Category: Lifestyle

Cruising with European Waterways offers sophisticated guests insider experiences. Luxury aboard the eight-passenger Enchanté barge begins with a delightful open-air deck, elegant dining room, and well-appointed cabins. It continues with incredible attention to detail by the entire crew and gastronomy of epic proportions. It is a five-star cruise from service to dining and drinking, with the bonus of extraordinary landscapes along the Canal du Midi as backdrops for it all.

Sailing along the Canal du Midi under the command of pilot Elie Fisher is relaxing yet exhilarating, with breathtaking views of medieval fortress villages and thousands of acres of vineyards. A six-night cruise is just the right amount of time to explore the French countryside.

Although the barge hosts families or groups of friends most weeks, there are some “hotel” weeks whereby individuals book individual staterooms and take a “potluck” approach like any hotel guest. My friend Rachel and I were game for hotel week and won the lottery. The eight of us were convivial; conversations flowed effortlessly.

Some guests fly into nearby airports, and others, like us, take the train from other parts of France or Europe. We opted to spend a few nights before the cruise in Narbonne at the modern hotel La Mosaique, conveniently located within a few blocks from the Canal de la Robine and excellent shopping and outdoor cafes.

Bespoke Itinerary

Day One: Salleles d’Aude to Le Somail

On embarkation day, a minibus chauffeured by Captain Beth Calvert took the group from Narbonne to the upscale Enchanté. Captain Beth gave us an overview of the itinerary as we sipped a champagne welcome drink, and an introduction to the crew followed. A short cruise ensued up the Canal de la Robine before dinner. Upon return, we had enough time to sprint to the eclectic used book shop Le Trouve Tout du Livre, “Find it All in the Book.” Boasting over 50,000 titles in a historic barn, don’t miss this marvel.

Day Two: Le Somail to Roubia

We headed to Mas d’Antonin for truffle hunting and olive oil tasting. Despite the steady rain, we enjoyed following our host, Clemence Anton, and her young truffle-hunting pup, Soika, who demonstrated her keen truffle-seeking skills. After lunch on board, we ventured west along the canal Grand Bief, crossing the Répudre Aqueduct, the oldest on the Canal du Midi along the way. Roubia is not a tourist destination. The population is said to be 500, but we suspect this is during the peak of the wine harvesting season. We wandered the nearly vacant streets admiring the French blue-painted shutters and wrought iron balconies.

Day Three: Roubia to Homps

Post-petit-dejeuner, “breakfast,” we returned to the Roman Mediterranean capital of Narbonne for a foodie tour of Les Halles – the local food market with Chef Hannah. Sixty-six purveyors display their products, where everything from oysters farmed in Normandy to aged comté to perfumed rice can be found daily. We visited the Archbishop’s Palace and the Roman Horreum and had some time to shop, although, in our case, most stores were closed for a French bank holiday. In the afternoon, we cruised to Homps, where we tied up to a picturesque mooring in the heart of a French village.

Day Four: Homps to Puicheric

After a breakfast of flaky croissants, fresh fruit, and eggs cooked to order, we headed to the walled city of Minerve, a pristine, well-preserved 13th-century medieval town perched on a rocky spur overlooking the Cévennes and Noire Mountain areas. Meandering through the narrow pedestrian-only streets was magical. We practically had the entire village to ourselves in early May. One can imagine what it might be like in the summer months with crowds flocking to visit what’s been officially named one of France’s most beautiful villages.

Next, Captain Beth dispatched us to the family-owned 17th century Château de Paraza for a wine tasting, followed by an exquisite private four-course lunch in the chateau’s opulent salon. The caterer for this luncheon affair is LOCA, a Nomadic kitchen whose chef, Jules, is committed to sourcing products locally. We dined on a turbot filet with butter sauce and fava bean stew, and the dessert was a creative chilled strawberry soup poured over rosemary meringues

Day Five: Puicheric to Marseillette

A few guests opted to walk part of the route from Puicheric to Marseillette. In contrast, others remained aboard for a leisurely sail, marveling how Pierre Paul Riquet, the man responsible for building the 340-year-old Canal du Midi, a nearly 150-mile-long artificial waterway that links the southern coast of France to Toulouse, brought his vision to fruition. It’s one of the most remarkable engineering feats of the 17th century.

Once moored, we boarded the van for a short drive to Lagrasse, a commune (civil township) in the Occitanie region at the foot of the Pyrenees. The charming cobblestone village is part of the “Les Plus Beaux,” a designation as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The highlights of Lagrasse are the medieval bridges and the Abbey of St. Mary of Lagrasse, a Romanesque abbey whose origins date back to the 7th and 8th centuries.

Lagrasse is known today for being a champion of local artisans. Visitors can find signature pottery, linens, leather goods, soaps, art, and Minervois region wines. Tastings are available between May and September at vintners or year-round in town at wine shops. Syrah, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, Mourvèdre, Bourboulenc, Maccabeu, and Marsanne grapes do well in the limestone plateaus on the slopes plunging towards the Canal du Midi, resulting in elegant reds and lively whites.

Vinegar tasting at Cyril Codina was a unique experience. Of the 42 varieties, one of the more exotic flavors is the Balsamique au grué (crushed and roasted cocoa bean) de cacao. It is a seven-year-old balsamic base with Valrhona cacao bits and grué. The most decadent is the 70-year-old natural balsamic aged in amphora – a pottery vessel shaped with a large oval body, narrow neck for pouring, and handles that rise to the level of the mouth.

After freshening up, we met on the deck for what we thought would be a regular cocktail hour, but the crew surprised us with chansons by duet Dorine Portmann and Eric Payan. Their repertoire was like a playlist of the best live French cafe music. They took requests for favorite songs; mine was “C’est si bon,” which Dorine happily obliged and sang beautifully. Eric not only sings, but he also plays the keyboards masterfully. They have been a duet for 13 years, but Eric also has been a musician with the Gypsy Kings by Diego Baliardo and Michèle Torr.

Day Six: Marseillette to Trèbes

We cruised past picturesque hamlets and vineyards to Trèbes and then took a short ride to Carcassonne’s enchanted Gallo-Roman era medieval fortified city. It’s a fascinating walled intact structure with 52 watchtowers, portcullis, and an extraordinary number of intact wall defenses that armies used to prevent the surge of enemies from storming this glorious Camelot setting. There is a plethora of restaurants and outdoor cafes, and artisan shops are plenty. Sadly, it was our last night aboard the excellent ship Enchanté, but the sting of leaving lessened with the traditional farewell toasts and crescendo dinner. 

Day Seven: 7 Trèbes

Disembarkation following one last fantastic breakfast, signing the guest book is the only task left to complete before departing by private transfer to the rail station or destination of the passenger’s choosing. 

Accommodations

European Waterways have several barges that cruise the canal; ours appropriately named, Enchanté “Nice to meet you.” We were happy to get to know this specially outfitted ship. Four cabins are perfect for four couples, friends, or families traveling together.  Each cabin has charming décor and enough space to unpack and feel well-settled. The bathrooms are modern and efficient without skimping on luxury. Each stateroom has upscale toiletries, plush bathrobes, slippers, powerful blow dryers, and convenient bedside plugs.

The linens on the bed were of the highest quality, and the hostesses ensured that every attention to detail was complete with turn-down service.

If there is one downfall to the boat, it would be the WiFi has inadequate bandwidth for normal web surfing usage. The barge could use an upgrade with Starlink. But it was nice to unplug for most of the trip and focus on being present during the passages.

Culinary Delights

Every meal was served either in the light and cheerful dining room or on the deck with the beautiful scenery as the backdrop. The heart of the ship is the open kitchen where private chefs create magical dishes paired with exceptional local Languedoc/Roussillon wines, along with ones from wine powerhouses in the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions.

Breakfast included fluffy eggs, flaky and buttery pastries, yogurts, cereal, and in-season fruits from the Narbonne market. Lunch was an informal sit-down, three-course meal taking into account individual preferences. Chef Hannah Dunleavy made a special effort to accommodate quirky preferences like no cucumber for my friend Rachel, a pescatarian on board, and my intolerance for wheat. Chef Hannah was unfazed by it all and served alternative options just as savory as the rest of the dishes. Although every dessert deserves mention, my absolute favorite came on the last day of the trip – homemade Mille Feuille with strawberries and light Chantilly cream.

Dinner nightly was an over-the-top Michelin-star-worthy experience. We began with an aperitif every evening, followed by a sumptuous four-course extravaganza. The first night, we were blown away by the white asparagus with smoked duck and truffle appetizer, followed by Bouillabaisse, then the cheese board with a petit Camelot, brilliant Savarin, and Forme d’Ambert. Dessert was a chocolate Delice.  We all commented that the bar was set high, and Chef Hannah, without hesitation, said, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” Each day was a building block of a monumental culinary skyscraper. 

The piece de resistance is our final dinner, beginning with a red onion and goat’s cheese tart, followed by a lamb filet with carrot purée, fondant potatoes, white asparagus, baby carrots, and mange tout. Next, Hostess Léa Balet regaled us with pertinent information about the cheese course – we tried dreamy creamy Camembert and sublime 36-month-old aged Valancy Comté, and the punchy Roquefort brought the cheeseboard to new levels. We rose to the top of a meal with a white chocolate mousse, homemade shortbread (from Hannah’s grandmother’s recipe), and raspberry sorbet with fresh berries. The feeling we all left with was like being at the top of the Eiffel Tower on a clear night with views of the city – magical! Chef Hannah was right; each meal exceeded new heights as the cruise continued. To a person, we commented she needs to do a cooking show, or at the very least, a cookbook, which we will all purchase with dispatch.

Wine and Cocktails Galore

Returning to Enchanté after excursions, greetings were by the lovely Hostess Agathe Force, who had specially crafted cocktails waiting. The boat boasts a robust bar with every imaginable spirit available, and Agathe added attractive garnishes that complemented the cocktails nicely. Her “Pink Margarita” was as tasty as it was festive looking; made with Tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime, and a simple syrup of Hibiscus, garnished with a cherry and served in a salt-rimmed glass.

Agathe presented expertly paired wines for each course and provided information about the vineyards producing each bottle. We looked forward to tasting varieties from vintners we knew little about and from the more famous ones we knew we would be wowed by. Of course, Champagne was a popular après outing or afternoon lunch choice.

Details

Prices for a six-night cruise aboard the 8-passenger Enchanté start at $7,550 per person (based on two people sharing a cabin) 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.  Full barge charters are also available for families and groups. European Waterways has 18 vessels that cruise in nine different countries across Europe.