Canal cruising in Burgundy
It suddenly dawned on me as I steer the canal boat around the waterways of Burgundy that I could cause some serious damage. Twelve tons of metal and steel is no toy bateau after all.
But this is a penichette, a traditional French canal barge that pooters along at a top speed of 15 miles an hour and makes a perfect introduction to boating for novices like me. As a lifelong aficionado of city breaks and sunbathing, I’d never even considered the idea of a boating holiday, much less fancied one. I mean, weren’t they the preserve of obsessives who read too many yachting magazines and spent their weekends hurtling round the Solent in force 10 gales?
Well no. Judging by the traffic, they’re also in vogue with families and, like us, groups of friends, who just want to kick back and relax. And not a sou'wester in sight.
This particular penichette has a sundeck up top, plenty of room to manoeuvre inside, a well-stocked fridge and four en-suite bedrooms (the boats sleep up to 12 if you’re prepared to bunk up) so you don’t have to worry about washing your hair in a bucket.
Even negotiating the locks is a doddle after an hour or two’s tuition from an expert boat hand before you’re let loose at the helm.
Not for nothing is Burgundy known as the reservoir of France. It has more than 12,000 kilometres of rivers and 1,200 of canals and has some of the best carp and trout fishing in the country, if you’re into fishing.
I’m not, but three days in early September spent navigating the waterways of the Cote Chalonnaise, sampling sumptuous Burgundy wines (the vineyards in the region date back to the Romans) and boeuf Bourguignon along the way definitely beat a miserable, blustery weekend in Yorkshire.
Useful links
European Boating Holidays
Eurostar website
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