Booking Codes G110 & G111 Just Cruising the Glorious Yonne Friday 8th July Wednesday 24th August 5 days staying full board £875 Single room supplement only £125 The Natalia moored on the Yonne in Sens A just-cruise short break as we travel to the northern tip of Burgundy to spend 3 full days cruising the scenic rivers between Moret-Sur-Long and Joigny, staying at the midpoint of our cruise in the fine city of Sens. Cruising may be in either direction. Here we describe the daily cruises as they will be in the southbound direction starting in Moret-sur-Loing, but the same content applies in reverse for cruising northwards from Joigny. Moret-sur-Loing to Cannes-Écluse Over our three days of cruising we will follow three different rivers, starting in Moret-sur-Loing with a short journey along the River Loing to its confluence with the Seine at St-Mammès. The Loing navigation holds an important place in waterways history. The River had been utilised since medieval times to float wood towards the Paris basin, but in 1604 it was decided to construct the world’s first summit canal to link the catchments of the Seine and the Loire, and it was in 1642 that the Canal du Loing, connecting onwards to the Canal de Briare at Montargis, was finally opened to barge traffic. Booking Codes G110 & G111 For today’s cruise we soon reach the Seine at St-Mammès, and guests will note the many Freycinet-scale grain and aggregate barges moored along this stretch and underlining the re-emerging role of the Seine as a commercial waterway. As we follow the river’s gentle meanders eastwards we will see much evidence of sand and gravel excavation with extraction lakes lining the river’s course on both sides. There are only two locks on today’s passage, the first of them at Varennes takes us on to the stretch of water leading into Montereau-fault-Yonne. Here the Seine becomes the “Petit-Seine” as it continues eastwards into the Aube Department, but we fork southwards on to the Yonne, ironically the greater river by volume though it loses its identity at this point. At the fork in the waterway in the centre of Montereau we will see a celebrated statue of Napoleon astride his horse alongside the road bridge above us, commemorating the French Imperial Army’s victory here over an allied force from Austria and Württemberg in February 1814. Our cruise for today continues through one more lock to the small town of Cannes-Écluse, named after the lock, where we conclude. Cannes-Écluse to Sens Re-boarding in Cannes-Écluse, we continue upstream, soon passing into the Yonne Department meaning that we are officially in Burgundy! This is now meandering river cruising at its most peaceful, with mile after mile of secluded river corridor with hardly a building in sight and just the occasional lock. A narrower canal stretch cuts-off some extravagant river meanders at Port-Renard, offering the chance of a stroll forward to the next lock at Vinneuf about 1.5km further on, and we then rejoin the river proper at Courlon. Further rural cruising follows, with just a glimpse of the riverside village of Serbonne before the river turns sharply to bring us into the lock at Champfleury. Continuing southwards, we reach the more substantial town of Pont-sur-Yonne, so named after a wooden bridge crossing the river here in the 9th century. Many bridges here have come and gone over the centuries, an 18th century stone bridge was demolished in 1941 and replaced with the current structure, though on the town side three arches of the old bridge can still be seen as we cruise by. South of Pont-sur-Yonne we will pass underneath the remarkable long-distance Vanne aqueduct, built in 1874 to convey waters of the River Vanne from its source near Troyes to the Montsouris reservoir in Paris. The aqueduct carries more than 120,000 cubic metres of water each day. Booking Codes G110 & G111 Two more locks bring us into Sens by late afternoon, with the now rising ground west of the river offering a spectacular backdrop to the city. Sens to Joigny More delightful scenery follows today with steeper valley sides adding to the spectacle as we pass the villages of Rosoy and Étigny and onwards to the historic gated town of Villeneuve-sur-Yonne. Here we set-down alongside the river to take lunch at the Auberge La Lucarne aux Chouettes, always a highlight of our Yonne cruises. Either side of lunch there should be a little time to explore the town, which is circuited by a partly intact 12th century wall, built when Villeneuve was one of the residences of the French kings. There are classic entrance gates at each end of the main throughfare and visitors are also drawn to the lovely Gothic Church of Notre-Dame, which has some stained glass windows dating back to the 13th century. As our cruise resumes, the river takes us past the villages of Armeau, St-Julien-du-Sault and Villevallier before another canal cut at Saint-Aubin-sur-Yonne brings us through to the spectacular waterside setting of medieval Joigny where we moor. The sharp-eyed should spot the vineyards spread across the hillsides north of town – we have just entered the northern tip of the “Gateway to Burgundy” wine region. On one evening during our stay we will dine out at a restaurant in Sens, giving us the opportunity to spend some early-evening time sightseeing in the city, which still has many traces of its medieval past. Its 12th-16th century cathedral of St. Stephen is one of France's great Gothic cathedrals and much visited for its magnificent stained- glass windows, and the old city centre and surrounding garden boulevards are a delight to stroll. We will also dovetail into our cruise programme some free time to explore in Moret-sur-Loing. This charming gated medieval town, the adopted home of the English impressionist painter Alfred Sisley, makes for a fascinating stroll with attractions including the Musee du Sucre d’Orge, a unique museum revealing the history of barley sugar making. There are also some delightful and often-painted vistas of the Loing as it passes the town’s fortifications just outside the south gatehouse. For travel-home day we schedule a 2-hour break in mid-afternoon at the Cité-Europe complex in Calais. Booking Codes G110 & G111 The Daily Programme –July departure Moret-sur-Loing to Joigny staying at the 3* Ibis Hotel in Sens Day Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA 1 Outbound Journey timed for Eurotunnel Crossing at 10:20 to arrive Calais midday Hotel ETA 16:00 local time and arrival in hotel at 18:00 allowing for comfort stops (July departure crossing is at 10:50) 2 Moret-sur- Cannes- 20/2 On board Free time pre-cruise in Hotel 09:00/16:30 Loing 13:00 Écluse 16:00 Moret-sur-Loing 10:00- 12:30. 3 Cannes- Sens 16:00 37/6 On board All day cruise, free time Restaurant 09:00/16:15 Écluse 09:30 pre-dinner in Sens in Sens 17:30/21:30 4 Sens 09:00 Joigny 17:00 35/7 All-day cruise – lunch at Villeneuve- Hotel 08:30/17:30 sur-Yonne 12:00-14:00 5 Return Journey with comfort stops to arrive Calais by 14:30. Planned 2hr break at ETD 08:30 Cité-Europe shopping complex before 19:20 Eurotunnel crossing arriving in Folkestone around 19:00 UK time The Daily Programme – August departure Joigny to Moret-sur-Loing staying at the 3* Ibis Hotel in Sens Day Embark Disembark Km/Locks Lunch Excursion Dinner Hotel ETD/ETA 1 Outbound Journey timed for Eurotunnel Crossing at 10:20 to arrive Calais midday Hotel ETA 16:00 local time and arrival in hotel at 18:00 allowing for comfort stops 2 Joigny 09:30 Sens 17:00 35/7 All-day cruise – lunch at Villeneuve- Hotel 09:00/16:00 sur-Yonne 12:00-14:00 17:30/21:30 3 Sens 09:00 Cannes- 37/6 On board All day cruise, free time Restaurant 09:00/17:00 Écluse 15:00 pre-dinner in Sens in Sens 4 Cannes- Moret-sur- 20/2 On board Free time post-cruise in Hotel 09:30/17:00 Écluse 10:00 Loing 13:00 Moret-sur-Loing 14:00- 16:00 5 Return Journey with comfort stops to arrive Calais by 14:30. Planned 2hr break at ETD 08:30 Cité-Europe shopping complex before 19:20 Eurotunnel crossing arriving in Folkestone around 19:00 UK time What’s Included: Executive Coach travel with Eurotunnel crossings 4 Nights hotel accommodation at the 3* Ibis Hotel in Sens All meals excluding only lunches on the travel days 3 days cruising 92km of the Rivers Loing, Seine and Yonne between Moret-sur-Loing and Joigny Complimentary Bar whilst cruising Free time in Moret-sur-Loing Riverside restaurant lunch in Villeneuve-sur-Yonne Visit Cité-Europe shopping complex prior to return crossing Our Hotel: The modern and airy 3* Ibis in Sens is situated in a quiet business park just south of the city and offers the normal services associated with a mid-range Accor Hotel. Our package includes a continental breakfast every day at the hotel and lunches on board the boat or, on the day we cruise through Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, a riverside lunch at the excellent Auberge La Lucarne aux Chouttes.