CroisiEurope’s Charming Provence cruise, France

For six nights and seven days, the 22 berth MS Anne-Marie, a lavish lodge barge, departs from Arles into the rivers and canal that run by means of Europe’s most significant delta.

This is France’s Wild West with its extremely have cowboys. The gardian, leathered and putting on their personal acquire on a Stetson, sit astride their white horses to round up the black bulls grazing in the Camargue. Discovering a hauntingly stunning land sliced by the Grand Rhone and Petit Rhone rivers, the reason-constructed resort barge sails from Arles to Sète.

Excursions go reed-thatched cottages with Mistral weathered blue and environmentally friendly shutters. Flamboyances of flamingos feed on shrimps in the rose-tinted swimming pools. Drawn to Arles by the gentle and lively color, artists Gauguin and Van Gogh quarrelled above how ideal to stand for the vivid colours of the Provençal palette. Small and personal, the 11 cabin Anne-Marie, sedately cruises beneath egrets and ospreys to exhibit guests the highlights of Provence.

The welcome

6 crew satisfy us quayside to acquire our scenarios onboard and guide us to our cabins. Speaking impeccable English, the purser welcomes us aboard with a toast of  Kir Royale.

Canapés of saucisson d’Arles, a sausage built with local pork and beef, sign that this will be a gourmet voyage.

The cabin

Huge home windows in a good and compact cabin give panoramic views of the river and the passing Provençal landscape. Earlier mentioned the two single beds there is a wall-mounted satellite television.

A smaller desk is excellent for crafting postcards property as the rivers meander toward the Mediterranean. Each cabin has a thermostat to regulate the temperature to personal style.

The bathroom

A bright white lavatory offers a spacious shower and white towels. Toiletries are by Croisi.

The amenities

Basically, the Anne-Marie is a floating French village. Beneath the sunlight parasols, on the bistro-style tables, are pots of pink geraniums.

As the day lengthens, the café transitions into a bar and some visitors get their prosecco into the jacuzzi. As French as the discomfort-au-chocolat for breakfast, the ship even carries a set of boules for onshore evening game titles.

An elegant waiter-services restaurant is at the coronary heart of the ship. The moment a 7 days, a meal is served al fresco. In advance of lunch and supper, Jonathan Nicoise, the chef, proudly announces the menu in both equally English and French. His menu, adapting as the seasons acquire, introduces Provence on a plate and by way of its wines. Seafood will come refreshing from France’s greatest fishing port at Sète. Beef for the gardianne de taureau – a red wine, beef, onion and orange casserole – is sourced from the region’s well-known black bulls.

When moored at rampart-walled Aigues-Mortes, the only doable dessert is the town’s well known fougasse speciality: a light-weight focaccia-like dough served with crème anglaise. At lunch and meal, attendees are introduced to a assortment of the region’s wines. Though there is a decision of red, rosé and white, deep in the sunny south of France, the rosé is often the diners’ alternative. As prolonged as he is supplied detect, the chef can adapt to satisfy specific tastes: catering for vegans, vegetarians, allergies or simply tastes.

Location

Just before the ship sails from Arles, a morning excursion heads to a farm the place every autumn about 10,000 olive trees are shaken to harvest the crop. Tasting olive oils reveals the delicate variations the mix of olives can make, sometimes slightly bitter, sometimes with spicy notes.

A guided tour explores the historic limestone town of Arles, recognized as Minimal Rome for its amphitheatre and surviving Roman relics. Van Gogh blues and yellows have helped make the city a spot for international photographers.

The next working day the ship heads into the distant salty marshes of the Camargue. White horses gallop previous and chook tune carries from financial institution to financial institution. Prawns feed on the pink algae in the water. When the flamingos eat those prawns their plumage turns pink, notably as the mating season strategies.

An tour heads to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, a coastal city that celebrates two Maries. One Marie, tragically died of warmth-stroke in futile pursuit of her adore. Below the fortified church’s altar, there is an unofficial shrine to the Gypsy Queen with worshippers inquiring her to make their wishes appear correct.

Sailing on into the Rhone – Sète Canal, the MS Anne-Marie heads for picturesque rampart-walled Aigues – Mortes. A central statue remembers Saint Louis, the pious French king, who built the town his departure port for the Crusades.

The “waters dead” have silted up and the town is five kilometres from the shoreline, however now there is a canal to the Mediterranean. A tour of the town concludes with a educate via the otherworldly landscapes of the salt flats and the magnificent images exhibited in the salt museum.

As the voyage proceeds one more tour normally takes in the manades where bulls are bred. A stop by to a string of lagoons at Étang de Thau showcases oyster farming.

Other awesome touches

Every single wardrobe hosts cycling helmets. Bikes, parked on the top deck, are accessible to cycle along the towpath for a number of miles.

Pre-lunch and pre-evening meal aperitifs deliver guests together to chat around their adventures.

The expense

Departing 15th Oct 2022 or on numerous dates among March and August 2023, prices for the seven-working day cruise in between Arles and Sète begin from £2,380 for every man or woman. That value consists of all meals and beverages, all excursions, use of onboard bicycles and port taxes but  excludes flights. For an additional demand, CroisiEurope can give transfers from airports, ordinarily Marseille or Montpelier, and railway stations.

The most effective little bit

A CroisiEurope river cruise will take the anxiety and strain out of journey. Although guests eat, sunbathe or snooze the ship serenely sails on to the subsequent vacation spot.

Carefully prepared excursions demonstrate cruisers the extremely most effective of the region, with expert English talking guides providing fascinating commentary.

The final verdict

French via and through, CroisiEurope brings Gallic model and panache to river cruising. Friends loosen up into the gentle gradual-journey rhythms of a journey by way of some of France’s most breathtaking landscapes. This is a cruise that explores a wonderful French region that is normally overlooked.

Disclosure: Our voyage was sponsored by CroisiEurope.