Marjorie
Paris to Auxerre

Departing  May 31 and October 25R

Tuesday.
We meet at Le Parc Westin Demeure in Paris and are whisked to visit the house and gardens of Impressionist painter Claude Monet We return to the boat moored in the center of Paris for a champagne reception and an introduction to the facilities on board. Time to freshen up we then enjoy our first dinner followed by an unforgettable evening cruise through Paris "City of Lights."

Wednesday.
This morning we cruise during breakfast and lunch. In the afternoon we have a memorable excursion to Château Vaux-Le-Vicomte and its fabulous gardens by Le Nôtre of Versailles fame. Some 18,000 workmen were employed in the construction of this magnificent 17th Century masterpiece, designed by Le Vau and decorated by Le Brun. (Owner Nicholas Fouquet, Louis XIV's finance minister, was arrested for embezzlement shortly after its completion). Tonight's mooring is the pretty village of Saint Mammes at the confluence of the canal du Briare, the oldest canal in France, completed in 1642.

Thursday
This morning's excursion is to the town of Fontainebleau and a visit to the château of the same name. Commonly known by historians as the "House of the Centuries". Every Monarch since Francis I up to Napoleon III has left his mark architecturally. Returning to the boat via the picturesque village of Moret-sur-Loing made famous in the paintings of Alfred Sisley, this afternoon cruise on the river Yonne takes us up to the ancient town of Sens.

Friday
Sens is dominated by the Cathedral of St. Étienne, France's first cathedral in Gothic style (circa 1140). Thomas à Becket spent some time here in exile from England, and the cathedral is justly famous for the beauty of its stained glass windows. A late afternoon cruise takes us to Villeneuf-sur-Yonne.

Saturday
Today we cruise to Joigny and accompany our chef to the local market to help the days lunch. After all this shopping we continue cruising on to Gurgy. In this small and typically French village, we can enjoy a game of jue de boule with the locals or a pre-dinner apéritif in the village square.

Sunday
A short drive brings us this morning to the Chablis region to the small village of St.-Bris-le-Vineux. Here we pause for a private tour and wine tasting in a family-run 11th Century wine cellar, before cruising on to Auxerre, historic capital of lower Burgundy and one of the loveliest towns in France. Renaissance houses surround the Galliarde clock tower, a city landmark since 1483, and the abbey church and cloisters of St. Germain are just a short walk away. Tonight, our last night on the river is commemorated by a special farewell dinner.

Monday
After breakfast we disembark and transfer back to Paris to Le Parc Westin DeMeure.