Dear Ageless Traveler,

This week’s newsletter is the second in the three-part series on my summer travel in 2026. Last week I covered my Ecuadorian adventure in Quito, then on to the Galápagos, the Amazon, and the Andes. This was a heartwarming trip, living mostly with indigenous people, including the Karanki Magdalenas in the Andes and the Kichwa in the Amazon.

After such a spectacular adventure, I took a vastly different turn: relaxing in luxury and equanimity as I barged through the Champagne Valley in France with European Waterways, a floating six-star hotel. This is a pampering, culinary experience like no other. It is also very intimate, with only four cabins on the luxury barge.

It says a lot to me that this is my second time barging (last year it was in Burgundy) and the tenth time (yes, tenth time) that another couple has barged, and the third time for another couple on our 7-day canal journey. There is something addictive about this European Waterways experience.

The canals, rather than the ocean or even a river voyage, do something to your vital systems. You calm down, relax to your very core, and grow languid.

Of course, you have a personal chef, a private guide, and e-bikes at your disposal to explore the beauty of the Thames, the French valleys, the Scottish Highlands, or wherever your chosen route takes you. For us, it was the Champagne Valley of France.

In this week’s accompanying podcast of The Ageless Traveler, I share my very private revelations about what I experienced. And as promised in the podcast, in this newsletter I give you the facts, ma'am, just the facts: the itinerary, the barge description, the pictures I cherish.

Next week's newsletter and podcast concern my 52-mile ramble through the North Lake District of England. It is the last in my summer series. After that, back to basics with interviews and our usual newsletter.

I am researching the best ways to meet you through live streaming as a new addition to The Ageless Traveler, to celebrate our third anniversary in November. Stay tuned.

Never stop traveling

Cheers,

Adriane

P.S. If you have visited the Champagne Region of France please join our Facebook Salon and educate me on the things I should not miss. If you are already a member we would love to read you posts.

European Waterways Barge Trips

What is the European Waterways barge really like?

The Kir Royale is European Waterways' newest Ultra Deluxe hotel barge. It cruises the iconic Champagne region between May and October. Originally built as a World War II beach landing craft, the ship was entirely transformed and remodeled into a luxury floating boutique hotel.

• Accommodation: It hosts a maximum of 8 passengers across 4 large suites. Suites feature contemporary en suit double sinked bathrooms and oversized rainforest showers.
• Crew: An intimate 6-member crew (including a dedicated captain, master chef, tour guide, and hosts) serves the 8 guests on board.
• Amenities: Inside, the vessel offers an airy saloon with bespoke furniture, a piano, a dining area, and a fully stocked bar. Outside, you will find an upper observation deck and a forward sun deck with a heated spa pool.

Rates are fully inclusive, covering chauffeured transfers from Paris, daily gastronomic meals by the onboard chef, an open bar, and private winery excursions. Prices vary by sailing season.

How to get the best deals

Current promotions occasionally offer up to 10% to 20% off specific fall departure dates when booked early through the European Waterways Special Offers Portal.

Here is where we went on the 7-day itinerary along the River Marne and the Canal latéral à la Marne.

We started in Château-Thierry, near Châlons-en-Champagne, after being picked up in Paris.

This is a rare cruise for European Waterways, as it briefly goes on the River Marne, while most others stay only on canals. That makes the itinerary perfect for World War I and II buffs, as well as for the sybaritic lovers of great French food and bubbly.

Like an Impressionist Painting

We enjoyed a private wine tasting at La Maison Ayala in Aÿ, plus tours of the historic World War I battlefields and the American cemetery at Belleau Wood, as we cruised along the peaceful River Marne toward Damery.

At the boutique winery Frerejean Frères in Avize, we indulged in a private tasting paired with an on-site gourmet lunch.

Wine, Wine, Wine

I often visited sights along the canal route by walking at the barge's pace and meeting it at the next lock.

Sights Along the Way

My Culture Vulture side came out during a private tour of Reims and its Gothic architecture, highlighted by the 800-year-old Reims Cathedral, as we explored the grand city squares.

The Cathedral at Reims

Synonymous with champagne, Épernay is where we traverse the Avenue de Champagne and visit the famous cellars of La Maison Boizel.

Hello, from Epernay

Now, these are the facts, ma'am. But the reality is that while you barge, in a cocoon of restful countryside, history, and the best wine, champagne, and food, exchanging repartee with fellow passengers, your brain goes on autopilot and your spirit soars. Experience transforms you, not the places, but the feeling of calm and well-being.

Stu had his sugar-free desserts and I had mine.

In short, European Waterways seems, on the surface, a great luxury trip for great food, wine, and sightseeing with a novel style of transportation. That's true, but there is more. It is a chance, a rare chance in this AI-driven, fast-paced, scrolling world, to find your core again and remember what travel was like in the days when travel was new, and so were you.

Me vegging…you my never see me so relaxed until my next barge trip. Stuart is starting an Instagram next month-“Sitting with Stuart”

On This Week's Podcast Champagne & Slow Travel: A Luxury Barge Adventure

What happens when a lifelong traveler who loves adventure, walking, exploring and moving discovers that sometimes the greatest adventure is slowing down?

In this episode of The Ageless Traveler, I take you aboard a luxury hotel barge through the Champagne Valley of France with European Waterways.

It is intimate, luxurious, delicious and surprisingly transformative. The hotel barges are small and intimate. The Kir Royale accommodates just eight passengers, creating an atmosphere where strangers quickly become friends.