate knowledge of Burgundian culture and history, frequently delivered with a touch of Horrible Histories humour.
At the Ancy-le-Franc Craig tells how, whilst building the chateau, the owner took every opportunity to display power and status whilst frequently using decor and allegiance to express allegiance to the King.
Whilst at Commarin Chateau, we are welcomed by Count Bernard, whose family have been on the site for 26 generations and 900 years. In a time of escalating maintenance costs, we watch the falconry show that helps to attract visitors.
In marked contrast to aristocratic living, our visit to the serene Abbaye at Fontenay focuses on the austere living of the Cistercian monks, who, a millennium ago, rebelled against a monastic life that had become indulgent with a regime of chastity, charity and silence.
No such austerity for Craig who departs on the daily 7.30 am bread run. For him it is a mission beyond shopping, it is a quest for the best brioche, bread, croissants and pastries that he can source. Guests are always welcome to go accompany him. Thirty minutes later the results of his boulangerie foraging are on the breakfast table.
Prior to the barging season, Craig and chef Harris had worked together to create a menu that represented the very best of Burgundy cuisine. One of the triumphant new additions to the menu was a starter, a trio of beetroot, ranging from almost translucent pink through to a rich vermillion.
Incredibly, the beetroots had been sourced from a local supermarket. Another triumph was Harris’ creation of an original mille feuille with a surprisingly successful layer of pistachio. Then there’s a deconstructed lemon meringue pie with caviar style pearls providing lemon explosions of flavour ..
A Burgundian lunch buffet focuses on local specialities: pate en croute, snails, charcuterie, salads, breads and an even more extensive selection of cheeses than usual. Served on a glorious Spring Day guests take their plates on to the sundeck where Ema and Luna pour appropriately paired wines.
Throughout the cruise the hostesses introduce a white and red wine for every lunch and dinner, though occasionally a rosé appears too. Even for wine aficionados it is an education: alerting us to aromas, to a full range of flavours from lightly citrus to robust blackberries, telling us what to look for in the finish.
Our wine-tasting skills are further honed by a trip to the Laroche winery in the heart of the limestone-coloured Chablis region. Regis, our guide takes us down into a 9th century cellar to recount the history of this precious wine which continues with windmills warming the vineyards in Spring, and a switch to screw-tops from cork as “they are better for the wine”.
He guides us through a tasting of five wines. Explaining how a few hundred yards and sun in the afternoon, rather than the morning, can make the difference between a humble Chablis and a Grand Cru Chablis.
On the final evening for the captain’s dinner, with six courses on the menu, when the wines are Grand Crus, Craig takes over some of the presenting duties. “This wine needs to be opened up,” he says swirling a much-loved Charmes Chamberlin Grand Cru 2014 at a speed approaching washing-machine revs levels, before recommending it to accompany the Charolais tenderloin. It goes without saying that the steak follows a palate-cleansing lemon sorbet. Liberally sloshed with Champagne.
Luna takes over for the final cheese board of a week when we had sampled around 30 different cheeses. One of the best cheese stories is that of Valençay, a soft ash-covered goats’ cheese, which used to be pyramidal until it was presented to Napoleon after his defeat at the Battle of the Nile. Infuriated he slashed away the top of the pyramid with his sword.
On the topic of swords. Craig has a theatrical show planned before his Captain’s dinner. With his silver sabre he dramatically slices the top off yet another bottle of champagne. It is a fittingly finale to a luxurious European Waterways Burgundy Canal cruise.
Tell Me More About European Waterways Burgundy Cruise aboard La Belle Epoque
European Waterways, Waterways House, Riding Court, Riding Court Road, Datchet Berkshire, SL3 9JT. E: sales@europeanwaterways.com T: 01753 330922
A hotel barge cruise: based on two passengers sharing a cabin, 6-night/7-day cruises aboard the 12-passenger La Belle Epoque start at £5,090 per person and include all gourmet meals, fine wines, an open bar for the duration of the cruise, daily escorted excursions, admissions, and private transfers at either end of the cruise.
Group charters: 2025 Charter prices aboard La Belle Epoque start from £57,500 (£4,791pp) based on 12 passengers travelling.
