I was invited to travel on a luxury barge with the family owned river cruise company CroisiEurope. With the emphasis on family, these trips are perfect to go on with your whole family and friendly enough to go on as a single person or a couple The itinerary and inclusive experiences are geared towards making friends, that’s if the crew don’t adopt you first. After just 24 hours of being on board we felt like we had been with everyone for a week, it was all so comfortable. If the idea of a huge cruise ship is not your thing but you love the idea of a holiday on the water, these river boat cruises are just the thing. With just 12 cabins on each barge, a private chef, a jacuzzi, lots of space to relax and the most beautiful scenery everywhere you look what’s not to love?
My trip was discovering a part of France I had not been to before, flying in to Marseille, getting on-board at Arles and travelling to Sète, cruising through the most beautiful parts of Provence. Arles is actually the largest city in France and was also famously home to Van Gogh for a short while, where he actually painted over 300 paintings inspired by the beautiful colours of the South of France. You will see all those rich golden yellows and blues he was drawn to with the glorious light and sunshine, which was so different to his former home in Paris.
Our first morning excursion was a tour of a local olive mill, Moulin de Coquille, a close-up lesson in farm to table. We walked through the beautiful farm full of olive and fig trees and saw how the olive oil was made, tasting the different types of blends made up of the 5 different olives they grow. The fig jam was amazing and we talked about it for the entire trip! Still thinking about it now….
We were lucky enough to walk around Arles on May 1st, the day of Le Fête des Gardians, the annual festival in Arles celebrating the traditions of the gardians. Gardians are the horsemen that rear bulls for famous the famous local dish, Daube Provencal and if you look at the Van Gogh Portrait of Madame Ginoux you’ll see L’Arlésiennes, the costumes of the women of Arles. You will also spot three animals in this region; the black bull, the white horse and the eye-catching pink flamingo, you will just get used to seeing this exotic bird everywhere you look, it’s incredible. You really do feel like you are in the depth of very lush and green region where farming and produce is at the heart of everything. The quality of the food is amazing and the food we had on board the barge was all locally sourced and seasonal delicious. Hans, our Purser, delighted in telling us the stories behind the cheese, wine and ingredients we enjoyed at every meal.
La fête des Gardians in Arles
L’Arlésiennes
Also included in our trip was a visit to Aigues-Mortes, a medieval fortified town with a prestigious heritage in the heart of one of the most beautiful natural sites of Provence. You will also have a chance to explore the Camargue and Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, one of the jewels of the Languedoc known as one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France. We all fell in love with this beautiful town and agreed it would be a great place to visit to explore for a weekend trip too. An easy place to navigate and walk around, discovering local artisan shops with local produce; including lavender, handmade soaps and jewellery. Many of the cafes and restaurants looked worth a visit, because we had our amazing chef on board we didn’t get to try the food, only the ice-cream, naturally!
The pace of the trip and the daily tours was perfectly thought out, a morning trip if you wanted to, back to the barge for lunchtime, a strict ritual of a 12.30 bell with a chilled cocktail of the day and then a leisurely sail along the peaceful canal for the afternoon. The barge would moor up for the evening so you could hop off and explore the towns or just stay on board and enjoy the hospitality of the crew, it was a very relaxed itinerary.
There are bikes on board for anyone to use, I had a chance to take a trip along the towpath and could have spent hours exploring the beautiful countryside. I also loved my mornings on the top deck holding my own private stretch and yoga class as the sun was rising before breakfast, take me back!
Every day was a mix of adventure and total relaxation, which I think it’s the perfect balance for a holiday. We had so much to talk about when we got back on the barge in the afternoon because of our mornings exploring the region with great guides. I love finding out the history and local stories of places I visit, it makes your holiday so much more memorable. As someone who loves being outdoors with nature, this mode of transport made me so happy, all the fresh air you could soak up in a day, vitamin D levels very well topped up. I have recommended this trip to so many friends and had lots of messages while I was posting on social media, asking about how they can do the same trip. Take a look on their site to see all the different options and try out a totally different way to explore Provence.
Departing 15th October 2022 or on various dates between March and August 2023, prices for the seven-day cruise between Arles and Sete start from £2,380 per person for the cruise with all meals and drinks, all excursions, use of onboard bicycles and port taxes. Price excludes flights. Call CroisiEurope on 020 8328 1281 or visit www.croisieurope.co.uk