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What a terrific time it is to visit Europe... again. Almost as good as it was when the U.S. dollar commanded nearly 10 French francs, back in the early days of the Reagan administration, before the euro. It’s not quite that good now, but with the euro/dollar exchange rate hovering near equity, this may be another of those

golden opportunities that come up once, or maybe twice, in a lifetime of travel. Adding to the EURO

LOG

2016

BY JAMES BUCKLEY

A TIME FOR EUROPE favorable rate of exchange is the news that fewer people are traveling to France. Traffic seems to have gone down some 10 to 15 percent in 2016, and so far (though it’s early) 2017 bookings are minimal again. Which means, of course, that prices are down, crowds are thinned out, hotel rooms have opened up, and, well, if one chooses the area to visit, some of the lingering negative aspects of the international situation (threats of terrorism, et cetera) can also be avoided.

My favorite parts of France – Brittany (Bretagne), Normandy (Normande), and Burgundy (Bourgogne) – remain “French” in the best sense of the word. Frenchmen and Frenchwomen in and around the towns where the D-Day landing beaches are located still remember American GIs fondly, while Bretagne remains a cultural bed of French civilization, and Bourgogne rides high as the gastronomic

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of St. Jean de Losne. We were invited back by the Macraes, who have expanded their horizon by adding a river cruise to their popular canal cruise. Rory headed up Orient Express’s river tours for 10 years before launching his own business and Caroline worked for and with him. In my column two years ago, the question was posed if I had the opportunity, would I do it again, and my response was “In a heartbeat.” Well, be still my beating heart: our invitation was to join Apres Tout on its maiden river (as opposed to canal) cruise. We may join the Macraes once again this year; their elegant boat and their unparalleled hospitality has become a magnet and a central focus of our trips to Europe.

What follows is a brief itinerary of Apres Tout’s innovative and intimate river cruise:

SUNDAY – LYON, ARRIVALWe arrived in Lyon by train via the Chunnel direct from

London, with a transfer in Lille. We stayed at the Sofitel Bellecour in Lyon and were picked up by our estimable host/tour guide Glen Moynan and transferred to Apres Tout, moored in Lyon, not far from the hotel, whereupon we were greeted with a

champagne reception and reacquainted with Rory, Caroline, and Hannah Sheridan (Glen was Nick Borland’s replacement). In France it is always about the food and Caroline, being a Cordon Bleu chef, had arranged the first of five four-course dinners aboard. Each course is matched by an equally compatible wine, and cheese (always three choices, always French, almost always of the region) followed by dessert and after-dinner drinks – weather permitting, served under the stars on the teak deck. We cruised through the heart of Lyon as an array of lights illuminate France’s second city as night descends.

Romance, anyone?

MONDAY – DISCOVERING THE CITY OF LYONThe ancient city of Lyon (it was one of the three Roman

capitals of Gaul) is, along with the entire district of Bourgogne, the gastronomic heart of France. Lyon had also been, curiously enough, the center of France’s silk industry and dominated that business for hundreds of years, finally giving way to the Chinese mid-20th century. We spent a couple hours marveling at the city’s Roman ruins, rambling through the narrow medieval cobblestoned streets, now bustling with unique shops and boutiques.

One of those “shops” is called Vers a Soie (“silkworms” in French). It is more than a shop; it is a “silk factory” that features displays of various stages of silkworms, very much alive and squirming, outside and in, from larva to cocoon. Silk maker Bernard Perret, even though busy crafting and painting a large silk item for clothing designer Versace, took the time to explain what he does. As he spoke, he was actually making silk thread. He dropped a silkworm cocoon into a pot of warm water and unspooled the creature’s carefully crafted refuge slowly and proficiently as he laid out his lifelong passion for silk.

Mr. Perret took a shine to Helen (who speaks excellent French, although with an American accent; she was born in France but has lived in the U.S. for more than 40 years) and plied us with an excellent bottle of sparkling Crémant, made in a similar fashion to Champagne but... not Champagne.

After lunch on board the Apres Tout, we cruise up the Saone

to the village of Montmerle on the edge of the Beaujolais region, passing not only the tranquil and verdant shores of provincial France dotted with modest homes, castle-like estates, and “beach” resorts. Along the way, we pass far larger craft hauling lumber, grains, and tourists. France’s main highways right up until the end of World War II and beyond have always been its navigable rivers, which crisscross the country from north to south, south to north, and from east to west.

The ancient Roman city of Lyon is where the Apres Tout river cruise begins, as Glen Moynan introduces us to the first of many bottles of wine;

Hannah Sheridan ponders the first cheeses of the upcoming trip

Outside the Vers a Soie shop in the old city of Lyon is a small display with live silkworms building their cocoons

Silk fabricator and Vers a Soie proprietor Bernard Perret displays his latest creation, destined for a Versace showroom

TUESDAY – CRUISE TO MACONAfter breakfast on board (which always features fresh

croissants, brioches, various breads, fruits, yoghurt, espresso, tea, and regular coffee, eggs if one wishes...) we travel by van (there are just four of us, plus Glen, the driver) to Michele and Michel Mellet’s farm, in the heart of the Beaujolais (michel.mellet0559@orange.fr), where we join Michel and his grandson Jules, in their calèche – a traditional cart pulled by two handsome workhorses. We clip-clop through the countryside overlooking the vineyards of Beaujolais, taste some of this region’s wines, and join the Mellets for cheese and more wine on their private patio before heading back to the barge for a late lunch. An afternoon cruise to Mâcon finishes the day. Dinner was cep mushroom ravioli with a truffle sauce, fillet of pork with a prune reduction sauce, potato

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or bottles on the stage, which is indeed very close. Before the performances began, the host actor asked for a show of hands as to how many had been here before, and about two-thirds raised their hands. This was not a tourist crowd.

WHAT SHAKESPEARE HAS WROUGHT

When the lights dimmed, the host actor announced that the troupe had chosen one of their own, randomly –

which they do before every performance – and then illustrated with empty bottles and glasses what and how much that actor has drunk so far. This evening, the actress Louise Lee is playing the role of Helena, and, while already slightly intoxicated, she is encouraged to consume more alcohol during the performance. Audience members have been supplied with a bugle and other items with which to stop the play and at various intervals insist that the actor/actress have another drink. The woman directly in front of me, in the first row, was given a large bucket and instructed to rush onto the stage at the first sign that the performer was about to hurl.

As the play progressed, the other actors – dressed in dignified Shakespearean-era garb – maintained their lines and impeccable Early English accents as their sh!t-faced compatriot began losing hers. The results were hilarious, and though Louise Lee’s Helena drifted away from the bard’s actual words in muddled disarray, she stayed with the broader intent of Mr. Shakespeare’s creation in a most remarkable way.

If you find yourself in London and feel like seeing “something completely different,” you will likely find a play or performance that appeals, as shows at the Leicester Square Theatre change regularly. This November, for example, you could have enjoyed Gatsby, a musical “inspired” by the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. “Audiences are invited to dress up,” we are informed, “sip cocktails and immerse themselves in the dreams, the glamour, the magic and the excess, and ultimately the tragedy of this iconic story.” Later, as the end of December nears, you are invited to a “night of festive filth” as Adam Kay sings his Smutty Christmas Songs.

The Leicester Square Theatre, at 6 Leicester Place, is a short walk from the Leicester Square tube station on the Northern & Piccadilly line, or a slightly longer walk from the more central Charing Cross station. The good news is that Much Ado About Nothing will be the featured Sh!t-Faced Shakespeare production from 11 April to 16 September 2017.

To learn more, go online to leicestersquaretheatre.com or call them: 020-7734-2222 or 020-7534-1740.

If you’re willing to stretch your imagination and don’t mind the occasional retching of one of the cast members, you’ll have fun.

TOURING AROUND

Jamie’s Union Jacks is an outdoor pub and pizza joint hard against Covent Garden. We had an excellent mushroom

pizza here, along with a pint of hard cider and 1/2 pint of IPA, both of which were tasty and not terrible pricey. All the shops on the periphery of Covent Garden use the same public restrooms (WCs: Water Closets) in which the toilets and sinks are not only ancient, but are embossed with the seal of the company that made them: The Thomas Crapper Company; the original

Henry Facey was a standout “busker” who entertained a small but growing crowd on St. Martin’s Lane in London and delivered an impassioned yet mellow concert, consisting exclusively of original material that he’d written (photo credit: Felix Makarowski)

These folks were actually outside near the Globe Theatre in Dockside, London, but evidence of serious security abounded in, around, and near all government buildings and tourist attractions

company, I believe, that invented the flush toilet. Nearby, on St. Martin’s Lane, self-accompanied buskers

congregate and play; singer-songwriter Henry Facey (henryfacey.com) sang his own material and played guitar. Go to his website; he’s quite good.

BREAKFAST

For me it was a double espresso, croissant, and a raisin “Danish”; Helen went for a “white” coffee and croissant,

nibbling half my Danish. Always in a Pret a Manger (Ready To Eat), a chain that has sprung up all over London and Paris and which serves up a quite good assortment of breakfast and lunch items, excellent tea and coffee, and are nearly always packed.

PARLIAMENT TOUR

Security is extensive upon entering the Parliament grounds, policemen with large automatic weapons abound. Visitors

must remove everything from pockets, and belts come off just as if one is boarding a plane. We opted for a guided tour, (limited

to 25 or so), rather than a self-guided recording. Curiously, Guy Fawkes, the man hanged, drawn, and quartered in 1606, a couple months after attempting to blow up the very building – or at least what was then the House of Lords – we are about to visit; (November 5 [1605] is celebrated as “Guy Fawkes Day,” and youngsters create effigies of the felon and often sit in the street asking for “A Penny For The Guy”); over the past decade or so, Halloween has become as big in England as it is in the U.S., and “Trick or Treat” has begun to overshadow Mr. Fawkes’s notoriety.

Still, one can purchase a little Guy as a Christmas tree ornament, a can of “Treason Porter” beer and “Gunpowder Mustard,” which sells itself as an “explosive preparation.” There are also tins of “House of Commons” handmade mint creams that make excellent housewarming gifts. We visited both the House of Lords and the House of Commons, which can accommodate up to 427 members “depending upon the size of their bottoms,” as our guide, who proved to have been an excellent additional expenditure, advised us.

DINNER IN LONDON

You will not be disappointed if you make your way to Dean’s Townhouse at 69 Dean Street. It’s a popular, noisy, semi-

dressy (sports jackets and slacks) local eatery, populated with mostly 25-to-45-year-old upwardly mobile types. If you do, you must order the unusual and tasty Pea Fritter with Poached (Bulford) Egg.

We were told the Haddock Soufflé (which we didn’t order) is the “best in town.”

I believe it.Now, to the Chunnel, and France.

APRES TOUT RIVER TOUR

Two years ago, we spent a week onboard the six-passenger (well, okay, seven in a pinch) converted luxury barge Apres

Tout, owned and operated by Rory and Caroline Macrae, and usually docked on the Saone River in the small Bourgogne village

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The ensuing years brought more viticultural entrepreneurs, led by Fess Parker (TV’s “Davy Crocket”), Brooks Firestone, and Fred Brander, and followed by scores of talented and resourceful vintners. By the turn of the 21st century, Santa Ynez Valley had already become a destination for those who knew wine, but in 2004, the movie “Sideways” not only caused a precipitous drop in sales of Merlot, but also put the valley firmly on the international wine scene.

What with the 120-plus wineries and an equal number of wine tasting rooms, many of them in Solvang, but also scattered around the hills and vales, breweries, music, dining, and shopping (nearly all Santa Ynez Valley boutiques are individually owned; chain stores are nearly non-existent), you’ve got yourself a full weekend, heck, a full week.

SANTA YNEZ VALLEYWEDNESDAY – CRUISE TO TOURNUS

Today, we visit the Pouilly-Fuissé region of Burgundy and visit the Château de Chasselas where the owner escorts us on a tour of his wine facility. On the way, we pass the prehistoric escarpment called Roche de Solutré, where hunters are known to have congregated for more than 25,000 years. Small wine villages appear and disappear along the river as we cruise down the bucolic countryside of southern Burgundy after lunch, arriving

A morning tour of the surrounding Beaujolais vineyards and countryside in a traditional two-horse calèche with Michel Mellet and his grandson Jules

begins our leisurely visit to one of France’s most prolific and picturesque regions

Cruising along the Saone River onboard the Apres Tout allows one to admire close up both the medieval architecture of the surrounding region and its bucolic charms

pancake, and seasonal vegetables. The three cheeses are Bleu de Casses, Neufchatel, and a Beaufort; dessert was a sticky toffee pudding with a warm butterscotch sauce (Caroline is, after all, English). Our wines were appropriately matched.

Our stomachs are full.

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of St. Jean de Losne. We were invited back by the Macraes, who have expanded their horizon by adding a river cruise to their popular canal cruise. Rory headed up Orient Express’s river tours for 10 years before launching his own business and Caroline worked for and with him. In my column two years ago, the question was posed if I had the opportunity, would I do it again, and my response was “In a heartbeat.” Well, be still my beating heart: our invitation was to join Apres Tout on its maiden river (as opposed to canal) cruise. We may join the Macraes once again this year; their elegant boat and their unparalleled hospitality has become a magnet and a central focus of our trips to Europe.

What follows is a brief itinerary of Apres Tout’s innovative and intimate river cruise:

SUNDAY – LYON, ARRIVALWe arrived in Lyon by train via the Chunnel direct from

London, with a transfer in Lille. We stayed at the Sofitel Bellecour in Lyon and were picked up by our estimable host/tour guide Glen Moynan and transferred to Apres Tout, moored in Lyon, not far from the hotel, whereupon we were greeted with a

champagne reception and reacquainted with Rory, Caroline, and Hannah Sheridan (Glen was Nick Borland’s replacement). In France it is always about the food and Caroline, being a Cordon Bleu chef, had arranged the first of five four-course dinners aboard. Each course is matched by an equally compatible wine, and cheese (always three choices, always French, almost always of the region) followed by dessert and after-dinner drinks – weather permitting, served under the stars on the teak deck. We cruised through the heart of Lyon as an array of lights illuminate France’s second city as night descends.

Romance, anyone?

MONDAY – DISCOVERING THE CITY OF LYONThe ancient city of Lyon (it was one of the three Roman

capitals of Gaul) is, along with the entire district of Bourgogne, the gastronomic heart of France. Lyon had also been, curiously enough, the center of France’s silk industry and dominated that business for hundreds of years, finally giving way to the Chinese mid-20th century. We spent a couple hours marveling at the city’s Roman ruins, rambling through the narrow medieval cobblestoned streets, now bustling with unique shops and boutiques.

One of those “shops” is called Vers a Soie (“silkworms” in French). It is more than a shop; it is a “silk factory” that features displays of various stages of silkworms, very much alive and squirming, outside and in, from larva to cocoon. Silk maker Bernard Perret, even though busy crafting and painting a large silk item for clothing designer Versace, took the time to explain what he does. As he spoke, he was actually making silk thread. He dropped a silkworm cocoon into a pot of warm water and unspooled the creature’s carefully crafted refuge slowly and proficiently as he laid out his lifelong passion for silk.

Mr. Perret took a shine to Helen (who speaks excellent French, although with an American accent; she was born in France but has lived in the U.S. for more than 40 years) and plied us with an excellent bottle of sparkling Crémant, made in a similar fashion to Champagne but... not Champagne.

After lunch on board the Apres Tout, we cruise up the Saone

to the village of Montmerle on the edge of the Beaujolais region, passing not only the tranquil and verdant shores of provincial France dotted with modest homes, castle-like estates, and “beach” resorts. Along the way, we pass far larger craft hauling lumber, grains, and tourists. France’s main highways right up until the end of World War II and beyond have always been its navigable rivers, which crisscross the country from north to south, south to north, and from east to west.

The ancient Roman city of Lyon is where the Apres Tout river cruise begins, as Glen Moynan introduces us to the first of many bottles of wine;

Hannah Sheridan ponders the first cheeses of the upcoming trip

Outside the Vers a Soie shop in the old city of Lyon is a small display with live silkworms building their cocoons

Silk fabricator and Vers a Soie proprietor Bernard Perret displays his latest creation, destined for a Versace showroom

TUESDAY – CRUISE TO MACONAfter breakfast on board (which always features fresh

croissants, brioches, various breads, fruits, yoghurt, espresso, tea, and regular coffee, eggs if one wishes...) we travel by van (there are just four of us, plus Glen, the driver) to Michele and Michel Mellet’s farm, in the heart of the Beaujolais (michel.mellet0559@orange.fr), where we join Michel and his grandson Jules, in their calèche – a traditional cart pulled by two handsome workhorses. We clip-clop through the countryside overlooking the vineyards of Beaujolais, taste some of this region’s wines, and join the Mellets for cheese and more wine on their private patio before heading back to the barge for a late lunch. An afternoon cruise to Mâcon finishes the day. Dinner was cep mushroom ravioli with a truffle sauce, fillet of pork with a prune reduction sauce, potato

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We tool too fast through the villages and vineyards of what is now Côte Chalonnaise. As evening approaches, we head back to Apres Tout, now moored safely in its home port in Saint-Jean-de-Losne, where we partake of a five-course dinner of roast tomato soup, escargots, fillet of quail au jus, three cheeses, three wines, and a fresh fruit dessert.

SATURDAY – BACK TO PARTS UNKNOWNAfter breakfast, we say our goodbyes to the crew

and disembark, we to Honfleur in Normandy, our boating companions Jim and Diane to Paris and home.

THE SPLURGE: PARK HOTEL VITZNAU

Before we left the U.S., I knew I wanted to stay on a lake somewhere, preferably in the French-speaking region of

Switzerland. Coincidentally, I ran into a friend at Educated Car Wash on Upper State Street in Santa Barbara who asked what I had planned for the summer. I told him we’d be in Europe for six weeks and I was hoping to find a special place on a lake. He had just returned from a trip and described what I learned was the 113-year-old Park Hotel on Lake Lucerne in Vitznau, Switzerland. This was our “splurge,” and it turned out to be one of the most memorable three-day stays of our many visits to Europe.

The Park Hotel Vitznau has only been opened and operated by the current management since 2012 after a three-year, $110-million renovation. Its 47 residences, suites, and junior suites each have a name: we stayed in the Shiller Suite, so

named in tribute to Nobel laureate Professor of Economics at Yale, Robert J. Shiller; the suite overlooked all of Lake Lucerne and the mountains beyond. Next door was the Schumpeter Suite, in honor of Viennese-born Harvard economist Joseph A. Schumpeter.

THE SHILLER SUITE

Double doors open into a foyer (complete with lavatory) that’s larger than a standard motel room; a vision of Lake

Lucerne hits one upon entering the suite, as if it is an over-sized television version of what Switzerland looks like. But it’s real, though there are two large HDTV sets, one in the anteroom and another in the bedroom. The floor-to-ceiling windows leading out to the patios (we have a large and deep patio off the 250-sq-ft bedroom and one of the same size off the 250-sq-ft anteroom or lounge area) are heavily draped; ceiling is 11 or 12 feet high (these are all my estimates). A roomy shower boasts a large rainfall head and a hand-held spray. A square on the shower floor indicates exactly where the water will fall, so when you first enter, you won’t be pelted with cold water, or any water, until you are ready.

And, you should be sitting down for this: the minibar comes with the price of the room. There is no charge for what you take. There is a freezer in the fridge and thoughtful half-bottles of red

and white wine that are replaced when empty.You’ll not go hungry here, as a mountainous breakfast comes

with the price of your room or suite. Breakfast includes fresh honey off a honeycomb from a beekeeper, stewed apricots, fresh mangoes, watermelon, various freshly baked breads and pastries, eggs and omelets, bacon and ham, yogurt, muesli, breakfast cereals, raisins, pumpkin seeds, all-bran, pistachios, nuts, cranberries. It is a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach, and one can choose to eat indoors or outside overlooking the lake.

For dinner, you can choose between the two-star Michelin Restaurant focus (chef Nenad Mlinarevic) or its one-star Michelin companion PRISMA, featuring chef Patrick Mahler.

We chose PRISMA and had an absolutely stunning meal, beginning with a freshly made duck liver terrine, along with duck liver ice cream with sweet corn, peach and smoked almonds; my main course was sautéed guinea fowl breast and braised leg, with fava beans, trevisano, and summer truffles; Helen opted for veal with roasted saddle and glazed sweetbread with cauliflower and orange rapeseed foam. Dessert was a cucumber-passion fruit sorbet with a lemon cake and sour cream. Hazelnut balls and a lemon macaroon finished us off.

When we asked our waitress what the local fish was, she had to explain that since the lake is so clean there is very little for fish to eat; consequently, only small fish reside there.

Go. Eat. Luxuriate.

Docked and readied for our departure, the Apres Tout takes its place on the canal system once again

One thing to remember (among many) is that a cruise aboard a craft such as Apres Tout allows one to spend time with one’s companions discoursing on life, love, and in our case (as this was August 2016) the upcoming U.S. election. Lucky for us and our shipmates, we agreed on the candidate.

Aboard the Apres Tout, there is absolutely no need for “entertainment,” other than Rory, Caroline, Hannah, and Glen, all of whom offer up their own brand of hospitality with a great sense of humor and humility, along with an enormous catalog of historical information about the region, its wine, its food, and its beauty.

To learn more about Apres Tout’s canal and river cruises, you are invited to visit their website: www.bargeaprestout.com.

The 100-year-old paddlewheel steamer Uri, along with the Schiller, make regular trips across Lake Lucerne a number of times a day

The ferry landing in the Swiss town of Vitznau Our view from the patio of the Shiller Suite in Park Hotel Vitznau

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AMERICAN FUNDING

in the ancient riverside town of Tournus where the 11th-century Abbey of St Philibert dominates.

We are docked along the quay and walk to our dinner destination: Le Quartier Gourmand, a restaurant headed up by Michelin-starred chef Robert Jacquet, who served up virtually all my favorite French dishes: escargot served both naturally, covered in garlic, and deep-fried in a shell with a hint of mint and butter on a bed of celeriac with red wine reduction sauce and a little bit of chocolate and spice. The escargots came with a freshly made crisp, covered with grated Parmesan cheese, a little sugar, and surrounded by chervil; next was a Quenelle de Brochet (a creamy fish dish – made from pike – that U.S. chef Michael Hutchings conjured for me during one segment of his TV show, The Inn Crowd, at my request); the region’s justly famous Poularde de Bresse; a selection of cheeses, and for dessert: Soufflé au Chocolat, appropriately light and dddelicious (or should I say délicieux?). Our stomachs are indeed full... of the wonders of French cuisine.

We waddle back to the boat.

THURSDAY – CRUISE TO CHALON SUR SAÔNEIn Chalon sur Saône, we disembark for lunch at Chateau

du Chamiery and imbibe some of its wine. We drive through the vineyards of Mercurey, then explore the city of Chalon and

Michelin-star chef Robert Jacquet served up a royal treat at Le Quartier Gourmand in the thousand-year-old town of Tournus; with him are

Caroline and Rory MacraeThe six-passenger Apres Tout glides by a 120-passenger river cruiser

Driving these World War II-era Jeeps through the vineyards and back roads of Cote Chalonnaise near the village of Seurre was... an experience

Cathedral Square. Dinner on board is chicken liver pate, fillet of cod, fresh pasta and seasonal vegetables; cheeses are Minalette, Selles sur Cher, and Citeaux; dessert was a specially made (by Caroline, as is everything we eat) white chocolate panna cotta.

FRIDAY – CRUISE TO SEURREUp the River Saone we continue, this time to stop in the

vineyards around the village of Seurre and, after lunch, to jump into one of two World War II-era Jeeps (I drove one of them).

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