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7 Days 'Saroche' - Provence & The Camargue River Cruise Vacation Package
Duration : 7 Days / 6 Nights
Priced From : $3,500 ( per person, based on double occupancy )
Dates : March to November - 2008
New for 2008, 'Saroche' is the largest six-passenger barge in France with spacious cabins affording all the amenities found in fine hotels. The split-level lounge/dining room has large, opening windows and a hexagonal skylight to flood the interior with fresh air and sunshine. A spa pool awaits on Sun Deck with a parasol-covered area for meals al fresco.
Every 'Saroche' cruise is a gourmet experience. Rather than a set dinner menu, guests can choose from a selection of dishes on the 5-course menu. Buffet lunches include mouthwatering, homemade quiches, patés and terrines.
Spending her summers in Burgundy and spring & autumn in Provence & The Camargue, 'Saroche' cruises some of the most scenic waterways in France.
Itinerary
 Day 1 - Beaucaire
Guests are greeted at the pre-designated meeting point and escorted to Saroche in Beaucaire. After settling in you are invited to join the captain for a champagne Reception and cruise safety briefing. Enjoy your pre-dinner aperitifs during an early evening cruise from Beaucaire port into the countryside.
Day 2 - Cruising : Beaucaire to Saint Gilles
A morning excursion to Avignon for a guided tour of the Palace of the Popes and the famous Pont d'Avignon followed by some free time to explore the town before returning to Saroche for lunch. The afternoon cruise begins by passing through the only lock on the canal and then continues through the lush vegetation of the Rhône valley to overnight mooring spot in the country where frogs and nightingales sing the night away..
Excursion: The magnificent city of Avignon.
Day 3 - Cruising : Saint Gilles to Arles
Your morning cruise is to the Provençal city of Arles. A walking tour of Arles to visit the Roman arena and some of Van Gogh favourite haunts before returning to Saroche for a relaxing afternoon cruise through the reed beds of the Camargue where reed cutters work, black bulls and white horses graze, and birds of prey soar over Europe's largest wetland wilderness, to our overnight mooring at the village of Franquevaux.
Excursion: Visit Arles and the Roman arena and theatre - walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and maybe take a drink in the Starry Nights Café made famous by his painting.
Day 4 - Franquevaux toAigues-Mortes
A morning cruise to Aigues-Mortes, 'the jewel of the Camargue' built by Louis IV as a departure port for his Crusades, stands boldly on the salt flats guarding the entrance to the Mediterranean. Visit the colourful morning street market and enjoy the shopping, galleries and sightseeing, or walk the ramparts of this medieval town...
Excursion: Village and vineyards of Châteauneuf du Pape. Lunch at a selected Restaurant, followed by a tasting of the world famous red wine. The return trip to Saroche takes in the 2000 year old Roman aqueduct at Pont du Gard, one of the treasures of the Roman Empire.
Day 5 - Cruising : Aigues-Mortes to Maguelone
After your morning excursion time to relax on an afternoon cruise through the inland lakes teeming with bird life, to Maguelone, an ancient settlement on a pine clad hill by the sea - its cathedral dating back to the sixth Century. Watch the nesting colonies of bee-eaters and white egrets along the canal banks and the flocks of hundreds of flamingos gracefully wading through the etangs.
Excursion: Today's excursion is a visit to Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer with its fortified church and magical stories or visit the world famous Perrier source and bottling plant.
Day 6 - Cruising : Maguelone to Sète
The last days cruising takes you to the bustling Port of Sète, France's second largest sea port. The picturesque town is criss-crossed by small canals which link the Mediterranean with the inland lake the 'Etang de Thau'. The captain's farewell dinner this evening is on a canal front restaurant where fish comes directly into the kitchen from the fishing boats moored at the quay. Local Mediterranean dishes are a specialty.
Excursion: The afternoon excursion of Sète includes a trip to the hilltop for breath-taking panoramic views of the town and surrounding waters, followed by a stroll through the streets of the old town.
Day 7 - Sète
Time after breakfast for one last chance to sit on deck before your departure from Saroche.
Save time, money and stress!
For reservations: Fill out the vacation planner to be contacted by a Europe River Cruise vacation specialist.
Contact : Travelwizard.com
Phone: 1-800-330-8820 or 1-415-446-5252
11/08
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