ArcaMax

The 12 of us gathered for a sumptuous four-course gourmet dinner, each dish seasoned, served and savored with elan. The artistically folded napkins were rivaled only by the several glasses at each setting aligned to designer specification. The conversation flowed as freely as the wine, laughter bubbling up and over the table like a fine bottle of champagne.

It was hard to believe we had met for the first time just a few hours earlier when we boarded our luxury barge for a weeklong cruise along the waterways of France. This is not a "cruise" as most of the world defines it. The boat is small; the body of water is a canal; there are no swimming pools or discos on deck; shipboard activities range from reading on the sundeck to reading in the parlor area. Yet according to every passenger aboard, the trip not only lived up to but exceeded expectations.

This particular barge, the Nenuphar -- one of four operated by French Country Waterways Ltd. -- lumbers through a beautiful stretch of the Loire Valley on some of the oldest canals in France, dating back to 1604. The waterways wind along tree-lined towpaths, past medieval villages and stately chateaux, rolling fields and vineyards.

All the senses are satiated, but taste and smell predominate, with wine and food the focus of the trip. Both lunch and dinner, exquisitely prepared and presented, are accompanied by a select red and white wine, at dinner exclusively from Grand Cru or Premier Cru vineyards. The de rigueur plat de fromage, a selection of three different cheeses, is served up with as much reverence as the wine.

Each bottle of wine is tenderly caressed as its characteristics are lovingly described prior to serving. The diners are hushed as they learn about the wine's vintage, heritage, blush, fruity nose, supple taste, sweet aroma, lightness, elegance, finesse, its children, hobbies, indiscretions -- whatever.

Comparable homage is paid to the cheese. There's always your basic cow's, goat's and blue varieties, farm fresh, 5 months old, 2 weeks old, square curd, penicillin rind, pasteurized, unpasteurized, mild and nutty, light and fresh, tangy and robust -- this is cheese we're talking about. But once I returned home, I found it hard to look at a glass of wine or wedge of cheese without wanting to know its entire history.

The French take their wine and their cheese very seriously. No doubt if the barge were to sink, the crew would save the wine and the cheese first. Fortunately, this is not a concern in 4 feet of water.

"Decadent, laid-back living" is how Irene Hosford, a lawyer from Dallas, describes the trip. "The tension just rolls away. Especially just walking along the towpath -- you see things you don't ordinarily notice, even if they're always there."

It is indeed the service, the attention to detail that distinguishes this company: from fresh fruit and fresh coffee to fresh flowers and fresh linens. And it is the crew, hailing from across Europe, who worship French wines with more than typical enthusiasm and set the tone for the trip.

Case in point: I was sitting on the deck reading and lusting after a refreshing glass of white wine. And voila -- Alice, one of the hostesses, appeared with a glass in hand. I raised a very skeptical eyebrow. "Telepathique," she explained in her irresistible French accent. The whole crew was "telepathique" -- also magnifique.

Delightfully planned excursions to French chateaux, abbeys and villages or perhaps to a well-known vineyard for a wine-tasting -- after all, it had probably been at least an hour since our last sip of the grape -- take up most of the afternoons.

My husband and I chose to skip a tour of an artisan oak wine-barrel-making facility because it sounded boring. Apparently each sliver of wood is handcrafted and the artistry throughout impressive. The other 10 passengers spoke about the outing with reverence for the next two days.

We didn't make the same mistake with the pottery factory outing, where the totally handcrafted creations, fashioned here since 1821, more resemble works of art than household furnishings.

Although this is not a vacation for the person who thrives on activity -- admittedly, the most exciting thing to happen some days might be that the barge goes through a particularly deep lock -- somehow there's always something to do.

Rich Genererson and his wife, Marie, from Venice, Florida, have celebrated their five-year anniversaries aboard a barge for the last 20 years.

"We enjoy the serenity of the surroundings and the camaraderie of meeting new people," he said. "The food and the wine are just a bonus."

Barge cruising is synonymous with slow. You could probably get to your destination faster by walking, but that's not the point. Traveling by barge is about enjoying the process, reveling in the countryside and mastering the fine art of relaxation.

And oh yes, it is also about the wine and the cheese.

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WHEN YOU GO

For more information: fcwl.com or 800-222-1236.

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Fyllis Hockman is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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