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SAINT LOUIS
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France: Luxury barging cruise vacations on the French hotel barge SAINT LOUIS cruising Southwest France along the Canal de Garonne in Gascony |
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French Hotel Barge SAINT LOUIS
Cruising Southwest France: Canal de Garonne in Gascony
ITINERARY: Agen to Castets-en-Dorthe
Saturday - Toulouse - Agen - Serignac
We meet around 3:00 pm, often in Toulouse or Agen, and go directly to the Saint Louis which is moored in the pretty canal basin in Agen. After a short briefing, we head off downstream. We have champagne on deck while passing over the remarkable Agen aqueduct, which is France's longest masonry aqueduct and which takes us over the mighty River Garonne. We pass down four landscaped locks, while the table on deck is being laid for our first alfresco dinner on board. After the last lock, we enter a part of the canal the Captain calls "the Amazon" - overgrown with trees and bushes on both sides - we eat dinner surrounded by nature and birdsong. We moor for the night at the charming little port of Serignac-sur-Garonne.
Sunday - Buzet-sur-Baise - Vianne - Bruch
Some of our group take an early morning walk through Serignac, a quaint Bastide village with half-timbered houses and a church with a most unusual spire. We then cast off, and head down the canal to Buzet-sur-Baise, where we moor under a canopy of plane trees for lunch. After lunch we head off in the car to visit Vianne, a remarkable bastide village with an outside fortified wall almost intact. Vianne is known for glass blowing, and we visit the last working glass blower and watch the production of world-class glass wares. Finally we visit Bruch, another fortified village dating back to the Middle Ages.
Monday - Damazan - Nerac
In the morning we take a short cruise from Buzet-sur-Baise to Damazan, once again having breakfast on deck. We then head in the car and drive to Nerac, where we visit the chateau of King Henri IV, and the old mediaeval town beside the River Baïse. Later in the afternoon, we visit a remarkable producer of products of the grape - wine, Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne - all housed in a former Benedictine abbey.
Tuesday - Villeton - Mas d'Agenais
After breakfast, we head down the canal, stopping at Villeton where we visit a museum of farming and country trades. We have lunch on deck, and arrive mid-afternoon at Mas d'Agenais. Here we visit the old roman walls of the town, and the Romanesque wash-house, before going up to the centre of the town where we admire the spectacular market square, and where we visit the 11th century church that contains a painting by Rembrandt.
Wednesday - Meilhan
In the morning we cruise down the canal under the shade of plane trees and between fields of sunflowers. We have had lunch on deck by the time we arrive at the pretty little port of Meilhan. In the afternoon we go to a presentation called Gens de Garonne (the people of Garonne) which in a remarkable way tells the story of the life of the people living on the side of the River Garonne.
Thursday - Castets-en-Dorthe - Roquetaillade
Today, we complete our canal journey, cruising through ever-changing countryside as far as Castets-en-Dorthe, where there is a little port at the end of the canal. On the way, we stop at the matchstick museum at Fontets, and see some remarkable constructions in matchsticks including a model of the Palace of Versailles. On arrival at Castets, we take the car to Roquetaillade, where we visit an inhabited castle that has been in the hands of the same family for 700 years.
Friday - Toulouse/Bordeaux
After a leisurely breakfast, we leave the Saint Louis and travel by car back to Toulouse (or Bordeaux).
NOTE: On alternate weeks, cruise will be in reverse direction
Please note - these daily arrangements are indicative only. In keeping with our philosophy of "custom cruising", we will always adapt a cruise to the interests and wishes of the guests on board
Other possible visits include:
Cruising Southwest France: Canal de Garonne in Gascony
ITINERARY: Agen to Castets-en-Dorthe
Saturday - Toulouse - Agen - Serignac
We meet around 3:00 pm, often in Toulouse or Agen, and go directly to the Saint Louis which is moored in the pretty canal basin in Agen. After a short briefing, we head off downstream. We have champagne on deck while passing over the remarkable Agen aqueduct, which is France's longest masonry aqueduct and which takes us over the mighty River Garonne. We pass down four landscaped locks, while the table on deck is being laid for our first alfresco dinner on board. After the last lock, we enter a part of the canal the Captain calls "the Amazon" - overgrown with trees and bushes on both sides - we eat dinner surrounded by nature and birdsong. We moor for the night at the charming little port of Serignac-sur-Garonne.
Sunday - Buzet-sur-Baise - Vianne - Bruch
Some of our group take an early morning walk through Serignac, a quaint Bastide village with half-timbered houses and a church with a most unusual spire. We then cast off, and head down the canal to Buzet-sur-Baise, where we moor under a canopy of plane trees for lunch. After lunch we head off in the car to visit Vianne, a remarkable bastide village with an outside fortified wall almost intact. Vianne is known for glass blowing, and we visit the last working glass blower and watch the production of world-class glass wares. Finally we visit Bruch, another fortified village dating back to the Middle Ages.
Monday - Damazan - Nerac
In the morning we take a short cruise from Buzet-sur-Baise to Damazan, once again having breakfast on deck. We then head in the car and drive to Nerac, where we visit the chateau of King Henri IV, and the old mediaeval town beside the River Baïse. Later in the afternoon, we visit a remarkable producer of products of the grape - wine, Armagnac and Floc de Gascogne - all housed in a former Benedictine abbey.
Tuesday - Villeton - Mas d'Agenais
After breakfast, we head down the canal, stopping at Villeton where we visit a museum of farming and country trades. We have lunch on deck, and arrive mid-afternoon at Mas d'Agenais. Here we visit the old roman walls of the town, and the Romanesque wash-house, before going up to the centre of the town where we admire the spectacular market square, and where we visit the 11th century church that contains a painting by Rembrandt.
Wednesday - Meilhan
In the morning we cruise down the canal under the shade of plane trees and between fields of sunflowers. We have had lunch on deck by the time we arrive at the pretty little port of Meilhan. In the afternoon we go to a presentation called Gens de Garonne (the people of Garonne) which in a remarkable way tells the story of the life of the people living on the side of the River Garonne.
Thursday - Castets-en-Dorthe - Roquetaillade
Today, we complete our canal journey, cruising through ever-changing countryside as far as Castets-en-Dorthe, where there is a little port at the end of the canal. On the way, we stop at the matchstick museum at Fontets, and see some remarkable constructions in matchsticks including a model of the Palace of Versailles. On arrival at Castets, we take the car to Roquetaillade, where we visit an inhabited castle that has been in the hands of the same family for 700 years.
Friday - Toulouse/Bordeaux
After a leisurely breakfast, we leave the Saint Louis and travel by car back to Toulouse (or Bordeaux).
NOTE: On alternate weeks, cruise will be in reverse direction
Please note - these daily arrangements are indicative only. In keeping with our philosophy of "custom cruising", we will always adapt a cruise to the interests and wishes of the guests on board
Other possible visits include:
- A unique Romanesque fortified mill.
- The small town of Clairac, with one of the best examples of half-timbered houses.
- The barrel-makers at Buzet, producing oak barrels that are exported around the world.
- A wine tasting at the cave of Buzet, where you sample some of the best wines of this famous AOC (Appellation d' origine contrôlée) region.
- A visit to one or more of the famous Bordeaux wineries.
- The town of La Reole, with its 10th century Benedictine monastery overlooking the valley.
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