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French River Cruising is All-Inclusive
in a Different Way
You Will Become a Connoisseur
By Marguerite Jordan
 In the
little hamlets along France’s Lot River, you will begin to feel you have
discovered what Sara and Gerald Murphy were speaking of when they said, “The
best revenge is living well.” And, you will also find that you don’t have to
spend a million francs to do it. Traveling by self-drive
cruising boat on the Lot, the Baise, and, briefly, the Garonne River, in the
region not far from Bordeaux, meant that we could taste some of the
country’s finest wines and specialty foods for a mere pittance. All the
while we ambled through town after town with a fresh sense of discovery.
Living aboard our comfortable cabin cruiser, we did not have to go searching
for (or paying for) hotels, and when we wanted restaurants, they were often
just beside the quay.
We ate some meals on board (fresh bread or croissants every
morning, topped with farm-fresh butter and gooseberry jam) and many lunches
and all dinners in a variety of marvelous places that never earned a
Michelin star, but served topnotch French three and four-course dinners,
with wine, for under $25 per person. Away from large cities and trafficked
roads, we felt the calm of interior France, appreciating a kind of largeness
of life that the locals enjoy. This region has not yet been trammeled by
tourbus tourism, and the residents seem genuinely interested in meeting us
and making us feel bienvenues, very welcome. MUCH COZIER
THAN VERSAILLES On a sunny September day, my husband
Steve and I had just ridden our bikes over to a local landmark, a large
stone mill, a few miles from where we had tied up our boat (for free). About
five miles from Nerac, a small town on one of the most meandering rivers in
France, we found the tall, stone mill buildings beside a tributary of the
Lot. We crossed an iron bridge over a lazy waterfall.
 It
was our third day of cruising on the river, yet we already felt chez nous,
at home. We entered the nearly deserted mill to find a guide and some
illustrated books about early French history. “Henry IV lived
right here at this ancient corn-grinding mill,” said the guide Amelie,
partly in French, partly in English. We understood enough to be very
interested, and while walking with her around the mill, now a bit derelict
in places, we could feel the former king’s essence. You do not have to go to
Versailles or Barbizon to brush shoulders with kings.
 “He used
to say his proudest title was ‘Henry the Miller’. He was sad to have to give
up his work, and his rewarding way of life, to become king and govern
England.” Amelie, a resident of the nearby small town, seemed to be
recounting something that happened a few weeks ago to one of her
grandparents. Henry was born in 1367.
As we did so often on this trip, we felt we had found some
small keys to human history, little truths that make you return home after
the vacation with a great desire to start in on an eight-volume history of
the French. Or, at the very least, go see half a dozen French movies. Or
find the best French bistros in town. In this part of France, if you didn’t
start out as a Francophile, you surely will end up one.
SOME THINGS ABOUT THE FRENCH AND ENGLISH ARE THE SAME Our
sense of discovery was immense. In the Lot region for instance, we felt we
had personally discovered the links between French and English architecture.
Everywhere we looked, we saw old buildings that would not have looked out of
place in Shakespeare’s England. Lovely yet worn stucco and wood structures,
tall for their day, arranged themselves around small squares, and gave a
most comfortable backdrop to our adventures.
 I
kept waiting for Gerard Depardieu to emerge from one of the cafes, perhaps
to take our order or, my preference, to engage us in some sinister intrigue,
taking land away from poor villagers, starting up a spring water company, or
such.
Naturally we found the cafes and restaurants in the center
of these old towns, where we stopped often for café au lait, croissants,
croque monsieurs and, as the day wore on, a spot of pastis, or one of the
local wines. The life of the town became important to us. We watched
housewives on their shopping errands, popping in and out of the small
family-run stores. We watched men, and surprisingly in at least one town,
women, playing boules, in a sycamore shaded town square. We watched and
waved at people fishing along the banks, some in elaborate little ‘cottages’
that shielded them from the sun and rain. We learned to slow our boat upon
approach, so that we would not disturb the fish. THE
ENGLISH COMPANY KNOWS FRANCE VERY WELL Getting upclose
and personal with its history is commonplace when you choose the backrivers
of France. An English Company, Connoisseur Boat Line, has been doing
business in France for decades, and understands the needs, desires and
fears, of its English and English-speaking customers. The owner, Tim James,
is a confirmed Francophile and visits France as often as he can for both
business and pleasure.
 He truly
understands his markets, which include Americans who are renting boats for
the first time. Connoisseur, which builds and owns over 600 craft, rents in
countries all over Europe, with perhaps the most stations in France. Staff
all speak English, as well as French or other languages.
“We
try to put ourselves in your shoes,” said James. “We will teach you the
ropes about boat-handling, which is a lot easier than maneuvering a car.”
One big reason for this is that nearly all boats on rivers like the Lot are
fitted with a governor or else a small propeller, thereby limiting the speed
of the craft.
Cruising on the Lot, we did not exceed four miles per hour,
giving us plenty of time to bird-watch, sun, read, and just enjoy the
freeing experience of traveling effortlessly in a beautiful area. Usually
Steve and I were both abovedecks at the same time, but, given the lack of
traffic, and the gentleness of the river, that is not a requirement, by any
means.
 The boat was
approximately 32-feet long and 12 feet wide. There were two cabins for
sleeping, two bathrooms (“heads”) and a generous size main saloon, and small
galley, outfitted with stove, sink, fridge, and counters and shelves. The
boat came with linens and towels, cutlery, pans, etc. We stopped nearly
every day to buy a breakfast treat, (it is remarkable how many different
kinds of croissants there are!), and we kept olives, cheeses and pate on
board for ourselves, and company when we had it.
Having bikes on board meant that we could explore the
countryside and still be back by lunch. When we felt energetic, we biked and
walked a lot. Although I had never traveled in this part of France, it was
easy to navigate the roads. French drivers, as part of their training to
earn their license, learn the rules of the road, especially as they are
applied to cyclists. This is one of the best countries to cycle in for that
reason. Signage even on tiny country roads is very good.
Yet, if we felt like hunkering down to read and relax, we
could moor our boat alongside the public quays or even tied to a tree. We
never felt hurried, or on a time table, itself a marvelous bonus. As a
romantic vacation, this is exactly what you want – privacy, great settings,
excellent food and wine, an unstructured day, and a chance to explore new
vistas. DEBUNKING BOATING MYTHS FOR FIRST TIME CHARTERERS
 Although my
husband Steve and I have some experience in handling a boat, this isn’t a
requirement for rental. In fact, if you have never done this kind of trip
before, cruising on the Lot is the ideal first boat experience. There are so
few locks, and there is not much current. The beautiful banks are often
shaded by groves of trees, and there are countless towns to stop at.
Restaurants and food stores are plentiful. Just don’t expect the local
newsstand to carry The New York Times. On the first day of
our river trip there was a much longer boat being fitted out next to ours at
the boat base; we talked to the two couples from California who were to be
our sometime companions on the river. One of the women, Elaine, took me
aside and told me she was very nervous about the experience.
“We were expecting a third couple to do this trip with us, and that other
husband was the one with all the boating experience. He had to cancel at the
last minute, and I am afraid we four are rather inept.” She smiled ruefully.
But Elaine was beaming when we ran into them two days later. “We figured it
out!” She explained that they had made all the classic mistakes: tying up at
the wrong spot on the river, forgetting where they had left the boat after
going out for dinner, not bringing their flashlight with them at night, and
worst of all, trying to close the lock before the boat was completely out of
the way. “But,” she said, “That is why the bumpers on the boat are so huge.”
Tim James concurs, ”Indeed! You really have a soft landing
if something goes awry. Plus, we are only a phone call away, should there be
a problem.” In addition to teaching you the basic safety and boating ropes,
the staff advise on the most scenic places to stay. If you wished, despite
every assurance, to hire a captain and/or cook, this can be easily arranged
and costs about $100 per day. Incidentally, between these two
American couples, they had a French vocabulary of perhaps twenty-five words,
which they rarely used. Our friend, Elaine, the one who had been so nervous,
said over her Armagnac one evening, “Almost everyone we talked with had more
English than we had French.”
Sharing costs, and steering, with a second or third couple
makes sense for first-timers, she thought, “Plus, it gives you someone else
to blame when there are little snafus. I can’t wait to do this kind of trip
next year.” Yet, Steve and I found that going through locks and tying up at
quays very doable, just the two of us.
The California foursome were amazed as we were by the high
quality of the wines available for such low prices, both in stores and
restaurants. “This is one of the most economical high-end vacations we have
ever taken.” As Elaine pointed out, stateside now California wines are more
expensive than many of the French imports. LAZY RIVER,
FERTILE TERRITORY, OUTSTANDING TREATS: ARMAGNAC, PATE, PLUMS AND SAUSAGES,
TO NAME A FEW Some people say that the Lot River is the
only one that has ‘no goals’. Whether or not that is so, I know that our
trip made us feel that our goals -- complete relaxation, a sense of
discovery and constant hedonism -- were achieved. Best of all we found
friendly small-town people who enjoyed showing us pages of their ancient
history. It becomes clear that so much of France’s history is intertwined
with England’s, especially here near the Lot, where are found some of
Europe’s oldest settlements, and all of the subsequent stories of the strife
between French and English kings and queens. Rob, our base host from
Connoisseur at Castelmoron, prepped us on the prettiest towns and
interesting weekly markets. We saw the sights, but didn’t fret if we
couldn’t visit every historic spot within the river’s reach.
Brochures and guidebooks detail much of the story of the
fight for possession of this fertile country, and you can learn a lot in
visiting some of the very small homespun museums that dot the countryside.
One very delightful one was The Prune Museum, a kind of paen to the local
fruit, the plum.
For travelers with a sense of adventure, traveling by boat
through the back rivers of France has to be the ultimate experience. Both on
the river and in nearby Bordeaux, there are many vintners welcome visitors
to tastings, of both wines and Armagnac. The local wine, Buzet, is
developing a strong following and has started to be exported to the U.S.
We visited a small Armagnac proprietor, where we walked among the vines and
plum trees, and saw the small wine presses. We bought a bottle of Armagnac
there that we thought was one of the finest brandies we had ever had. I was
beginning to feel like Ernest Hemingway, stopping to talk to all the local
growers and wine-makers and fishermen. BIG BUYS AT FRENCH
SUPERMARKETS We could have arranged for the base staff to
provision our boat before we arrived, but we opted instead to do our own
food shopping at a “Megaplex” supermarket just outside the small town of
Castelmoron. We had heard about these large warehouse stores, but couldn’t
actually believe we would visit one in France. It was like entering
Paradise, for we saw all in one place the very best selection of all French
foods that I, a Foodie, have ever seen. I would have loved to have been
staying somewhere for a month or more, just so I could visit the store and
make selections every day. In twelve huge aisles, wines from
all the regions of France were sold for as little as one-tenth of what we
were accustomed to pay in the ‘States, and the variety was superb. I
couldn’t believe the offerings: great Bordeaux for five or six dollars,
French Champagne for seven dollars, etc. There were several aisles each of
cow’s and sheeps’ cheeses, not to mention wonderful pates, sausages,
vegetables and herbs. The selection of duck, goose, lamb, beef, chicken,
pheasant and other meats was more than I had ever seen at any supermarket
anywhere. Of course, the fact that I am not much of a cook, as my husband
pointed out, might render such a huge selection meaningless.
Connoisseur puts out guidebooks for the boat and for the region.
Additionally, the French themselves offer a great deal in the way of written
information. Every sight within fifteen miles of the river -–every chateau,
vineyard, museum, amusement park, and folkloric spot – prints brochures,
which the base office at Castelmoron stocks.
Charles Lindbergh said, “I owned the world…as I rode over
it.” I felt like I owned France as I rode over the Lot River.
FURTHER INFORMATION FOR PLANNING YOUR FRENCH BOAT CHARTER
Many people do their cruising trips as part of a larger visit to France,
perhaps with an additional week spent in Paris. Contact Connoisseur directly
and they can help you co-ordinate your charter and the rest of your
itinerary. Depending on the season and the number in your travel party and
the type of boat you choose, you will find this kind of travel the most
economical way to see France. In some cases, rentals can be had for as
little as $50 per day per person. Incroyable! Telephone 0044
1603 782472; Fax 0044 1603 783089
E-mail
info@connoisseurcruisers.co.uk For a list of guidebooks,
see “I Fell in Love with Lyon”, by Madelyn Miller
http://www.travellady.com/Issue51/51I.htm
We found visiting the Bordeaux region first an excellent way
to learn about the wines. You can fly into either Toulouse or Bordeaux
Airport and rent a car. Or, you can take the French “fast train”, the TGV (
www.tgv.com ) from Paris to the southwest.
Contact the French Government Tourist Organization for brochures to do with
rentals, trains, the specific regions, or specialty vacations, such as river
cruising, wine-touring, cycling, etc.
http://www.francetourism.com
You may also contact Connoisseur’s North American representative, Le Boat at
1 800 992.0291
E-mail LeBoat’s manager, Debbie Petermann, at
debbie@leboat.com To
learn more about Armagnac, one of France’s greatest specialties, log onto
http://www.cognacnet.com/armagnac/ Both Air France (800
237.2747) and American Airlines (800 433.7300) have frequent flights to
Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse and other cities in France. Text
and Images © Marguerite Jordan
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