A moveable feast —

AUXERRE — The
brief shower that
washed the decks of the
barge had given way to
sunshine, and soon the
air took on the fresh-
ness and sparkle of a
glass of champagne.

This being Burgundy,
make thar Cremant, just as
good as the real thing bur
rejoicing ina name of its own,
For the eight passengers on
the hotel barge Liberte, a
teast with Cremant and a dash
of cassis was their introduc-
tion to a week of good living
in France's best loved region.

Here are rolling chalk hills
of ancient oak and beech, deer
and wild boar, fields of sun-
flowers, canola, wheat and
barley as well as the pinot noir
vines that produce
Burgundy’s rich wine harvest
of Chablis, Beaune and
Macon. Medieval towns circle
romanesque cathedrals, histo-
ry seeping from every stone.

For visitors from the new
world, this is a special place to
be savoured like sipping a
good Volnay. Thev could not
have chosen a better guide
than the Liberte, which chugs

sfowly along the Canal du
Nivernaiy. in’ the
Burgundy.

Liberte, which accelerates
out of an geluse (lack) like a
turtle en vacanee, builds up to
a cruising speed of seven kim-
hy just Mower than mv brisk
walk oon the towpad. “This
allows passengers to hop on
and offat ccluses, walk or take
a bike and wo caploring.

Walking proved a) good
way to meet the eclusiers and
see what they were growing 1m
their cottave wardens, ta
encouuter other local such ay
an itnierant. esearget tnd
refleer how brave he was te
venture out in’ davlight in
Burgundy of alf places. and
most importandy to keep the
body primed for more tood.

Every meal was an ocea-
sion. The rable, always beauti-
fully set, was on the deck,
weather permitting. The chet,
whose day started with a bike
ride tor baguettes and perhaps
a food find ara local market,
explained the menus in detail
and later spent hours with
Passengers passing on seerets
of French cooking.

The same for the two
wines and three cheeses with
each lunch and dinner.
Anyone who felt guilty about
cating too much could always
justify this moveable feast as a
learning experience for a bon
vivant afoot in) Burguidy,
although happily Lrberte’s

chef did not serve the piled-
plates that are the signature of

a Caribbean cruise ship, opt-

ing instead for a delicious

medley of modest helpings.
The smallness of” the

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heart oof

Liberte, cight: being a full
house, made for a warm inter:
mingling of passengers and
crew and created the convivial
aimosphere oof a country
house party in this case a very
clegan’ attain that is the hall-
mark oof the aptly named
French Country Waterwass.

Daily sscursions in’ the
barge’s own vehicle included
aoovisit: te Chablis and
Domaine Laroche, where we
saaked ap the atmosphere of
Urh century cevlars and a huge
wine press “QO sears old, not
to mention an agree able selec
hon of wine.

In defence ot our moral
welfare we visited nwo of the
greatest cathedrals of France,
at Auserze and Veeciay, where
we had images of monks
struging up hills with huge
stones, and had another mar
vellous day at the tiny village
of Druves-les- Belles: Fontaine
and its 12th century castle,
one of the most picturesque
ruins in Burgundy,

Back on the food trail we
went to a fois gras fara and
one evening got dressed up
for Mare Meneau’s
FEsperance restaurant.

Cost of the dinner at the
Michelin three-star was
included in the cruise price, as
was all wine and drinks on the
barge.

And so it went on, an epic
weck steeped in a place so
overflowing with interest
from history to gastronomy
that it seemed just like a taste

But what we experienced

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Sunday. October 4, 1998 — North Shore News - 39

David Wishart photo

THE barge Liberte glides quietly through the rich vaileys of Burgundy. Travel writer
David Wishart hopped aboard for a week-long voyage.

we could take with us, recall-
ing the saying that Burgundy
has a centre -— some say a
heart — bur no frontier.

eee
Liberte cruises between
Auxerre and Clamecy and vice
versa. Cruise price, which
included transfers to and from
Paris (about three hours
away) is U.S.$2795.

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