Sunday - moored overnight in Nemours

Your chauffeurs collect you from your Paris hotel at 2.30pm for the scenic drive to the "Savoir Faire", moored at Nemours. Once aboard your Captain and host welcomes you with a champagne reception and an introduction to your crew and ship. Enjoy a stroll along the canal before an aperitif on deck. Tonight your chef welcomes you to your table with the first of many offerings. Candlelit crystal and gleaming silverware add to the romantic ambience of what promises to be the first of many memorable evenings.

DAY 2: Monday – Nemours to Episy

Today is the beginning of our cruise passing along the winding Canal de Loing, the landscape gently unfolding as we slowly pass open fields and forests bordering classic French villages and towns. Affectionately known as the "Gardens of Paris", this little known region gently reveals its secrets as we discover a waterway teeming with wildlife.  This is the perfect opportunity to cycle or stroll along the surfaced path that follows the canal. After lunch your drivers take you to the Palace of Fontainebleau. It is often referred to as the "House of Centuries" due to the fact that every French monarch from Francois I to Napolean III has left his mark upon this magnificent chateau. To walk through the splendour of the inner sanctuaries of noble kings and queens is to step back through time. Afterwards you will have time to explore the ornate gardens and the thriving town of Fontainebleau.  This evening we moor at a peaceful countryside setting next to then hamlet of Episy. Weather permitting, your chef will happily prepare a stupendous “Savoir Faire BBQ”

Tuesday -  Episy to Moret-sur-Loing

Today we continue our cruise along the Canal du Loing, arriving lunchtime at our overnight mooring of Moret-sur-Loing. Once again, there is plenty of opportunity to cycle or stroll along the surfaced path that follows the canal.  After lunch, your tour guide drives you to the romantic Chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte (setting for the film "The Man In The Iron Mask"). Our visit includes an opportunity to explore the magnificent formal gardens which are widely regarded as some of the best in France. Built between 1656 and 1661 for finance minister Nicolas Fouquet, the chateau's construction was monstrous even for those days. Entire villages were razed and 18,000 workmen called in. Famous architects, painters and landscapers were commissioned to reflect Fouquet's refined tastes. So lavish was the housewarming party, that Louis XIV threw a fit of jealousy and hurled Fouquet in jail. Just to prove who was boss, Louis XIV began building the Palace of Versailles.  Dinner on board

Wednesday – Moret-sur-Loing to Labrosse lock

After breakfast we visit the Unesco World Heritage site of the medieval town of Provins, originally home to one of the Champagne Fairs that were crucial to the medieval European economy, when the city was under the protection of  the Counts of Champagne.  Provins is well-known for its medieval fortifications, such as the Tour César (Caesar Tower) and well preserved city walls. The Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church is located here. The Empress Galla Placidia is said to have presented Ancona with the relics of Judas Cyriacus. However, the saint's head was situated at Provins, which was brought over from Jerusalem by Henry I of Champagne, who built a church in this town to contain it. This still stands as the Saint Quiriace Collegiate Church, although construction work during the 12th century was never completed due to financial difficulties during the reign of Philippe le Bel. A dome was added in the 17th century, and the old families of Provins who lived in the upper town were called "Children of the Dome."  Return to the “Savoir Faire” for lunch and the beginning of your cruise along the River Seine. Later we join the meandering River Yonne and make our way to our overnight mooring above the lock of Labrosse. Enjoy the tranquillity of this beautiful setting.

Thursday – Labrosse to Sens

We begin our cruise along the narrow canal section of Courlon, built to facilitate the transport of wines and other prized goods to Paris. Later we pass the photogenic town of Pont sur Yonne as we make our way towards our overnight mooring at Sens. After lunch we visit Sens to see the Cathedral of St Etienne. Begun in 1140 and housing one of the richest treasuries in France, this mighty Gothic cathedral is the first of its kind in Europe. Also enjoy a stroll on your own through this popular market town.  Your overnight mooring is five minutes from the town centre. Relax before dinner with a drink from the bar as the swans gather round in anticipation of a free meal.  The perfect setting for the end of a perfect day.

Friday – Sens to Villeneuve-sur-Yonne

This morning we cruise towards and then visit Villeneuve-sur Yonne, which was founded in 1163 by Louis VII of France to protect the kingdom of France at the boundary of the Champagne. In 1204 Philippe Auguste held parliament in the city, and Saint Louis resided in the city before departing for the Eighth Crusade. In 1594 the city was burnt down. In 1870 a memorial for the dead was designed by the sculptor Émile Peynot. The city was governed from 1927 till 1935 by the infamous mayor Marcel Pétiot, who was guillotined in 1946, convicted of 27 killings. We shall also have an opportunity to view the 700 year old town gate as well as the magnificent Church of Notre Dame, the building of which lasted from the 12th to the 16th century.  After lunch we visit Chablis where you will first see a panoramic vista of the Grand Cru vineyards before enjoying a tour of the ancient press and cellars of Domaine Laroche, followed by a wine tasting of their various fine vintages. You then return to the "Savoir Faire" to celebrate your last evening aboard. Laughter, great times and the warmth of friendship contribute to those "Golden Memories" that last a lifetime.

Saturday - departure 9.30am

We end the cruise with a nourishing breakfast and fond farewell from your crew, before your chauffeurs take you onward to Paris.

Itinerary 2: Champagne & Brie Cruise - Epernay to Paris