href="http://www.burgundy-tourism.com">www.burgundy-tourism.com
Bateau Who Knows
Tel: + 33 611 853 249 /
+44 (0)7766 455 933
Email: [email protected] www.charterbarge.com
Once you allow yourself to become accustomed to travelling at a snail’s pace, it is a liberating experience, which is why journeying by barge is unbeatably genteel, especially when you’re spared all the chores. This is the case aboard the Bateau Who Knows: a captained vessel that travels the narrow canals and rivers of Burgundy (Bourgogne) at a sedate 5 kph (3 mph). The Who Knows’ name is a literal translation of the Dutch ‘Wie Zalt Weten’, giving a clue as to the past life of this 1930’s Dutch-built grain ferry. Now English-owned, the nomadic Who Knows is content to meander along Burgundy’s centuries-old waterways, her distinctive dark wood panelling and sleek, curvaceous shape ensuring she is one of the finest classic cruisers in France. Pretty stone villages, medieval châteaux, ancient market towns and lily-topped reservoirs are just a few of the canalside attractions. Raise a glass to the upcoming vintage as you pass wine terraces at a leisurely pace. Time is a plentiful luxury on this unhurried, almost trance-like voyage in a region where impeccable wines and a grandiose history combine to much aplomb.
Routes meander around the waterways of the Ouche Valley past a land of Roman-era bridges, half-timbered houses, Cistercian monasteries and romantic fortified castles perched high above the canal. Numerous lock transits allow ample opportunities to disembark for a stroll along the tow path – on foot or on two wheels. Watching the world glide by is a much-underrated pursuit, but one that is fully enjoyed amid steep-sided riverbanks and thick deciduous forest where wild boar and deer roam. Visit the 15th-century wine presses of Clos du Vougeot and the producers of Nuits Saint Georges before marvelling at cellars at Patriarche Pere et Fils – home to 4 million bottles.
The Who Knows’ three air-conditioned double cabins are equipped with en-suite shower rooms, with a comfortable lounge, library and music room on board. A 30 sq m (323 sq ft) contemporary stainless steel canopy complements an adjoining suntrap. Dine on dishes from France’s gastronomic hinterland, cooked using fresh local produce, sample fine wines and enjoy traditional recipes with baskets of fresh crusty bread delivered each day. Highlights include Burgundian oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in red wine with bacon), washed down with a fine Côte de Beaune, Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Pouilly Fuissé or Mâcon and accompanied by a side order of ever-changing views.
Create your own tales from the riverbank; indulge in a little romance as you glide lazily past an ever-changing vista.
019 CHAMPAGNE
CONTACT Château d’Etoges Tel: + 33 3 26 59 30 08 Fax: +33 3 26 59 35 57 Email: [email protected] www.chateau-etoges.com
Aube en Champagne Tourist Board
Tel: +33 3 25 42 50 00
Fax: +33 33 3 25 42 50 88
Email: [email protected] www.aube-champagne.co.uk
Champagne’s delicate bubbles are symbolic of love, joy and union – just a single, sparkling sip is so often a tantalizing prelude to passion and promise. French historian Geneviève Dévignes declared it an ‘inseparable companion of joyous heavenly events, crown of festivities and special celebrations... symbol of friendship... holy dedication to love’, a sentiment shared by friends and lovers across the globe. In no place is this affection greater than in France’s fabled Champagne Country where 270 local producers create the finest fizz on the planet. Yet far from the pretentious grandeur of Reim’s Rue de Champagne lie clusters of tiny, family-owned small producers in vine-trimmed, cobbled villages set amidst sunflower fields. The region’s rich soil nurtures carpets of vines laden with fruit that sweep down to verdant wildflower meadows. Deep forests rim a succession of plunging, steep-sided valleys famous for their Grand Cru vineyards and impeccable Pinot Noir grapes.
Few settings in Champagne are as resplendent as the Château d’Etoges, a magnificent, turreted 17th-century former staging post for journeying French monarchs and nobility. Enchanting sparkling fountains, swan-filled moats and sumptuous, Chandelier–filled drawing rooms have played host to Louis XIV and Napoleon’s courtiers. Now, family-owned for over a century, the Château d’Etoges continues to uphold the tradition of a Royal welcome, rolling out the red carpet for every honoured guest. Grand, grey-stone towers sit amongst expansive formal gardens dotted with neat hedges, whilst a pretty surrounding village of winemakers and vineyards ensures the famous Côte des Blancs is always close at hand. Keen for a bubble-filled kick from Champagne? Then look out for a signs reading dégustation, for a tongue-tingling tasting session extraordinaire. Choose from a lavish, Champagne-sipping soirée or a simply opt to share a bottle on the bobbing waters of the moat in a rowing boat for two. Pop a cork at sunset for a romantic sortie as you glide under low-lying bridges overlooked by round towers and soaring steeples.
Put the fizz back at the gorgeous Château d’Etoges.
020 BRITTANY
CONTACT Thalasso Douarnenez Tel: +33 8 25 00 42 30 Fax: +33 2 98 74 45 68 www.thalasso.com
A tourist office brochure provides an indispensable guide to what’s what across the region – simply call 0800 085 7739 (UK) and ask for a copy.
Brittany may have been synonymous for generations with its crisp apple cider, but in recent years it has been the region’s less appetizing liquid that has attracted high praise. So-called ‘sea therapy’ using Brittany’s mineral-rich seawater has been heralded for its health-giving benefits. Not that extolling the virtues of saltwater is anything new: the Greeks and Romans swore by seawater cleansing and the sea has been used in healing since ancient times.
Said to contain 120 chemical compounds in the form of salts and dissolved gas, seawater is a powerful natural detoxifier. Through osmosis, the skin absorbs nitrogen, oxygen and helium, plus over 50 different mineral particles, trace elements and negative ions during seawater therapy. Today, Brittany’s coastal waters have been incorporated into a range of well-being therapies, from marine mud and algae treatments to hydrotherapy, massage and lymphatic drainage. Restorative and rebalancing, salt water is also hailed as a bodily rejuvenator that enhances vitality, augments physical strength and agility and gives energy a boost. Many also believe that Brittany’s fresh sea air is laced with untold curative benefits so walking the shoreline, inhaling deeply, allows the capillaries to deliver minerals directly to the bloodstream.
Meaning Sanitas Per Aquum (health through water) from which the acronym was derived, the spa was originally created using only the curative powers of Mother Nature. Thalassotherapy centres and spas are strung along the coastline from Mont St-Michel to La Baule. Most, like the Thalasso Douarnenez, boast a vast number of seawater therapies, many focusing on stress-free relaxation – the perfect foundation for romance.
Almost every marine-inspired beauty product range on the planet uses seaweed from Brittany’s shores. More than 50,000 tonnes per annum is collected from the pollution-free coast. Once harvested, it is transformed from its natural state into a more absorbable product, taking care not to alter its health-giving properties in the process. When applied to the body, this rich source of potassium, magnesium, amino acids and iodine helps establish nervous and muscular