A Slow Barge Through Burgundy

By Stuart Green
A couple of weeks ago, I spent many hours walking along canal towpaths in central France. On these walks, all I could hear was a mixture of birdsong and the croaking of frogs. And, apart from the trees lining the towpath, all I could see were the surrounding fields of bright sunflowers and wheat.
I usually walked for at least an hour and, in that time, I never heard the sound of any vehicles of any kind, although sometimes the stillness of the towpath was disturbed by a few deer, a heron or a kingfisher. Every couple of kilometres or so I’d come across a lock where I would wish 'Bonjour' to 'les éclusiers’, the lock keepers, who were the only people I ever saw.
Life along the canal seemed so utterly tranquil and an awful long way from life in the hustle and bustle of Gibraltar
Annie and I were in Burgundy in the company of two friends from Gibraltar and four friends from UK. By spending a week on the Savoir Vivre, a hotel-barge purpose-built for eight passengers, we had traded the hectic activity of life on the Rock for a peaceful cruise along the Burgundy Canal, in a region as famous for its sleepy medieval villages as for producing some of the world’s finest wines.

A Feat of Engineering
Constructed at the end of the 18th century, this historic waterway was designed to link the River Seine near Paris to the River Saône in the south, effectively cutting a direct link from Le Havre on the English Channel all the way to Marseille on the Mediterranean. At the time, it was a massive feat of engineering and it saved small ships from the long sea voyage across the Bay of Biscay and around Spain and Portugal.
In the 21st century, there is almost no commercial traffic - just a few sailing boats and hotel-barges. However, during the summer of 2026, major renovations at the southern end of the canal have prevented boats from transferring from the canal to the Saone so sailing boat traffic has been reduced to almost nothing. It certainly seemed as if we had the whole 240 kilometres of the canal to ourselves.

Life Aboard the Savoir Vivre
I can think of several people who might find it difficult to spend a week in the very cramped quarters of the Savoire Vivre. The boat's captain, a Frenchman named Richard, explained that most weeks he finds himself greeting four couples who are complete strangers to each other. On the other hand, we were grateful that the members of our group had been friends for many years and that we all had much in common.
"Given that we would be in close contact with each other for a week, we thought that sharing the barge with complete strangers might be rather risky," laughed one of our group.
"We were certainly happier to spend the week amongst our friends."
Members of the crew added their own distinct flavour to the voyage. The boat was run by two Frenchmen, who, confusingly, both had the name Richard.
‘Richard One’ was the captain. Despite being French, he possessed a distinctly British sense of humour and so he instantly bonded him with our group.
"Almost all our passengers come from the USA," Captain Richard explained.
"It is very rare to have guests from England and especially from Gibraltar. We had an excellent week together - I enjoyed it immensely myself."
The other two members of the crew were Matilda, the 21-year-old housekeeper and ‘Richard Two’, who served as the group’s very knowledgeable tour guide and minibus driver.

Fabulous Food without a kitchen
Perhaps the most unique quirk of the Savoir Vivre is what it doesn't have: a kitchen.
"An unusual feature of the boat was that there was no galley onboard," explained Annie.
Every morning, Matilda - whose mother is an award-winning chef who runs a cookery school near Chablis - would arrive at the barge laden with fresh, locally sourced produce which she would use to prepare the most fabulous breakfasts and lunches.
Indeed, for some of us, lunch, accompanied by fine wine, was the highlight of the day.

The Morning Routine
After breakfast, the daily routine fell into a quiet, unhurried pattern. Mornings were for moving. As the barge glided gently through the countryside, its passengers chose their own activity - or lack of it. Some of the group relaxed on deck, watching the fields slide past, whilst others stepped off onto the towpath, strolling ahead of the boat or borrowing the onboard bicycles to pedal off the towpath and explore the local villages.
Perhaps we were lucky. Every morning the weather was hot and sunny with just a gentle breeze to take the edge off the temperature.

Castles and corks
If mornings belonged to the canal, afternoons belonged to the countryside. Every day, Richard Two would whisk the group away in the minibus to explore the region's rich history.
One visit was to the 16th century Château d'Ancy-le-Franc whilst on another day, Richard showed us all around the Abbaye de Fontenay, a flawlessly preserved Cistercian monastery founded in 1118 and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In the historic wine capital of Beaune, they toured the Hospice de Beaune, a 15th-century charity hospital with its famously vibrant, polychrome tiled roof. Remarkably, this hospice continued to treat patients well into the 20th century.
But you cannot cruise through Burgundy without paying homage to the grape.
"It would have been crazy to visit the region and not sample its most important product," said Annie.
"So, we dedicated two afternoons to some pretty serious wine tasting."
Once the afternoon's tours were over and with the barge safely moored for the evening, the guests then turned their attention to dinner.
Each evening, the crew had reserved a table at a different local restaurant and, of course, our transport in a very comfortable air-conditioned minibus, was provided.
"Everyone in our group enjoys trying new dishes and sampling different wines, so it was fantastic to experience a completely new menu every day. Even the weather cooperated, saving its dramatic thunderstorms and heavy downpours for the night, perfectly freshening up the French countryside for the next morning's cruise.”

The Final Verdict
As the week came to an end, our friends realised that the trip along the canal had done exactly what they had hoped.
We all agreed that it had been a wonderful week. We had spent a relaxing few days amongst friends. We had been able to switch off from life in busy towns and cities - no television, no politics, no noise - and almost no World Cup!
We had enjoyed a memorable combination of superb food, world-class wine, an exceptional crew, and a landscape that forced us to slow down and breathe. The magic of the canal had left a lasting mark.
Would we barge through Burgundy again?
“You bet we would."

Travel Brief: The Burgundy Canal
The Vessel: The Savoir Vivre is an 8-passenger luxury hotel barge specializing in a "half-board" concept, blending breakfast and lunch onboard with dinners at authentic local restaurants.
The Route: Cruising the northern section of the Burgundy Canal, stopping at historic villages, vineyards, and heritage sites between Dijon and Chablis.
Best Time to Go: Late spring to early autumn for warm days, ideal biking weather, and lush countryside greenery.
Previous Guests on Savoire Vivre:
Barbra Streisand
Andrea Corr (of The Corrs)
Possible Downsides:
The Savoire Vivre is extremely compact. The cabins (and their bathrooms) are very small.
Unless the passengers book as an 8-person group, they will be sharing a compact space with people they do not know.