Cruise
A Le Boat Family Adventure on the Nivernais Canal, France
by Jennifer Merrick
If you’re looking for a carefree all-inclusive cruise vacation with every meal taken care of and nothing to think about except maybe what excursion to choose or when to book a massage, Le Boat is not for you. But if you’re up for an adventure and looking for an authentic travel experience that will take you off the beaten tourist path and immerse you in a destination, then book Le Boat for your next vacation.
The company, which has been operating for over 50 years, specializes in self-operating houseboats with bases all over Europe and on the Rideau Canal in Canada. Its biggest fleet is in France, covering nine regions across the country, each with their own heritage, attractions and charms.
They all looked so inviting, it was hard to choose, but we eventually decided on the Burgundy region. About 150 kilometers southwest of Paris, this historical destination in the heart of the country is famous for its vineyards, chateaux, medieval villages, colorful gardens and bucolic countryside. In the end, we decided to cruise the Nivernais Canal from the town of Migennes to Tannay.
The canal, built between 1784 and 1841, links the Loire with the Seine and was originally constructed for transporting wood from the forest to Paris. Today it’s used purely for pleasure, and boaters navigate its locks and tunnels to enjoy the beauty and charm of one of the prettiest waterways in Europe. Some are experienced skippers who have adopted houseboating as a way of life in much the same way as RVers while others are novices with little or no experience.
Houseboats are a learning curve at the beginning. There’s the maneuvering, the workings of the tanks, cooling system and, most intimidating, the navigation of the locks. These aren’t small boats, after all. On this trip, we sailed the Royal Classique, which had three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a living area and kitchen. But luckily, not only do renters get a detailed orientation and are guided through the first lock, the boat has thick rubber bumper pads around its circumference. We had already done a fabulous Le Boat cruise on the Rideau Canal three years ago, and so we were familiar with the workings of the boat and the canal system. But we were a little apprehensive about boating in France.
Would our French be good enough? Would our university-aged kids be bored with the rural setting? Would we be ignored by the locals? We needn’t have worried. Communication wasn’t an issue, the ‘kids’ loved it, and locals made us feel welcome (one kind monsieur even gave us some freshly-picked cherry tomatoes from his garden).
We quickly embraced the rhythm of houseboating. Mornings we cruised, coffee in hand, before the afternoon heat hit. Afternoons were for baguette buying, lunching, biking and sightseeing. Early evenings, we usually navigated a few more locks before mooring for the night. Each site was different. Some were in natural settings that had nearby campgrounds and dark star-filled nights with sounds of wildlife while others were in the center of medieval towns, within walking distance of architectural marvels. Late evening activities depended on location, so some nights we’d dine in town while others we’d swim at a nearby watering hole. But the end of the night was always the same –we’d pour ourselves a glass of a local libation, and after toasting the day, we pulled out the charts and the suggested itinerary to plan our next day on the water.
Some of the best moments of the trip were random: a recommended restaurant in the tiniest of towns, where we had the best French meal of our trip, exchanges with locals and other boaters, and simply watching the scenery pass by. The fields of sunflowers were particularly breathtaking as was the great blue heron who took off in front of us. Other highlights were recommended in the itinerary that’s provided on Le Boat’s website and include the stellar attractions that the region is known for. If you decide to cruise the Nivernais Canal, and I strongly suggest you do, here are a few sights you won’t want to miss:
Auxerre – With its cobblestoned main square, half-timbered buildings and 15th century clock tower, this medieval town is exactly the image that comes to mind when you think of Europe. As it’s situated right along the canal, we were able to moor right in the center of Auxerre to explore its treasures. The Saint Etienne Cathedral, which took over three centuries to build, is particularly impressive with its Gothic archways, 13th-century stained glass and ancient crypt.
Caves de Bailly Lapierre – The coolest experience of our boating vacation took place in this underground quarry that holds millions of bottles of Crémant de Bourgogne, the region’s celebrated sparkling wine. And by cool, I mean 12 degrees Celsius cool, which is the temperature of these subterranean chambers even on a hot summer day. The crisp air felt heavenly, and we immediately signed up for the six-euro tour and learned about Burgundy’s wines, the history of these cellars, and the labour intensive process of producing Crémant. A tasting culminated the experience, and the minute the bubbles danced on my palette, it became my new favourite sparkling. Sorry, Prosecco.
Nivernais Canal Cycle Path – With bikes on board, it was fun and easy to ride on the 190-kilometre trail that ran parallel to the canal.
Hostellerie de la Fontaine – The lockmaster (the person in charge of the canal lock) raved about this restaurant so much that we thought perhaps her relatives owned it, or she was receiving a kickback. But after our meal at this cozy restaurant in the tiny hamlet of Accolay, I completely understood her enthusiasm. It was French cuisine at its best with local specialities like escargot, trout and meat and produce from nearby farms. The service was impeccable, and even included the suave flourish of lifting the cloche cover off the entrée at the table. Amazingly, there was no sticker shock at the end and the price was on par with other meals. We raved about it so much to the next boaters we encountered they probably thought we were getting a kickback.
Vézelay –This inspired hillside village was the only sight we weren’t able to walk to from our boat, but it was absolutely worth the 20-minute taxi ride to see it. We felt as though we were walking in a postcard as we climbed the winding, cobbled street exploring the ateliers, boutiques, art galleries and cafes. At the top was the awe-inspiring Basilica of Saint-Marie-Madeleine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the time of the crusades. Its grounds were equally stunning with colourful rose gardens and a panoramic vista of the countryside.
Rochers du Saussois– These 50-metre-high limestone cliffs along the canal dwarfed our boat as we cruised by. Rock climbers have been challenging themselves here since the 1950s, and we spotted a few making their way to top.
I imagine it’s not the most carefree thing to do on vacation, but I bet they had fun.
