We spent a week on the barge L’Art de Vivre traveling from Auxerre to Lucy-sur-Yonne. We should have gone to Chevroches but I trip was cut short due to low water levels.
We started our journey in the normal way, leaving the car at a friends at Worlingham and then bus into Norwich, then National Express to Victoria. These busses have good air conditioning thank goodness and there was only about 8 people onboard. We had an exceptional journey arriving early.
From there we took the underground to St Pancras, we were surprised how crowded it was on a Saturday earl evening. We think that is where Diana picked up a bad cold which she later passed on to me. We always stay close to the Eurostar terminal the night before we travel to make it an easy walk early in the morning, this time we tried anther hotel, I think this one had the smallest room so far.
It was then off to eat, as time was getting on we went to an Italian restaurant that we have used many times before.
Sunday morning and an early start for the short walk to the station where we had time for breakfast before joining the queue to check-in. Eurostar don’t seem to have a problem at London with the new boarder control system. passport, photo fingerprints and you are through. A fast run into Paris again arriving early. From Gare du Nord its a short walk to Gare de l'Est, or it would have been if we had gone the right way. From here we could take the Metro to Opera, I had already downloaded our tickets to the phones and we were away. At Opera again we set off in the wrong direction for the Hotel Winsor which turned out to be straight down the road. At the hotel we were met by the doorman and checked in on a list, our bags taken for storage and offered use of the facilities. European Waterways would be picking us up here at 2pm to take us to the boat which left time for lunch. I can’t say I have ever had a more expensive beer and Baggett before, but its Paris. £53 for the two of us.
Just before 2pm we returned to the hotel this time rechecked by a young lady, it seemed the European Waterways had a bout 4 groups leaving her today. 2PM and the taxi arrived, it was a 6 seater with 3 seats facing backwards. all our bags checked on and we met our 4 fellow passengers, two American couples. Not much was said on the two and a half hour trip to Auxerre as the six of us shuffled our feet between each other. Once at the barge our cases were taken to our cabins and we were presented with Champaign and oysters. At almost 80 years old I have never eaten oysters before, I think I ate most of them but I shan't be rushing out to spend money on them.
The holiday has begun.
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