All Aboard the Lovely Luciole: Snapshots of Barge Cruising from Travel Experts

All aboard the lovely Luciole! 

Owned by members of the Liley family since 1976, the 12-guest Luciole glides between Auxerre and Clamecy on the divinely scenic Canal du Nivernais. Penny Liley, a graduate of Cordon Bleu and once the Luciole’s chef, currently serves as the hands-on Barge Director; Will Liley, her son, contributes as the Operations and Maintenance Manager, relying on his unique experience of growing up on the Luciole.

While we can — and do! — extoll the accommodations, amenities, and experiences offered on the Luciole, we are even more thrilled to present this curated collection of press mentions and media coverage.

Read all about what the travel experts, passionate photographers, and cruising enthusiasts have to say about their weeklong adventure on the Luciole! 

LILY HEISE, ULTRAVILLA

“A trip to France wouldn’t be complete without enjoying many of the country’s vast culinary pleasures and these are taken very seriously aboard the Luciole. This begins right at breakfast which includes a variety of croissants acquired straight from the ovens of the best local bakeries along the route. Then all morning Chef is busy preparing a light lunch of creative salads, stuffed summer squash, and broccoli-chevre quiche.

We are meant to save room for the cheese or dessert course, though it was hard to refuse seconds.

The four-course evening meals featured beautifully presented innovative dishes using seasonal ingredients and contemporary flare – marveling our eyes and our stomachs. The dishes were paired with mainly local wines from Chablis and the Yonne Valley (two of which we visited on excursions) and were followed by a cheese course (accumulating in over 20 varieties by the end of the week) and a to-die-for dessert.”

For even more delicious details about this culinary cruise, check out Lily’s insight here. 

CHARLES PAYET, CD PAYET PHOTOGRAPHY

“Did I mention WINE!?!? As one would naturally expect from a cruise through the famous Burgundy winemaking region of France, the wines flowed quite freely aboard this cruise.  Obviously, since we were cruising through the home of the AOC Chablis, we drank a lot of Chablis and Pinot Noir wines.

Oh my oh my, how the wine flowed that week…we usually started on the wine by about 11am. 😀

We toured the Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard vineyard, which was right near the town of Chablis. While I’m generally a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot drinker, as is my wife, these many bottles of delicious white wine made a convincing argument to broaden our palettes and expand our wine inventory at home.”

To see more of Charles’ gorgeous images featuring the wine program on the Luciole, click here.

ROSSANA WYATT, BLEND RADIO AND TV

“The slow, immersive travel gives you a more authentic, and extraordinary experience exploring the countryside. On the Luciole, you have the ability to watch and enjoy the countryside as you drift by — and you can also experience it from land.

Every afternoon we moored at tiny villages along the way for the night, which could be explored before dinner or in the early morning before setting off again. 

Guided excursions to places of interest included a visit to a UNESCO world heritage site, the 11th Century Romanesque Basilica of St Magdalene. The Basilica houses the relics of Mary Magdalene. It was not only the relics that intrigued me, but how light and the alignment of the sun were incorporated into the design of the Basilica itself. Truly spectacular!”

Take a look at Rossana’s cruising experiences and cultural explorations on the Luciole here.

Want even more of the lovely Luciole? Take a tour of the barge’s beautiful mooring of Auxerre here.  Swirl, sip, and savor the white wines of Chablis here.  To book your own culinary and cultural cruise on the Luciole, inquire here.