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That neat little corner of my kitchen filled with cookbooks is so rarely used that it is affectionately called "the Fiction Shelves." Yet I do read (underline) the mouth-watering books, and I am moved, not to cook, but to travel.

Bare Barging in Burgundy, by Erasmus Kloman, about touring the canals and rivers of France's largest region, offers a broad look at one of the top food and wine regions in France, and for that matter the world. It occurred to me that even if I never guided a boat through this gastronomic heaven, I would want this book on my shelf.

Kloman, his wife and their adult children have traveled many of the waterways of one of the world's regions best known for its fabulous foods: boeuf bourgignon, quenelles of pike, eggs meurette, garlic snails, Montrachet and Epoisses goat cheeses, etc. His informative descriptions are interlaced with information on how certain items became part of the French lexicon. Little known facts are woven in; did you know that most of Dijon's mustard seeds now comes from Canada? That Romans used to fatten their snails here with Burgundy wine and bran? That in France snails were developed as a tasty choice during meatless Lent?

Using Kloman's guide, it's easy to find the leading charter companies as well as information about what to bring and how to maneuver your boat. The author's artistic skill shows in the lovely black and white sketches of people and places and events. His boating advice covers practicalities such as a warning not to pull up to the canal locks during the sacred French lunch hour.

Kloman's writing has me convinced of the pleasures of French barge travel. You might have to beg me to cook, but I don't need to be invited twice to go bare-boating! Especially in France, the floating life is so attractive, so manageable, and so much fun, it's no wonder that it has become such a popular vacation with Americans. You can almost kid yourself that you are having an "Adventure Vacation," while all the while it is so very relaxing.

You could also call barging in Burgundy a "Wine Education Vacation." Yet, because you are living the good life as you are having the pleasure of tasting new wines, it doesn't feel like an adult ed course.

Once you have gone to vineyards and met vintners who explain the intricacies of growing the vines, and actually tasted the differences between vines grown on different slopes, you may never buy your wines at Save-Mor Super Mart again. The book includes detail about the soil, the varieties of grapes and the methods for creating the wines, but doesn't overwhelm.

In fact, Kloman's wine section could stand alone as a mini-guide to the wonderful varieties of wines found between Dijon in the north and Lyon in the south. Although located just outside of Burgundy, Lyon is the nearest large city, and is often considered part of the region. Its St. Exupery Airport is a logical stepping off-point to start a barge trip.

Between Lyon and Dijon, for example, a boater could sample locally made wines from some of France's best known vineyards. According to the author, the Beaujolais district produces 150 million bottles a year, the highest producing region of the country.

At the southern end of the routes Kloman describes, for example, you are blessed with the nearness of Rhone, Macon and Pouilly Fuisse vintners. In the busy river port town of Macon, you can easily arrange for tastings through the Office of Tourism. Traveling further north, you will encounter some of the great wines of the Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune and Cote d'Or. There you'll find the justly famous rich red Burgundies and a great number of premier cru vineyards. You can buy wines by the bottle or case.

Mid-life travelers, especially, find the lure of this kind of trip almost irresistible. In fact, it is so popular that Connoisseur Line—one of the premier French barging companies—reports that they are booking almost a year in advance. It is a fine way for couples to travel with friends or family, and if you plan it right, according to the company's CEO, Tim James, barging allows group time and private time. He has a tiny caveat: choose your companions well, for floating on a boat with people you've grown to dislike can be a kind of living hell.

While barging through the canals and rivers, a good tactic is for group members to separate at some stops and do individual forays, so that each of you can experience different sights and activities. Your boat company can provide you with bicycles, and daily walks are almost always a source of new information. Some folks can be dispatched to find the local charcuterie and patisserie, others can be sent for the wine. Nearly every canal area in Burgundy has villages, tow paths, untrafficked country roads and wonderful castles, gardens and farms to explore. Carved stone bridges, Romanesque chapels, restored chateaux give off an atmosphere of beauty and grace from medieval times.

If you are contemplating a French barge vacation in the future (or if you simply love to dream and drool), this little 103-paged book is for you.

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