Pivoine

A transfer agent will meet your party in late morning in the lobby of your Paris hotel, chauffeur you to the Paris Gare de Lyon Train Station and provide First Class tickets on a mid-day TGV train to Avignon Centre Station. As you alight, Pivoine crew will be waiting on the platform. It is but a short drive to Pivoine, moored in the charming countryside at Roquemaure.. Toast the start of your adventure with chilled champagne and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a twilight cocktail cruise and the first of many gourmet dinners: A sublime blend of seasonal delicacies, irresistible wines and balmy views.

Starting your journey in Provence this morning, your Tour Guide chauffeurs you to Avignon and introduces this stunning walled city, home of the Popes from 1309-77. Enjoy a private visit to the majestic Palais des Papes, followed by free time to window shop or join the locals at a pavement café and watch the world go by. Return to Pivoine for an afternoon cruise and the day’s second excursion - to Chateauneuf du Pape, summer home of the Popes and equally famous for its stunning wines. Enjoy a tasting at a prestigious winery before returning to Pivoine for another delicious dinner.

Continuing in Provence, begin the day with a leisurely morning cruise on the River Rhone. Laze in the swimming pool on the spacious top deck as villages and idyllic foliage drift by. This afternoon, your Tour Guide presents Arles. With extraordinary Roman ruins, shady boulevards and colorfully painted houses, Arles is best known for inspiring the artist Van Gogh to paint hundreds of works here in1888-89. Return to the barge in late afternoon and anticipate another gourmet dinner onboard.

This morning Pivoine leaves the River Rhone and slips onto the Canal du Rhone et Sete, gateway to the Camargue. Your excursion today takes you to a stunning lavender farm! Photographers alert! Step into a fragrant dreamland where hues of purple paint the landscape and the air is filled with divine scents. This afternoon’s cruise takes you through salt marshes, a haven for pink flamingos and other wildlife on the way to the mooring at Aigues-Mortes. Relive the day over cocktails and dinner on board.

This morning, your guide introduces Aigues-Mortes, from where French king Louis the 9th launched two crusades to the Holy Land. Drenched in fascinating history, the imposing walls and ramparts also reveal a lively hub of shops, markets and cafes. Pivoine then cruises deeper into the wild Camargue - past pink-tinged salt flats and serene lagoons. Once moored at Villeneuve-les-Maguelone, your Tour Guide introduces its impressive cathedral – or, cycle to a secluded beach and dip your toes into the azure Mediterranean Sea! Surrounded by the captivating Camargue landscape, enjoy cocktails and dinner onboard.

Begin the day by boarding an oyster picking boat to glide across the Etang-du-Thau Lagoon, a vast saltwater lake known for its oyster and mussels. Return to shore for an al fresco lunch featuring local delicacies. This afternoon, with your Tour Guide, explore Sete, France’s second biggest port where fisherman offload fresh fish and the intricate network of streets, canals and bridges has led the town to be known as “Venice of the Languedoc.” Back on board, Chef is busy preparing an epicurean Farewell Feast. Relive highlights of your cruise through two beloved regions: The sights, cuisine, and ambiance of Provence and Camargue.

Your party will be transferred to the rail station at Sete for TGV 6202 train departure at 8:27 am, arriving at the Paris Gare de Lyon at 12:22 pm. As you alight, a representative of barge Pivoine will be on the platform to chauffeur your entire party to your Paris hotel or one other location in central Paris.