Dijon - Besançon

July 17, 2010

Saturday                                                                                                                          Dijon  -- Ouges

Meet at Dijon Railway Station at 4:15 p.m.  Coach Transfer to Lorraine Moored at the lock in the village of Ouges.  Welcome coctail on board and orientation of the boat.  There will be time for walking the tow path or bicycling the nearby terraine.  This is a flat area.   At 7 p.m. you will experience your first Gourmet dinner on board.

After your first buffet breakfast on board you will board our bus once again for a drive back into Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, for a walking tour.  You will make a stop at the marketplace in city center. You will return to Lorraine at lunch time and have lunch on board while your crew continues cruising to Ste Jean de Losne, the barging center of France.  There are more live aboard boats located in and around Ste Jean de Losne than any other place in France. Many are American and British.  This is a great village to explore on your own and talk with some of the live aboards.  The American Actor Darren McGavin was one of them 30 years ago.

This morning we will begin with a short cruise up the River Saone before turning into the Rhone-Rhine canal.  After entering the canal once again there is ample opportunity for walking or cycling along the tow path, perhaps discovering some of the nearby picturesque village along the way.   We will arrive in Dore in the afternoon and begin a tour of this very attractive city which overlooks the river.  In the old town we will visit the home where Louis Pasteur was born.  It has been converted into a museum.  Then we will tour old town stopping at the Collegiate Church of Our Lady which was built in the 1300's.
 

This morning we leave Dole to cruise up an enchanting stretch of the river Doubs to Ranchot.  On the way we will visit a the Royal Saltworks of Arc et Senans.  This is an extraordinary example of an 18th Century industrial architecture and has been selected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  This region is also a producer of excellent but less famous French wines.  We will visit the Jura wine capital of Arbois and you will have a chance to taste truly superb wines.

This morning we cruise up the river Doubs to the little village of Thoraise where we moor  in a delightful country setting.  Today's excursion is to the Loue valley and the breathtakingly beautiful riverside town of Ornans.  Here we will visit a museum dedicated to the famous locally born impressionist painter Gustave Courbet.

Today we will continue to cruise up the meandering Doubs , to the majestic town of Besançon..  UNESCO added the citadel which was built by the famous military architect Vauban, the ancient city walls, and Fort Griffon. to its list of World Heritage Sites.  You will have a guided walking tour of all these places plus spend a delightful time in Old Town with buildings dating from the middle ages. During this tour you will visit St John's Cathedral, and see the extraordinary astronomical clock.

Of course it is Thursday, our last day of cruising.  Tonight is our Gala farewell dinner..
 

After Breakfast you will be transported back to Besancon Train Station to arrive there before Noon.
 

Special price for this cruise is $2000 per person dbl.   It's operation is assured.