Americans (and an English couple) in Burgundy
With a little trepidation my wife and I (the English couple) prepared for our six-day cruise on Savoir Vivre along the Bourgogne canal. Trepidation? Well, the week’s weather forecast was flagging up thunder storms for five days and the idea of sharing a confined space with six strangers could have its challenges. To arrive at Dijon, our pick-up point, at 16:00 by train meant leaving by Eurostar at St Pancras on the 09:20, allowing a minimum of one hour to board. So, what better way to start our holiday than staying at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel – the frontispiece of St Pancras railway station, opened in 1873 as the Midland Grand Hotel.
Despite a half-hour delay we arrived at Dijon on time via the French high-speed TGV. Our host and captain Richard Megret was there to greet us with the air-conditioned mini-bus and the other three couples. Richard, French with fluent English, has an English sense of humour and genuine Gallic charm that was evident from the start. Our trepidations were already forgotten – and it was sunny.
Dining at the Château de Sainte Sabine
Arriving at Savoir Vivre we were greeted by our hostess Axelle, who proved as charming as the captain. Her skills at napkin folding, preparing breakfast and serving the wonderful lunches from a local restaurant chef were much appreciated. However, what united all four couples in our choice of Savoir Vivre was the opportunity to savour local dinners in the best restaurants – a unique feature. Our decision was immediately validated with our first gastronomic delight at the Château de Sainte Sabine with stunning views of the surrounding valley. This was our benchmark and we soon discovered that our companions were already finding common ground in their appreciation of wine – which suited us as we are innocent novices.
The next morning was our first cruise day and the introduction to the intricacies of working locks. Unlike in Britain, where the boat’s occupants must work the locks themselves, in France it’s all managed by the French waterways authority (VNF). This means that to pass through a lock you need a lock-keeper, who no longer lives in the lock-keeper’s cottage but drives up and down a length of the canal, servicing a number of locks. Watching people work is part of a good holiday. In total we passed through 40 locks, which provided great opportunities for a stroll in the quiet and beautiful countryside between locks, or a bicycle ride further afield.
Each afternoon was our time for a guided tour of a local attraction. Our guides were husband and wife team Laura and Simon – Brits who’ve lived in France for many years. This was Simon’s turn to introduce us to Beaune, the wine capital of the Cote d’Or and its stunning Hospice de Beaune, a 15th century charity hospital, now a museum but used to provide Covid vaccines in the pandemic (good publicity). Simon was very graphic in his account of what life was like back then.
Dining at the L’Oree du Bois
In the morning we had tantalising views of the castle Châteauneuf in the village Châteauneuf-en-Auxois set at the top of a striking summit. It turned out that the village was the venue for our next culinary treat. ‘L’Orée du Bois’, a delightful auberge-style restaurant that, looking back, was one of our favourites.
The following afternoon it was Laura’s turn to give us a guided tour of the 15th century Château and we all remarked what a pleasure it was being in such a small group with such a personable and knowledgeable tour guide.
Dining at Abbeye de la Bussière
Our evening meal was in the elegant Abbeye de la Bussière in the former monastic kitchen. Larger-than-life sculptures adorned the grounds by the English sculptor Paul Day, who lives nearby and who produced the massive statue ‘The meeting place’ at St Pancras station.
Dining at l’Auberge de Guillaume
Our next tour with Laura hit the spot for the wine and cheese connoisseurs – a tour of a goat farm followed by goats’ cheese and wine from the grapes of the owner’s vineyard. We began to appreciate that wine is all about the soil – the prime constituent of terroir, the basis of the French wine ‘appellation d’origine contrôlée’ (AOC) system. The owner’s terroir is part of the Hautes Côtes de Beaune – the higher slopes that produce their own distinct flavour. The goats were very friendly and their cheese very special. Our evening was spent at the Auberge de Guillaume, where the chef moved from a Michelin-star restaurant to set up his own – and that rating described his cuisine perfectly.
The wine theme continued the following afternoon when Simon took us on a tour of Château du Clos de Vougeot, “The heart of Burgundy’s Grand Crus” started by Cistercian monks in the 11th century. It was extraordinary to see the massive 15th century wine presses and the purpose-built barns for processing the wine. Of course, we had to conclude with a professional wine-tasting session. I recall there were at least 6 or 7 (or was it 8) different wines that we were introduced to and their unique provenance. We don’t count ourselves as novices anymore!
Dining at Ô P’tit Repère du Goût
Our penultimate gourmet stop was at ‘Ô P’tit Repère du Goût’, a polished restaurant that felt like it should have at least one Michelin star. The way the dishes were displayed demonstrated great artistry
Our final afternoon was dedicated to Dijon and our storyteller Simon. For centuries the region’s capital, Dijon provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of a thriving provincial city. Its famed produce market, designed by Gustav Eiffel, and its medieval centre was a highlight of the tour.
Dining at l’Auberge Gourmande
Shopping involved tracking down genuine Dijon mustard. In the Middle Ages Dijon was the exclusive centre for mustard making. Today the mustard seeds come mainly from Canada, but the white wine vinegar is distinctive to Dijon. The real deal, where the seeds come from Dijon, has the label “moutarde de Bourgogne” – and the varieties you can buy are staggering. It was perhaps a fitting end to our trip that our evening meal was spent in one of our top restaurants – L’Auberge Gourmande – a truly French menu (Richard had a job translating it) and the most adventurous.
And our trepidations? There were no thunderstorms, it was sunny every day and we had to borrow suntan cream. And the company? Now that really made the holiday. The three American couples consisted of three lawyers and a judge from the Boston area and a movie photographer and travel writer from Arizona. It wasn’t only the wine that bonded us – good books (everyone had highly rated the one I was reading, A Gentleman in Moscow), gardening, Wordle and the joie de vivre – and, of course, our captain Richard and crew!
We loved every minute and will return.
LC, UK, May 2022
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