BonjourParis

Where the first day of the Luciole Barge Cruise was spent getting acquainted with the barge, itself, the crew and the passengers, the second day was all about floating down the Nivernais Canal, and, of course, eating.  We knew our meals would be superb, because the first night we were served, as an appetizer, the world’s most delicious -- hands down, bar none, no contest – soufflé.  Our brilliant New Zealand chef, Carlene Spackman, mixed magic with Roquefort, egg whites, farine and voila… after that, meals became our first priority.

           

A word about New Zealand chefs.  Rumor has it that they really are from New Zealand, but that’s a lot of malarkey.  Obviously, they were bred in heaven above. After our first dinner of that fabulous soufflé de Spackman, and an I’ll-never-eat-anything-but-duck-again entrée, along with an apple-marzipan tart (the ingredients, alone, speak for themselves), we were absolutely forced to devour in the morning a breakfast of typical and typically lovely French pastries: pain au chocolates, croissants, pain au raisins; along with fresh fruits, tarts and a never ending supply of hot coffee and teas.  All of which tided us over while we relaxed up top, watching the tricky maneuvering of Captain Giles (Grenville, being his last name, but he’s just too welcoming to be a last-named type of guy), as he worked the barge through the locks.

But back to the gastronomic part of the trip!  Lovely that we didn’t even have to decide what to eat for lunch (or any meal, for that matter).  Who could have thought to request exquisitely delicious and tiny quails steaming under mandarin orange bits, cucumber salad tossed up in yogurt and dill dressing, a pea and mint salad, and, well, a whole slew of salads that all hit the spot perfectly.  Better just to leave the desires of the stomach to the chef.  Besides, the passengers needed to take the time to sit about on the decks, admiring the scenery, and getting to know each other a bit more.

One of the owners, Penny, from England, the American couple, the Canadian couple and the New Zealand couple, along with their non-couple friends, rounded out the trip into a beautiful English speaking crowd.  Everyone was interested in everyone else and nobody seemed to monopolize the conversation.  Everyone wanted to listen and to tell stories, and really, this is the best kind of crowd.  Plus, after hearing everyone speak, it was agreed that most of these barge tours offer the same type of amiable crowd -- the type of people who want to barge are there to meet others and to relax.  Gone were the cranky, negative, controlling types, and frankly, such a rejuvenating crowd made me feel the need to straighten up any negative parts of my own.  Barging -- what a lovely form of self-therapy!

Well, there’s only so much self-therapy one can do before getting hungry again, but we still had to eyeball the ever-changing scenery.  Odd that such undramatic changes in the landscape can produce such a variety of pleasant scenes: rolling fields of hay, flat breezy fields of corn, Queen Anne’s Lace at each turn, vineyards, proud French trees lining to the southeast or northwest or any direction but seemingly straight, some of the trees green, some almost yellow, many folding their leaves in the wind to show us their sage side. 

The swans flying overhead seemed like the white version of the Camargue Flamingo – graceful, with the fairytale about them.  And then there are the French.  Not the stylish, pencil-thin Parisian types, but old men with dirty caps, smelly cigars, grumpy voices and lovely smiles; teenagers wearing MTV clothes, trying desperately to break out of their small villages by the way they dress; many of the under-nine crowd, cycling about; occasionally a school group making their way from one place to another, waving at us; and always the grandmotherly waddling women with flapping plastic bags and rolling carts making their way to the green grocer – there are always grandmothers with rolling carts in France.

And what lovely shopping -- and with seasonal sales going on (SOLDES!)!  This is local shopping nirvana, as opposed to tourist shopping – worth the trip, alone, for the shopper who wants to get away from those Eiffel Tower souvenirs and towering high prices of Paris.  Auxerre also offers the magnificent Saint Germaine Cathedral, with its stately stained glass and massive, dark crypt that sports frescoes dating back to 200 A.D. – frescoes still there, still discernable.  Back outside, the old timbered houses of Auxerre lean over to each other, as if they are neighbors gathering for an afternoon coffee and chat.  This is a perfect example of a perfect little French medieval town.

Back on the barge, dinner brings foie gras pan-fried in cognac, with a roasted pear and balsamic reduction on a toasted brioche – just for starters.  Already eyes roll in ecstasy.  The fillet of sea bass deliciously follows, followed by the choco molten pudding, and of course we all make cute fun of the tall New Zealand man who doesn’t particularly like chocolate.  “More for us!” we all chime in, while the candles flicker and the conversation turns to soft chatter, and then we turn in for the night, with the sweet soft sound of the Nivernais slapping against the side of the Luciole while we drift off to sleep.