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Paradise Connections
Your fun is our business
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European luxury
barge cruise vacations on the Anjodi, cruising the Canal du Midi, South
of France
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ANJODI
Trans
Europe six week cruise
Avignon (France) to Amsterdam (Netherlands)
8th November to 18th December 2009
Available for individual cabin
bookings or private full-boat charter
Join ANJODI
for this very special voyage. A thousand mile journey along Western
Europe’s finest inland waterways. Enjoy the intriguing and peaceful
world of hotel barge cruising during this unique six week adventure
along the canals and rivers of central Europe between the southern
French Provencal town of Avignon across Europe to vibrant Amsterdam in
northern Holland.
Six weeks of expedition cruising through several European countries,
capital cities and cultures along Europe’s most famous rivers such as
the Rhone, Seine and Rhine as well as enjoying the many smaller canals
and rivers and lakes as this incredible journey unfolds.
This voyage also follows the advance of the American, British and
allied forces liberating the French, Belgium and Dutch populations and
passes through regions held by the French resistance, liberated by
General Patton and fought over by the airborne forces codenamed
operation Market Garden in September 1944 to try and cross the Rhine at
Arnhem. For those interested in the historical importance of this
period the voyage is an extraordinary opportunity to absorb the
importance and value of the Second World War following the D-day
landings of June 1944 and the 60th anniversary in 2004.
Your cruise aboard Anjodi is limited to just 8 discerning
passengers. This extraordinary voyage will be a mixture of
days spent cruising, sight seeing and city stays whilst discovering the
regional cuisine and wines of Provence, Beaujolais, Burgundy,
Champagne, Alsace and the Moselle and Rhine valleys.
The majority of meals are taken aboard ship but every week at least
once we dine ashore. Anjodi generally cruises only when all the
passengers are aboard, but daily excursions are programmed and on
occasion the vessel may make up ground whilst passengers are ashore.
All accommodations on board, all meals, entry fees on shore excursions,
wines and bar drinks are included in the price.
Day 1 –
Your “Journey of a Lifetime” commences in Avignon on the River
Rhone. Passengers are met at the meeting hotel in Avignon and escorted
to Anjodi moored nearby for a Champagne Welcome and introduction to
fellow passengers and Captain and crew before dinner aboard.
Day 2 -
We spend the morning touring AVIGNON, which like most of
Provence takes its inspiration from Italy. It was the seat of
the Papacy in the 14th Century. The city is surrounded by a
circle of rugged city walls. You might like to visit the Park
Le Rocher des Doms where you see the 12th Century Pont St. Benezet,
ending half way across the Rhone. This is the Pont d’Avignon
of the nursery rhyme and legend has it that the bridge was built on the
advice of a shepherd boy, St Benezet, who was told by visiting angels
to build a bridge there. During the afternoon we visit Chateauneuf du
Papes and savour the region’s most gracious wines. Our afternoon cruise
heads north and cocktails are served under way before Dinner aboard.
Day 3 –
Today is spent cruising, as we head for MONTELIMAR, the
delicious Nougat capital. The mighty Rhone River has been the main
trading route for over 2000 years and the pre Alps over to the east
create a fine setting. A visit to the market town of Montelimar has a
medieval centre and is full of shops selling the almond studded nougat
that has been made there since almond trees were first imported from
Asia in the 17th century Cruise then towards Valence.
Day 4 and Day 5
– VALENCE – The delights of the Rhone Valley are yours
to explore during these days. Valence itself is a thriving town facing
the Ardeche cliffs. The Cathedral of St Apollinaire was founded in 1095
and rebuilt during the 1700’s. The museum of beaux arts
contains a collection of late 18th century chalk drawings of Rome. The
nearby Ardeche gorges have been carved out over thousands of years and
are more reminiscent of the American southwest than the verdure
commonly associated with French countryside. Valence is also a great
French shopping town. Our cruise takes us past the Cote du
Rhone vineyards region.
Day 6 and Day 7
– LYON – Our journey today takes us to Lyon, a city
with a wealth of historic sights, Roman monuments, medieval churches
and renaissance houses. The town abounds with fine inns and
restaurants and is justifiably titled the gastronomic centre of
France. For your touring, we start at Place Bellecoeur, then
a walk across the Saone leads to a most intriguing area, a showcase of
renaissance architecture along ancient dark cobblestone streets. We
show you the oldest theatre in France built in 15 BC by the Romans to
seat some 10,000 spectators and still used today for Opera and Rock
concerts. Lyon is France’s second city.
Day 8 –
We carry on up the River Saone towards the Beaujolais wine
region and MACON, home of the poet Lamartine. Macon is the southern
frontier of Burgundy and the Musee des Ursulines houses a fine
collection of Flemish and French paintings and an exhibition of the
prehistoric site of Solutre.
Day 9 –
CHALON SUR SAONE – Today there is an opportunity to see the
great Romanesque Abbey of Cluny and to sample the famous dry white wine
from the Pinot Chardonnay Grape. Chalon is the birthplace of
photography. In 1822 Nicephone Niepce managed to capture an image on
glass at nearby St Loup de Varenne and Chalon has an interesting museum
of pictures and photographic artefacts.
Day 10 –
ST JEAN DE LOSNE – Leaving the river today we join the
Burgundy Canal and here is a perfect opportunity to use the bicycles on
board, or you can hike along the paths between the various
locks. While all will enjoy the scenery of the area, the wine
lovers will delight at the opportunity to share in wine tastings
arranged by a Burgundian Negociant.
Day 11 and Day 12
– Two days to enjoy DIJON, ancient capital of the
Dukes of Burgundy. Visit the Ducal Palace. In the
14th and 15th Centuries, the Dukes of Burgundy turned the duchy into a
great centre of European art and today Dijon remains the wealthy
cultural and commercial centre of Burgundy and a delightful city for
wandering and watching. We take the opportunity to sample the Cote de
Nuits vintages near Nuits St Georges.
Day 13 to Day 18
– BURGUNDY CANAL – Today we begin our cruise the
Burgundy Canal. Anjodi, with her deck chairs, will soon
become your viewing spot to enjoy the delights of Burgundian scenery
and the energies of the barge Chef will tempt you back again and again
to the warm saloon. The Burgundy area is one of the most
serene areas of France and these days of calm tree-lined cruising will
be remembered long after your holiday is over. Our route allows ample
opportunity to explore on foot or barge bicycle, the picturesque
villages, stare back at the white Charolais cows and perhaps
catch a site of wild boar foraging near the canal in the early morning
sunshine.
Day 19 –
FONTAINEBLEAU – We cruise to FONTAINEBLEAU, with its famous
forest covering more than 40,000 acres and the Renaissance Chateau that
was a favourite residence of the Emperor Napoleon.
Day 20 and Day 21
– Two days, or more if you and your fellow travellers
choose, to savour the delights of PARIS. Anjodi will be
moored on the Seine and the city is yours to explore. Paris
is pre-eminently a strollers’ city where many things old and
atmospheric, bright and beautiful may be seen. One of the
most civilised pastimes of Paris is sitting at a sidewalk café and
watching the world go by, another is shopping! .
Days 22 to Day 23
– MEAUX & CHATEAU THIERRY – Through the
environs of Paris to Meaux, capital of Brie. Take a stroll
through the old quarter and view the beautiful Cathedral before
continuing further along the River Marne to Chateau
Thierry. This village was named after the Frankish
King Thierry IV and later was held by the counts of
Champagne. The river winds its way through riverside villages
gradually taking you into a landscape of forests and vineyards, the
start of CHAMPAGNE Country and CONDY SUR
MARNE. It is from here that we take the
opportunity to visit REIMS. The Cathedral of Reims ranks
among the finest in France and the city is a spectacular medieval city,
demolished by vandals, ravaged by fire, and devastated by artillery
during the Great War. The city is as impressive for its
perseverance as for its enduring elegance. We visit the Mercier
champagne house in Epernay, and entertain the vessel’s French Insurer
for cocktails as the barge passes his hometown!
Day 24 to Day 31
- Cruising through VITRY-LE-FRANCOIS,
SERMAIZE-LES-BAINS, LIGNY EN BARROIS and TROUSY, the traveller will be
taken with the unsophisticated beauty of the landscapes, the sunlit
lakes and shady forests. This region is less hilly than Burgundy and
progress is usually comparatively swift until we enter the Lorraine
hills. We follow the path of General Patton and the Red Ball Express,
which kept his troops supplied. Vitry was nearly destroyed in
WWII leaving just the magnificent 17th century church standing. We pass
the 16,320 foot long Mauvages tunnel before descending the lock flight
to Toul. Toul was fortified by the military genius of the Marechal
Sebastien de Vauban, the massive stone walls were nearly impregnable
and are largely intact today. The canal runs through part of
the Fortress moat!
Day 32 and Day 33
– NANCY is the capital of LORRAINE and here
we visit to the PLACE STANISLAS, one of the most splendid architectural
creations of the 18th century. The gilded wrought iron gates, baroque
fountains and hanging lanterns surround possibly France’s most
beautiful square. There is much to delight the eye and a
superb collection of Art Nouveau at the Musee de L’Ecole. Nancy is also
a good place for shopping.
Day 34
– METZ. Metz has the oldest church in
France, the 4th century church of Saint Pierre-aux-Nonnains, and the
Gothic masterpiece of Cathedral de St Etienne which offers a superb
view of the surrounding countryside from its 300ft tower. We are
virtually in Germany now and international waters.
Day 35 –
THIONVILLE/LUXEMBOURG – Today we leave the waterways of France
and move to Luxembourg with its fairytale castle. One of the
smallest countries, Luxembourg has one of the wealthiest per capita in
the world. Founded in 963, the city was one of the strongest
fortresses in Europe and now a centre of banking and finance.
Day 36 –
BERNCASTLE - We visit Berncastle straddling the vine
escarpments of the River Moselle Valley. The vines are sometimes
covered with blue coating, which protect the late grapes from early
frosts and conjure up images of strangely coloured wines! The grapes
are mainly Reisling and there are numerous cellars for winetasting. The
town is filled with half-timbered houses and dominated by the ruin of
the Landshut fortress.
Day 37 –
KOBLENZ. Koblenz is at the mouth of the Moselle
River and the start of the Rhine River cruising through to Cologne with
a giant statue of Wilhelm I at the confluence point. Koblenz has
wandered back and forth between French and German domination and in
1809 the impressive Rhinelagen riverside promenade was given to the
town by the Prefet Lezay-Mamesia following the inclusion of Koblenz
into the French Rhine and Moselle department.
Day 38 –
COLOGNE - This is the capital of the Rhineland, and noted for
remnants of antiquity such as a third century tower. It is
also known for its beautiful Madonnas, medieval sculptures in the
Gothic Cathedral. Even older than the Cathedral are Cologne’s
Romanesque churches. The Ring is an elegant boulevard of
shops and cafes. The people are open and friendly and an early bond
with our barging world was formed in 1982 when the Deutz engine works
allowed one of our first vessels (Anjodi) to make an unscheduled stop
for repair works and waived the bill due to the kindness of their warm
hearts!
Day 39 –
ARNHEM - From Cologne, Anjodi continues along the Rhine to
Arnhem on the Holland- German border. It was here in September 1944
that gallant American and British forces attempted to take the Rhine
Bridge with a retreating but nevertheless still powerful German army in
occupation. We allow plenty of time to remember the fallen and see
first hand the battleground.
Day 40 –
ROTTERDAM. - As our journey draws to a close we move out of
Germany and into the waterways of Holland first to the bustling port of
Rotterdam. The city was devastated in World War II and
rebuilt into one of the most dynamic and efficient seaports in the
world. Leave time to visit the Boymans-van-Beuningen Museum
which houses works by the medieval painter Hieronymous Bosch. Captain’s
Farewell Gala Dinner
Day 41 –
AMSTERDAM – Our port of arrival and what a town - hundreds of
miles of canals, waterside life and a bustling cycle-powered population
who never seem to sleep! Do spend a few days here in this fascinating
city. Amsterdam boasts more than forty museums, splendid art
galleries, antique shops, theatres, cafes, 17th century houses
bordering tree-lined canals and countless excellent restaurants suiting
the most refined taste. End of Cruise
Trans Europe 6 Week
Cruise Rates for 2009
This
amazing Trans Europe cruise is available at a price per person of
US$25,000 or UK£15,000 based on a minimum of 6 passengers, or as a
whole barge, 8-person charter for US$185,000 or UK£110,000. |
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