Loire Cruises » Nymphea
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Nymphea has three comfortable cabins providing two twin-bedded staterooms and one twin or double stateroom all with en-suite facilities. Nymphea is 81ft long by 14ft wide. The dining saloon is decorated in a warm classic decor of rich varnished hard woods, stained glass and brass light fittings which provides a welcoming country house atmosphere. There are six bikes aboard for independent exploring, and an air-conditioned minibus for daily excursions.
The Loire is France's longest river. It has been a major waterway since Neanderthal man fashioned boats from tree trunks to export their flint tools up and down stream. Then came the ancient Romans, who founded cities along its bank. From around the year 1500 French nobility fell in love with this stunning landscape, building some of the most fabulous Châteaux in the world. No surprise the entire stretch of water between Angers, Blois, Orleans (associated with Joan of Arc) and Tours, known locally as the Valley of the Kings, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Today the Loire Valley offers tourists a voyage of discovery and delight. But to really appreciate the highlights a compact vessel is essential — and when it comes to seeing the very best of the best the 3 cabin 6-berth Nymphea is in a class of her own. For example, no other Hotel Barge on the French Waterways can take you right underneath the most famous Château in the world — the legendary Chenonceau.
Food and fine wine is fundamental to the French way of life. We have a gourmet chef on board Nymphea who oversees the menu — which changes with the seasons to ensure everything you eat is as fresh as it can be — and the incredible cheese board. The wines of the Loire are famous worldwide. Muscadet, Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé are signature whites, whilst the red wines around Chinon, made from the Cabernet Franc grape, are increasingly notable. Suffice to say our cellar is renowned throughout the area to ensure that every meal is accompanied by the finest local wines — you'll never have the same one twice during your cruise.
Nymphea has three comfortable cabins providing two twin-bedded staterooms and one twin or double stateroom all with en-suite facilities. Nymphea is 81ft long by 14ft wide. The dining saloon is decorated in a warm classic decor of rich varnished hard woods, stained glass and brass light fittings which provides a welcoming country house atmosphere. There are six bikes aboard for independent exploring, and an air-conditioned minibus for daily excursions.
Day 1:
We moor at the Moulin de Nitray, an easy 55 minute high speed rail journey from Paris, and when you arrive we'll welcome you with a glass of champagne, tell you a bit about the itinerary and then sit you down and let our chef take over — your taste buds are in for a real treat.
Day 2:
After cruising through two locks we moor up at the quaint little town of Larcay where we lunch under the weeping willows. After lunch it's Châteaux o'clock as we drive to Villandry with its world-famous renaissance gardens. Aperitifs and dinner back on Nymphea.
Day 3:
There are many private Châteaux along this waterway and the only real way to get any real glimpse of them is from the river itself — have your cameras ready as we cruise to the hamlet of Valet with its classic Tourangeau architecture and 18th century watermill. After lunch on board we travel to Amboise to see its Royal Château and the Clos Luce which was the home of Leonardo da Vinci. Dinner is served back on board.
Day 4:
For many today is the highlight of the week. We normally call in to the private landing stage of Domaine de Fontenay for a tasting of their Touraine wines — a perfect aperitif pre-lunch. This afternoon we cruise right under the five-arched gallery at the Château de Chenonceau, moor at Chisseaux and board our minibus to visit the Chxteau itself. This evening we treat you to dinner at one of our favourite local restaurants specialising in regional cooking.
Day 5:
The white tuffeau rock cliffs along the side of this ancient valley were heavily quarried for stone used to build the various Châteaux. They also made for some remarkable underground dwellings, as seen at Bourré, where we disembark for a short walk to La Magnaneraie where the owner's family have lived a somewhat 'troglodyte lifestyle' for many years in what have variously been a quarry, a wine cellar and, most recently, a silkworm nursery After lunch we move on to Valençay to visit one of the most splendid Loire Châteaux, and the home of Napoleon's foreign minister, Talleyrand. Back on board we cruise one more lock, down to Montrichard where we moor for dinner.
Day 6:
It's a prompt start as Montrichard holds one of the best and busiest street markets in Touraine and we wouldn't want you to miss that. Whilst here we wander around the 12th century Château of Foulques Nerra with its dungeon overlooking the medieval town square. If we make good time we can visit our friends the Meriau family to taste their regional Touraine vintages. After lunch we turn downstream, pass once again under the walls of Chenonceau, and arrive at Nitray in time to visit the Château and 'English Rose Garden. Farewell dinner this evening.
Day 7:
After breakfast we say our 'au revoirs' to Nymphea, and transfer you back to St. Pierre des Corps High Speed Railway Station for 9.30
Food and fine wine is fundamental to the French way of life. We have a gourmet chef on board Nymphea who oversees the menu — which changes with the seasons to ensure everything you eat is as fresh as it can be — and the incredible cheese board. The wines of the Loire are famous worldwide. Muscadet, Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé are signature whites, whilst the red wines around Chinon, made from the Cabernet Franc grape, are increasingly notable. Suffice to say our cellar is renowned throughout the area to ensure that every meal is accompanied by the finest local wines — you'll never have the same one twice during your cruise.
Now where should we start — with the food or with the wine? Actually let's start with the wine — every French meal (well, apart from breakfast) starts with an aperitif to sharpen the palate and we're not the sort of Francophiles to break with tradition.
Our favourite wine quote is from Madam Lilli Bollinger, head of the eponymous champagne house, who famously said of her family's famous tipple:
"I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it when I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it. Unless, that is, I'm thirsty."
Naturally we can't exactly have a cellar on our barges, but we take enormous pride in the wine we serve and lovingly store every bottle in our carefully organised wine racks in the cool hold below the waterline. We buy an enormous variety of top quality wines, mostly from vineyards unknown outside the local regions. We match these to every meal to serve you throughout your stay with us.
We have our personal 'quaffing house wine' in the bar for everyday drinking in the saloon or on deck. We also make sure we have a bottle or two of our house champagne or an interesting limited-edition fizz we're excited about. When it comes to meal times however, we pride ourselves on the fact that we will never offer you the same wine twice. Quite simply there is such an amazing variety of incredible wine in France we don't need to. In Burgundy our list includes:
In the Loire where the 'terroir' is different the predominant grape varieties are Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin, Malbec, locally called Cot and the red Cabernet Franc. This gives us a list including:
Finally we'll also offer you great wines from Northern Burgundy, the Cote du Rhone, Maconnais and elsewhere. Best of all we're always finding new winemakers and new wines to add. A week on one of our canal boats is a veritable masterclass in great wines.
As for menus our Chef de Cuisine takes great pride in ensuring your dining experience on board will not only be a feast of the senses but also support our local farmers and growers. This is in the great tradition of French gourmet cuisine. You will be absolutely amazed at the quality of the food that comes from such a small galley kitchen.
We focus on organic and artisan products, and our menus are created according to what's seasonally available. We take the time and attentiveness to select ingredients at markets, directly from producers, and often from the lock-keepers who supply us with eggs, cheese or a basket of 'trompette' mushrooms.
Talk about cheese and you're immediately plunged into a national passion — when in France eat what the French eat and that means cheese. Cheese boards and cheese stall throughout France are beyond legend. Cruise with us for a week and you'll get at least three cheeses on offer every day and never the same one twice. Actually you could cruise with us for a month and every cheese would still be unique.
We're also great foragers — so much in fashion today — so we follow the seasons along the banks and fields and, depending on what time of the year it is, we'll serve you fresh elderberry cordial, wild asparagus, black berry jelly or warm walnut tart. Feel free to join on us on any of our culinary excursions into the hedgerows!
We can't not mention French bread. Of course you can buy 'French bread' the world over but only when you buy from the village boulangerie will you get a real 'baguette' or 'ficelle'. Legend dictates that the baguette was invented by Napoleon for his soldiers — they were given one every morning and it was long and thin so they could carry it in a special pocket in their trousers.
When it comes to mealtimes we serve our gourmet cuisine in the formal dining room. After dinner why not take a digestif upstairs on the front deck and watch for shooting stars?
Be sure to let us know if there is a traditional dish you have always wanted to try or, if you have any dietary requests, we are always happy to try and accommodate your needs.
Nymphea's Cruising Season and Cruise Types
Nymphea's cruising season runs from April to November
6-NIGHT CLASSIC LOIRE CRUISE: Five star experience with fine dining, delicious Burgundy wines and an open bar. Full cruising and touring schedule with driver and minibus (see sample itinerary). Transfers between barge and Paris included. This is the cruise upon which Nymphea's outstanding reputation has been built over the years.
Meeting Point: Your Paris hotel for Loire cruises
PRIVATE CHARTER:
charter for 6 : US$ 32,500
charter for 5: US$ 31,000
charter for 4: US$ 29,500
Honeymoon charter for 2: US$ 28,500
INDIVIDUAL CABINS:
2 passengers , US$ 11,500
Single Supplement, US$2,300
INCLUDED: