Cruising on the Seine

We've seen so much of Paris in the media over the last few weeks, so a few months ago I got in the Olympic mood by heading to France for my first ever cruise down the Seine River.

I can think of no other way to experience the utterly unique pleasure of lying in bed, glass door slid wide open, listening to the water rushing smoothly below, an occasional plane flying overhead, and the continuous call of birds amongst the tree-lined banks.

(If you'd like to head straight to the recipes, please scroll down to see the links at the end).

As a cruise ‘first-timer’ this adventure was full of new experiences. From the moment I stepped on board the Avalon Waterways ship “Avalon Tapestry II”, it was clear that at least half the guests onboard were repeat customers, but for me it was all brand new. So, what is it like to fly halfway around the world to Paris and take to the river with 95 (up to 150) guests plus crew? It is a journey of discovery – apt given the name of this particular cruise was ‘Active and Discovery on the Seine’ – and one where, as the days slip by, friendships are made, new sights seen, information learned, and a great deal of fun and laughter enjoyed.

The crew
On arrival, each guest is photographed, much like signing into some corporate offices these days, and then miraculously from the next day, every single crew member is addressing you by name. At first, the enthusiasm and familiar inclination of the team can be a little overwhelming. There must be something in the water that fuels their irrepressible zest, which then seeps into your skin so that by day two any reticence is abandoned and guests enter fully into the banter and repartee they invite. But the crew aren’t just cheery. They’re slick. Cabins are cleaned twice a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served without fuss, drinks for the nightly happy hour are remembered and all in all, days pass in a smoothly ordered fashion. Every role is attended to with the same level of professionalism and care, from cleaning to co-ordinating excursions to serving meals. Guests are cocooned with comfort, and it’s no wonder this experience is sought out and repeated on rivers across Europe – with ships sailing from the Danube to Romania, Holland and Belgium to the Rhine and Rhône, and even farther afield in Portugal, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The ship
All ships cruising the river are fundamentally the same shape, allowing them to fit through the various locks, with hydraulic systems that allow the captain’s wheelhouse (sans wheel) to be lowered while passing under low bridges. Avalon Waterways was the first operation to offer Suite Ships featuring Panorama Suites with full-width, floor-to- ceiling windows but no balconies which they felt were under-used. These are a distinctive design choice for their craft, the entire room becomes a ‘balcony’ once the window is slid open. This also allows beds to face the Seine, allowing that unique experience to be enjoyed. The suites are surprisingly spacious, allowing guests to fully unpack and enjoy their rooms in a pleasingly orderly fashion. No need to fossick frustratedly through open suitcases, they can be unpacked and stored under the bed while clothes and other items fit neatly into the wardrobe and drawers provided. Praise be for women of a certain age that the bathroom lighting is good, and the magnified, lit makeup mirror is an absolute bonus. In addition to the suites, the vessels feature an open-air Sky Deck, spacious Panorama Lounge and cosy Club Lounge featuring tea, coffee, drinks, and snacks that guests are welcome to help themselves to at any time day or night, along with a pleasing selection of board games.

The logistics
With up to 150 (sometimes wayward) guests onboard, boat life needs to be structured precisely – Patty from Maine can’t be left stranded in Rouen while
the boat proceeds to Caudebec-en-Caux! To that end, our Cruise Director Simona rallies her troops in a warm and charmingly efficient manner. Day one sees guests corralled into the Panorama Lounge for their first briefing to explain the rules of the ship. This briefing lasts an hour, but the consequent nightly equivalents are just 15 minutes. Here the next day’s activities are explained, with guests reminded to be in the lobby 10 minutes before departure, to collect their headsets and coloured tags to show which group they will be part of. Guides, with flags to match the tags, hold them aloft as attendees are chivvied toward buses, start their walk, or take a seat on a bike. Guests are required to ‘tap’ in and out so that their whereabouts are logged, and bookings for tours can (ideally) be made in advance or scheduled on board.

The day trips
Each day brings a variety of new outings and adventures to be enjoyed.

Day 1
To kick off the trip in style, I start day one with a trip into Fécamp to visit Le Palais Bénédictine where the glorious Bénédictine liqueur has been produced for hundreds of years – first by monks at the Fécamp Abbey in the 1500s, and consequently by Alexandre Le Grand, who inherited a list of ingredients and rough recipe for the drink found among holy manuscripts. With 27 herbs and spices required, their quantities were vague, so much experimentation was required before developing the golden amber drink we have known and loved for many years. It was fascinating to learn of Le Grand’s entrepreneurial approach to marketing and distributing Bénédictine, and even more fun to finish the tour by whipping up a couple of fabulous cocktails.

In the afternoon, after a quick and delicious lunch on board, I was back on the bus and off to enjoy a guided walking tour of Honfleur, a charming maritime city in Calvados, Normandy. The Vieux Bassin (old harbour) is lined with 16th- to 18th-century townhouses, jostling together in a colourful array. Mediaeval cobbled streets are cluttered with charming shops, galleries and eateries, and it’s easy to see why this pretty location was a drawcard for painters such as Monet and Boudin. While there, we visited The Church of Sainte- Catherine, a 15th-century structure and one of the largest wooden churches in France, featuring vaulted timber sides echoing shapes familiar to the boat builders who constructed it. While strolling the streets it is advisable to sample, and buy, a bottle of locally made Calvados. It is in Honfleur that I stumbled across the Michelin-rated restaurant Entre Terre et Mer, renowned for its cuisine and remarkable wine list with vintages from 1929 to today.

Day 2
The next day saw two full-day tours on offer. One to see memorials and the landing beaches of Normandy, including Omaha. The other, which I joined, was to see the British and Canadian museums and memorials. Juno Beach was one of the five Allied forces landing beaches on 6 June 1944 during the Second World War. Taking Juno was the responsibility of the First Canadian Army, with sea transport, mine sweeping, and a naval bombardment force provided by the Royal Canadian Navy and the British Royal Navy – as well as other Allied navies. New Zealand pilots lent support from the air.

A contemplative day, it was sobering to stand on the long beach, imagining the young soldiers navigating partially submerged beach obstacles in their attempt to make shore, with hundreds losing their lives in the process, and in the ensuing battle.

Day 3
With the options of a walking or cycling tour around the city of Rouen or an excursion to the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the third morning saw me resting in bed, thanks to a travel bug that I had picked up en route to France. Fortunately, the supremely comfortable bed in my suite provided the perfect spot to snooze, recover and rally, ready for my afternoon’s scheduled adventure on a macaron-making excursion in Rouen. This experience led me to believe that the concept of the arrogant French chef couldn’t be further from the truth, as the utterly charming Arnaud Houley, a pastry chef with over 30 years’ experience at Faites-le Vous- même, led his class of 15 Avalon Waterways guests through the art of making perfect macarons. With a twinkle in his eye and a cheeky smile, he taught us to wield a balloon whisk for textured egg whites, guided us through his way to fold in the almonds and sugar then add colour before loading up our piping bags to produce colourful macaron orbs. Once fillings were made, macarons baked and cooled and successfully sandwiched with either chocolate, caramel or berry fillings, small carry boxes were filled with our creations and we ventured back to the ship, as keen to show off our treats as any student on their first day of school.

Day 4
While others took to the Seine in kayaks or to hill tracks for hiking, I went to Château de La Roche-Guyon a 12th-century castle (with significant ‘modern’ tweaks in the 18th century) 9km from Giverny in Val- d’Oise. The castle is sometimes best known for being chosen by German General Field Marshal Rommel, charged with defending the French coasts against an Allied landing, as his headquarters. One stunning feature is a set of four tapestries, based on paintings by the French artist Jean- Francois de Troy. They represent scenes from the life of the Old Testament heroine Esther. The tapestries were commissioned (like the chinoiserie wallpaper featured in other rooms of the castle) by the Duchess of Enville, an enlightened aristocrat with liberal leanings who inherited the chateau in the late 1700s. With some significant irony, I learned that Rommel often held meetings in the room featuring the tapestries. We finished our tour with a tasting of regional apple juice and a sampling of fresh brioche slathered in homemade jams – an absolute delight.

In the afternoon we were off to the famous Giverny, where Impressionist painter Claude Monet lived and worked from 1883 until he died in 1926. The artist’s former home and elaborate gardens, where he produced his famed water lily series, are now the Fondation Claude Monet Museum. On a sunshiny spring Saturday the gardens were packed with throngs of visitors, but nothing could detract from the beautiful gardens, designed and commissioned by Monet as subjects for his art. There are two: one grown around lily ponds, bamboo-studded with a Japanese theme, featuring lilies that Monet had planted in pots, sunk into the water so that they wouldn’t float around and disrupt the consistency of his paintings. The other, the Clos Normand, is an explosion of flowers planted in a cohesive range of colours, with nasturtiums and roses and a mélange of daffodils, tulips, narcissus, iris, poppies, peonies and more.

Day 5
With a keen interest in anything food-related, I set off on day five to Château de Chantilly.

In 1560, architect Jean Bullant designed the 20,000-acre estate for a member of François I’s court, High Constable Anne de Montmorency. A 270-acre portion of the grounds was planned by André Le Nôtre, the landscape artist for Versailles, and while anyone who hasn’t seen Versailles before should plan a trip, I relished the opportunity to see this gorgeous castle and its grounds without the crowds of tourists that Versailles attracts.

The château is an architectural masterpiece and represents a grand vision for an estate of the period. The stables, adorned with statuary, were built to hold 240 horses and 300 hunting dogs as well as grooms and equipment. Chippendale woodwork appears in multiple rooms in the Clinchamp wing and the Musée Condé possesses an incredible collection of Old Master paintings that rival many of the greatest museum collections. While in Chantilly, it would seem churlish not to have a crack at making the famous Chantilly Cream, and it was in a room off the vast stables that our small group gathered to whip cream (again with a mighty balloon whisk), add sugar and vanilla, then top with berry sauce.

Day 6
Paris. Ahhh what better way to start a morning in Paris than with a walking tour to sample some typical foodie delights? And so it was that I found myself, within the space of a few hours, gorging on the flakiest, most buttery croissants, followed by exquisitely chocolate-glazed, chocolate crème pâtissiere- filled éclairs before squeezing in one perfect pistachio macaron.

We wandered the streets of the über-chic 6th arrondissement Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Here you will find the famous eateries Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore, which were regular meeting spots for the Paris literary and artistic packs of the 20th century. Writers, painters, sculptors and musicians came here to work, converse, and find warmth and inspiration. It was an outrageous thought to be walking the same streets as famous figures Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Boris Vian, Guillaume Apollinaire, Albert Camus and even Pablo Picasso.

With an afternoon free to roam I trekked across Paris to the wildly fashionable Le Marais district in the 4th arrondissement, also known as SoMa (South Marais), a place filled with hip boutiques, galleries, and bars. Once the city’s Jewish quarter, the area still hosts numerous kosher restaurants. The exquisitely picturesque, grassy Place des Vosges is home to elegant arcades and the Musée Victor Hugo, where the writer lived.

I happily ventured into my favourite Paris homewares and fashion store, Le Merci. It has bath and table linen, tableware, men’s and women’s clothing and accessories, furniture and the chic Used Book Café, featuring a menu that revisits the classics of Parisian bistros such as the iconic croque monsieur or soft-boiled eggs and their mouillettes, not to mention the comforting pot-au-feu. A must-visit for any keen foodie or entertainer.

Evenings on board
While days are spent roaming the countryside on either side of the Seine River, evenings provide an opportunity to rest up (or not depending on the night’s activities) on board. Each dinner is available ‘bistro-style’ in the Panorama Lounge, where guests can serve themselves with as much or as little as they fancy, while ‘downstairs’ in the Dining Room, a four-course meal is served to diners alongside a range of local, regional wines. Once dinner is finished, guests can either retire or join in the fun with different activities – from quizzes to karaoke night, a dance-off and a dance exhibition. On the final evening, a Gala dinner was followed by a dazzling show performed by can-can dancers, ‘ably’ assisted by a selection of guests. Cue uproarious laughter and memorable photos.

The guests
With a range of nationalities – from American to Singaporean to Aussie, and in our case a particularly large and utterly charming group from Winnipeg, Canada – the guests range in age from their 40s to 80s, with most on our cruise in their 60s and 70s. Given ours was the ‘active cruise’ most are fit, able and ready for action, whether that is climbing castle steps, pedalling a bike over cobblestones, having a crack at the microphone on karaoke night or giving our team a hiding on quiz night. At dish we host regular dining events, and the guests onboard “Avalon Tapestry II” reminded me of our evenings together.

With a sense of camaraderie and (appropriate) joie de vivre, guests get to know one another, pair up in groups during outings and share banter and tales, forming friendships that will continue long after the cruise has ended. Fran from Winnipeg (to my mind the Martha Stewart of Canada) would cheerfully remind me to grab my knitting before jumping on one of the longer bus rides, while Barb and Jack from Chicago (who both celebrated birthdays while on the tour), would chivvy me into remembering my earpiece, tour tag and camera before joining the group. Whenever tour guides would ask where their groups were from, one member would always call out ‘And one from NEW ZEALAND!’ before asking me all about dish, eagerly flipping through the few magazines I had taken with me. Having never been on a cruise before, I wasn’t sure how I would find journeying with so many others, but with plenty of privacy to be found in the bedroom suites, or one of the many comfy indoor or outdoor spots on the ship, the company is only as fulsome as guests would like it to be.

The guides
While no two guides are the same, they all share a passion for their task – an impressive feat given the number of times they must encourage their groups to soak up the knowledge they are hoping to share. Many have a verbal cue that gets them going, as none are native English speakers, several ask a question to provide the answer as a way of keeping the narrative going while others have a phrase they repeat for the same purpose. One had the habit of peppering his patter with ‘Naaaaaaaa, actually...’ to keep his rhythm rolling. Their English is, however, excellent and it is via them that we learn so much, enhancing our daily adventures enormously.

The food and wine
There is certainly no excuse to go hungry while staying onboard the “Avalon Tapestry II” – each morning an extensive buffet breakfast is available with a dedicated egg station, offering poached, fried or gently nudged into perfect omelettes with a selection of fillings. Light lunches are available in the Panorama Lounge while the restaurant features a carving station alongside table service of everything from Ham and Cheese Ciabatta to Pan-fried Trout with Beurre Mousseline. Most guests gather for the evening four-course dinner in the restaurant although the upstairs buffet is also available for those who’d rather quickly help themselves. The meal consists of a starter, soup, main and dessert and each day both the food menu and wine offerings are switched up to maintain variety. Items such as Sautéed Frogs’ Legs, Salad Lyonnaise and Tartelet aux Pommes are highlighted on the menu as local specialties. The menu also caters to a range of dietary requirements and includes an Avalon Fresh option for those keeping an eye on calories while away from home and faced with so much temptation!

CLICK HERE TO FIND A COLLECTION OF OUR FRENCH-INSPIRED RECIPES.