Wine round the Bend Burgundy Barge Bliss.

There are a sun-deck, Jacuzzi spa, sauna, fitness studio, and bicycles for guests to ride along the canal trails. It is a fine fall day in France, still summer in the afternoons, with nights that provide a crisp reminder of winter to come. This up to th eminute hotel barge carries just 12 passengers, with 6 crew to look after each probable passenger need. A two-hour journey by minivan thru rolling French country had brought us to the medieval city of Auxerre, where La Belle poque and her crew awaited. We enjoyed a champagne welcome accompanied by freshly-baked popovers. After meeting the crew and getting settled into our cabins, we explored the cobblestone streets and trendy shops of Auxerre.

At the junction of the Canal du Nivernais and the Stream Yonne, Auxerre was a crucial city on the traditional north-south road thru France. Our first dinner aboard La Belle poque introduced the bents of cook Guy.

Pudding was shortbread with raspberry coulis. Click link to see stories about bed and breakfast burgundy. Veran and a red Aloce Coton ( wines of the Burgundy area ) accompanied the meal, and we discovered there's no limit to the quantity of bottles we may consume. Before the week is finished, we'll travel thru 31 locks to the city of Clamecy. Barge speed is restricted to 3 mph on the canals and ten mph on the brooks. La Belle poque slides into a chamber to rest whilst a collection of gates at every end closes so the water level can be raised or dropped.

Dijon, the capital of the region of Burgundy, is a great town full of fascinating things to do and places to meet.

It is really recommendable to request guidance and info on which places to visit at a local tourism info centre to keep away from missing any of the most fascinating spots of the town. Among the main art related spots this town has there's the Art Sace museum, the Strive Bourginonne museum and the Muse des Beaux humanities. Those visitors who wish to enjoy an average dinner from Burgundy could simply fulfill their wishes at many cafes in the city. Besides this, travellers can also visit cafeterias, go to the pictures, go to the theater, drink a coffee at a local coffee shop or observe fascinating objects in a local museum.

Whilst being at the centre of Dijon, there are a few main areas containing many interesting spots to visit. One of these areas is the one which surrounds Rue de la Choutte. This area is found close to the Cathedral Notre Lady and is principally characterized by containing fascinating shops, a lot of them of antique construction.

Another really interesting spot inside Dijon is the area of Rue de Liberte. At Captain Lee's call he comes out to control the gates. If we arrive while the clusier is at lunch we will just have to attend. Because canal barges were originally pony drawn, poplar trees were planted along the way to guard the horses from the sun. The Canal du Nivernais passes thru western Burgundy, crossing the Yonne Valley and occasionally merging with the Yonne Brook itself. Nick takes us to St-Bris le Vineux, a little wine town above a network of medieval passages. At the stone farmhouse ( complete with Sky TV dish ) of Mr. Bersan, we descend into a traditional cavern for a wine-tasting. "This is the last place in Burgundy To read this whole feature FREE with photos cut and paste this link : Carolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Mag Journalist Read Jetsetters Mag at to order travel visit Jetstreams.