Typical Cuisine on Board

* Braised Beef Filet in Juniper Berry and Red Wine Jus
* Saddle of Lamb with Eggplant Caviar

Wine Cellar
*St. Emilion Grand Cru (Chateau Gaillard)
* Chassagne-Montrachet les Houilleres
* Pomerol (Chateau des Jacobins)

Savoir Faire Photo Gallery

2012 SAVOIR FAIRE
itineraries in France, Holland and Belgium

• Springtime and Tulips in Holland
  Itinerary below
  Departures March 25; April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
• Haarlem (Amsterdam) to Bruges, Belgium and reverse. Contact Us for itineraries
  May 6-12; Oct 28 - Nov 3
• Bruges to Paris and reverse (11 nights)
  Itinerary below
  May 13 - 24; October 14-25
• Burgundy - St Florentin to Ancy-le-Franc 
  June 3, 10, 17, 24; July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; August 5, 12, 19
• Paris to St Florentin or Paris to Villeneuve - Contact Us for itineraries
  May 27; August 26, September 30, October 7
• Champagne - Contact Us for itinerary
  September 2, 9, 16, 23

HOLLAND TULIP CRUISE 
Cruquius to Haarlem

Savoir Faire's "Dutch Tulip Cruise" is available in early spring followed by a two-week transit cruise from Haarlem to Paris. This supremely elegant barge which is owner-operated and has a crew of seven represents incredible value for the Dutch tulip season.

Excursions include:
* Keukenhof Gardens, where millions of tulips are blooming
* Aalsmer Flower Auction, from where a multitude of flowers are auctioned and shipped daily.
* The enchanting towns of Delft, Gouda, Haarlem and right through Amsterdam!



DAY 1: Sunday - Cruquius to Leiden
Your chauffeurs collect you from your Amsterdam hotel at 2:00 pm for the short drive to the Savoir Faire, moored at Cruquius. Once aboard your Captain and host welcomes you with a champagne reception and an introduction to your crew and ship. Shortly afterwards we begin our cruise to Leiden, where we shall moor overnight. This evening your chef welcomes you to your table with the first of many delicious offerings. Candlelit crystal and gleaming silverware add to the romantic ambiance of what promises to be the first of many memorable occasions.

DAY 2: Monday - Leiden to Delft
A peaceful morning cruise along the canals out of Leiden and through the oldest lock in Holland at Leidschendam. After lunch, we drive to the world famous Keukenhof Gardens with the largest display of flowers in the world. Here you will see hundreds of varieties of tulips, hyacinths and other beautiful bulbous plants. Afterwards we continue our cruise into Delft.



DAY 3: Tuesday - Delft to Gouda
After breakfast we take a walking tour of the Royal Porcelain Factory, where beautiful hand painted ceramics are still made. We then take a stroll around the cobbled streets of Delft before joining the ship to begin your cruise through the busy port of Rotterdam and on to Gouda.

DAY 4: Wednesday - Gouda to Uithoorn
This morning your tour guide will escort you through the streets of medieval Gouda, where you will see the most famous of all stained glass windows in Holland. A leisurely stroll through town is a must, with its "Disneyesque"main square and small boutiques. After lunch, we cruise through towns clinging to the canal sides to our overnight mooring at Uithoorn.

DAY 5: Thursday - Uithoorn to Zaandam
Today we begin our cruise along the winding Amstel River into Amsterdam and then through the very heart of this enchanting city where small canals and unique architecture take you back to a bygone era. You can literally reach out and touch the passers by. Leaving Amsterdam we join the mighty North Sea Canal and head west towards our overnight mooring at Zaandam. After lunch your tour guide drives you to Zaans Schans with its clog maker and working windmills. There's even the first supermarket in Holland.



DAY 6: Friday - Zaandam to Haarlem
Our final cruise takes us to Haarlem, a town of exceptional beauty with its main square, once used for jousting and the famous Frans Hals Museum. There will be plenty of time to enjoy this wonderful place and to shop around its many boutiques. Tonight, we celebrate your company at the Captain's table with mouth watering offerings from your chef.

DAY 7: Saturday - departure 9.30am
We end the cruise with a hearty breakfast and a fond farewell from your crew, before your chauffeurs take you onward to your Amsterdam hotel or airport.

Note: This is a sample itinerary. Itineraries are flexible and subject to change. Direction is reversed on alternate weeks.

        

11 NIGHT TWO COUNTRY CRUISE
Belgium and France
May 13-24 (Bruges to Paris)
October 14-25 (Paris to Bruges)

Sunday
Your drivers will meet you at your Bruges hotel or the rail station and drive you to the Savoir Faire, which will be moored in the picturesque town of Bruges. Lovingly referred to as the "Venice of the North", this beautiful town is laced with small canals and magnificent squares. Deserving of the UNESCO World Heritage Site award it has received, our guests are continually delighted by this gem. After a Champagne Welcome and some delicious canapes, your tour guide will arrange a canal boat ride, so you can see the architecture from a different perspective. Upon your return, you will have time to relax and enjoy the ambiance of the bar onboard, before the first of many gourmet meals.

Monday
After a hearty breakfast, your tour guide will escort you on a walking tour of Bruges to explore the many architectural wonders of this town. We then return to the barge for lunch, after which you will have time to explore and shop on your own - lace is a speciality of Bruges. Later we begin our afternoon cruise to Ghent.

Tuesday
This morning your guide will escort you into Ghent. Our visit includes the magnificent cathedral with its fabulous painting 'The Mystic Lamb', painted by the Van Eck brothers. There's also an assortment of fantastic boutiques nearby. Upon returning to the barge for lunch, we begin our cruise up the River Schelde to the town of Oudenaarde, where we will moor for the night.

Wednesday
A gentle morning cruise further up the River Schelde will take us past sleapy hamlets and rolling landscapes to the ancient town of Tournai, with its famous 'Pont des Trous' (Bridge with holes). We shall also explore the wonderful square with its ancient and fascinating clock tower.

Thursday
We continue along the river Schelde as it winds its way through the town of Valenciennes to the busy junction of Canal du Nord at the little French village of Arleux. This sleepy town is the meeting place of many of the barges setting south towards France. Along the way we will drive to the bustling town of Valenciennes to visit the Museum of Fine Arts.

Friday
This morning we begin our climb over the Vermandois Hills of Picardie, through the many deep locks and several tunnels of the Canal du Nord, one of which is over 3 miles long. The scenery is spectacular, giving you the opportunity to see rural France at its best. Well maintained towpaths follow alongside the canal that allow for great walking and cycling. After lunch, we have a real treat in store with an excursion to Amiens, to visit what must be one of the greatest of all Gothic cathedrals in France, with its towering spires and magnificent columns. This is one of the "not to be missed" items on any visit to France.

Saturday
After breakfast you can visit the War Museum in Peronne. Upon return, we will continue our journey along the Canal du Nord. There will be plenty of opportunities to walk or bike while the barge travels from lock to lock. The cruise now continues along the Canal du Nord, as it drops down into the valley of the Somme River before climbing over another watershed. The landscape unfolds revealing a part of France tourists rarely see.

Sunday
Today we will cruise down to the Oise River valley to moor in the busy riverside town of Compiegne, with its Royal Palace and huge square There are many places to visit, including the train where the World War I Armistice was signed. Shops abound everywhere, giving you the opportunity to see how the local people live.

Monday
The Oise River Valley is truly beautiful. Our cruise today takes to Auvers sur Oise, where we moor for an opportunity to explore this charming Van Gogh scene. Here is where he lived and painted many of his last and most important paintings, and where he stayed in a small room above a local cafe. We will have an afternoon walk around the town and visit the cemetery where Vincent and his brother are buried.

Tuesday
Today we are off on a day excursion to Giverny to visit the home and gardens of Claude Monet, probably the most famous of all the Impressionist painters. Your chef will prepare a delicious picnic lunch to be taken in the gardens of Giverny. During your walk you will see the famous 'Lily Pond' and the 'Japanese Bridge' that inspired so many of his paintings. We will moor for the night in Conflans, which is the junction of the Oise and Seine Rivers. It is here that many of the commercial skippers retire, thus the reason for so many barges moored alongside the quays.

Wednesday
In the morning we will cruise up the mighty river Seine to Bougival and visit Malmaison, the home of Napoleon. We will see its many lavishly decorated rooms furnished by Josephine. We will rejoin the Savoir Faire for an evening cruise through Paris, past the Eiffel Tower and the cathedral of Notre Dame and into the 'Port d'Arsenal' adjacent to the Bastille for a farewell dinner on board.

Thursday
After another hearty breakfast, our drivers will take you to either your Paris hotel or the airport.
 

Note: This is a sample itinerary. Itineraries are flexible and may be changed according to passenger requests and local conditions.