There are worse ways to spend a warm mid-summer afternoon than relaxing under the shade of enormous plane trees on a farm in Provence, tasting homemade jams and traditional olive oils. The confitures burst with the flavours of lemon, fig, raspberry and blood orange. The oil tastes like sunshine in a bottle.
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Our host Patrick Monnier, a handsome farmer and champion of slow cooking, is explaining why oil gleaned from one olive tree should taste different every year, in the same way no two wine vintages are ever the same. We strain forward to listen to him describe the patience it takes to make really good oil – one large olive tree produces just 3-4 litres of oil every year – but his voice is drowned out by the roar of an army of cicadas that have taken up residence in the trees.
With a wry smile, Patrick says the cicadas are like Parisians; they arrive in the south of France for two months a year and serve little purpose.
We are here as part of Back-Roads Touring's Provence canal cruise. Meeting local characters like Patrick, in the decidedly untouristy setting of his family farm, is all part of the charm.
Escorted by Back-Roads guide Erik Jelinek and driver Rachel Watkins, our group of 12 independent travellers set off from the charming Provencal town of Arles. We had met for the first time at Grand Hotel Nord-Pinus, a 1920s boutique hotel with a prime position on the historic square known as Place du Forum. The hotel sits just to the right of the yellow Cafe Van Gogh, built on the spot where Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin lived for a time.
Most of the passengers chose to spend the previous night at the hotel, and by the time Erik and Rachel gather us together on the sunny terrace for a meet and greet, we are in the good spirits that arise from a sound sleep and the anticipation of a leisurely week touring Provence.
Of the 12 passengers, there are seven Brits and five Australians; two men are clearly outnumbered by the women and ages range from 40 to 80. Four birthdays are to be celebrated during the cruise week (one a milestone). Notably, of the 10 female travellers, three are named Sue, while a fourth is a Mrs Susans.
Erik explains the Back-Roads' philosophy as "organised independence". Leave the logistics to the guides and they will take care of accommodation, transport, meals and tours. As passengers, we can do as much or as little as we like.
As Erik outlines the authentic local experiences and culinary discoveries we will be offered over the next seven days, including visits to a bull ranch, a lavender farm, a 13th-century walled town, a village creperie and the brilliant pink salt flats of Aigues-Mortes, excitement builds.
With our suitcases sent ahead in a taxi with Rachel, we follow Erik through Arles' old town, where he stops us on narrow cobblestone streets to point out 2000-year-old Roman monuments.
Rachel meets us at the waterfront in a 20-seater Mercedes luxury coach, and we set off for the 90-minute drive to the fishing village Sete, where our barge is docked.
We strike tourist gold in Sete, witnessing a lively village parade honouring the patron saint of fishermen, followed by a hotly contested water jousting tournament on the canal.
Our lucky timing continues the next day. We arrive in the historic town centre of Pezenas as the sprawling open-air Saturday market hums with activity. Vendors cheerfully hand out samples of flaky brioche and fresh blueberries, shiny olives and salty saucisson.
Cruising at leisurely speeds of 4-5 kilometres an hour along the Canal du Midi and Le Petit Rhone, we spend much of the week in the Languedoc region. Spectacular sights – paddocks of white Camargue horses, fields of sunflowers and lavender, a flamboyance of pink flamingoes – become almost commonplace after a few days, such is their frequency.
Back-Roads has been offering small group tours in Europe since 1990.
This year marks the first time barge holidays in France have been added to their catalogue and next year Back-Roads will also operate canal cruises in Burgundy and Champagne.
Back-Roads charters CroisiEurope barges for the tours; smaller vessels than most avid river cruisers will be accustomed to (11 twin/double cabins are just 10 square metres each, including bathroom), yet they are nicely presented with modern amenities including a spacious roof deck for sunseekers and a jacuzzi hot tub that is in daily use during our cruise.
Our vessel, the MS Anne-Marie, displays both French and British flags. Cruising right after the Brexit vote, we worry there might be booing from the shore as we glide down narrow canals. I am prepared to shout, "Don't blame me, I'm Australian!" A sharp-eyed British passenger notices the Union Jack is hoisted upside down, a sign of distress, and decides that is rather appropriate.
CroisiEurope staff run the ship; on the MS Anne-Marie, we are in the hands of a captain, co-captain and chef (all French), as well as a room attendant and restaurant server.
Hearty meals prepared in a galley kitchen are sent out to an appreciative audience. Breakfast is served buffet-style, a choice of pastries, charcuterie, cheese, boiled eggs and fruit. Lunch and dinner are three-course events, with a local flavour: octopus pie the day we tour a fishing village, for example, and hearty bull stew when we are deep in the Camargue. The chef's tarte tatin is on point.
Cruise director Zoltan, who hails from Hungary, takes charge of keeping our glasses full (the tariff includes local wines, non-premium liquor and non-alcoholic drinks) and gives a nightly lecture on notable French cheeses – 10 cheeses in five days, a Tour de France of fromage.
We savour chaource and morbier, creamy brillat savarin, gooey brie and stinky wet roquefort and my favourite, sainte maure de touraine, the king of goat cheese.
In Zoltan's heavily accented English, descriptions take a comically perplexing turn. What, we wonder, is cosmic cheese? Turns out it is simply cow's milk. Monster cheese are much less intimidating when translated as Muenster.
Meals not eaten on the ship are an opportunity to try local cuisine. In the medieval town of Aigues-Mortes, we dine on fresh salad and crepes stuffed with ham and cheese, while sipping dry cider from thick-rimmed little bowls. At a farmhouse restaurant, we enjoy hearty steaks and slow-cooked beef cheeks, followed by just-picked strawberries and fresh cream. We wash it down liberally with carafes of local table wine that would cost $20 a glass in any Australian capital city.
In an otherwise seamless trip, there are a few minor hitches. The air-conditioning on the coach is slow and ineffectual at cooling down the vehicle; an uncomfortable problem on a string of days when the mercury rarely dips below 34 degrees.
When half the group set off one afternoon to explore the countryside on bikes supplied by the ship, a few return on foot, pushing the bikes and complaining of poor maintenance. And as might be expected, not all excursions engage all passengers; in Bouzigues, a town on the northern shore of the Etang de Thau in Languedoc Roussillon, some passengers schlep around a museum dedicated to the history and techniques of oyster and mussel farming with as much enthusiasm as a gaggle of schoolkids at a potato-growers' convention.
Other days we are rapt with the sights before our eyes: the Pont du Gard, one of the finest Roman aqueducts still in existence; the shockingly pink salt marshes of Aigues-Mortes, spanning thousands of hectares and dating back to antiquity; walled cities and lavish cathedrals from another age. At a ranch deep in the Camargue, we listen as a brooding French cowboy explains the region's long tradition of bull running.
On Back-Roads tours there is an emphasis on gaining a deep understanding of the places visited, of going where few tourists go. As an independent traveller, would I have made the trek to a bull ranch or salt marsh? Distracted by gelato and people-watching in medieval town squares, I probably wouldn't have. I'm very glad we did.
FIVE MORE REASONS TO VISIT PROVENCE
SHOP FOR TRADITIONAL PROVENCE WARES
You'll find these at open-air weekend markets held in most towns throughout the region, including a mega-market in Aix-en-Provence. Colourful textiles, lushly scented soaps and everything lavender make for great souvenirs.
FOLLOW THE ARTIST TRAIL
Top-notch museums celebrate the artists who, inspired by the light and colours of Provence, lived and worked in Aix-en-Provence (Cezanne), Arles (Van Gogh), Antibes (Picasso) and Nice (Matisse).
BREATHE IN THE SWEET FRAGRANT AIR OF GRASSE
This delightful hill town is where perfume has been made for centuries. Perfumeries Fragonard, Molinard and Galimard offer daily tours of their museums and workshops.
FEED YOUR CUISINE CRAVINGS
From bouillabaisse (a Marseille specialty), to zesty tapenade and ratatouille, Provencal cuisine has much in common with popular Italian and Spanish flavours.
LEARN ABOUT PROVENCE'S RICH ROMAN HISTORY
Explore towns where ancient monuments remain. In Orange, the Theatre Antique is a spectacular example of a Roman amphitheatre, while all throughout Nimes are ancient temples, arenas and aqueducts still in use.
TRIP NOTES
MORE INFORMATION
CRUISING THERE
In 2017, Back-Roads Touring will offer three itineraries for travellers to experience life "On the Canals in France". Departures for the Provence cruise along le Canal du Rhone a Sete are scheduled for April 21, July 14 and August 25. Also available: small-group escorted cruises in Champagne and Burgundy. The price for all departures is the same: $4115 per person, twin/double occupancy.
GETTING THERE
From Sydney and Melbourne, fly to Marseille via London with British Airways or via Paris with Air France. From the airport, hop on an SNCF French Rail train (sncf.com) for the 40-minute journey to Arles.
Kristie Kellahan travelled as a guest of Back-Roads Touring.
