I was recently invited to spend a few days on the Tango, a luxury barge-hotel docked in Bordeaux, which makes weeklong cruises down the Gironde River and in and around the Bordeaux region. The Tango would provide accommodations, three meals a day, and two days of sightseeing. With a tempting offer like that, I said YES!
I arrived on Monday morning about 11:30AM (the train from Paris to Bordeaux is a quick 2 hours) and it was a clear, sunny day. The boat was easy to locate from the train station, just 15 minutes by tram. Daniel Sak, the owner and Captain of the Tango and his assistant Daphna greeted me warmly and welcomed me on board. I surveyed the outside of the handsome, well kept boat and a Jacuzzi overlooking the architecturally beautiful skyline of old Bordeaux across the river, which sold me on the boat right away.
Daniel prepared a delicious Mediterranean style lunch of the freshest, tastiest red and yellow tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and tabouleh, followed by aromatic baked chicken with mushrooms, ratte potatoes, roasted garlic, peppers, and carrots. While feasting on this fabulous meal on the upper deck outside enjoying the gentle breeze and sunshine, Daniel poured a great Bordeaux and he and Daphna shared about their fascinating lives. Daniel is half American and half French, spending part of his life in California and the rest in Europe. He bought the Tango, a barge built in Nancy in the 1930's, when he was 17 years old in 1999 and has been operating it for twenty years. He took over two years, painstakingly rebuilding and converting the boat into a luxury barge and floating hotel. Up until two years ago, the Tango specialized in wine cruises on the Canal du Midi in Southern France, but last year Daniel decided to change it up and dock the boat in the center of Bordeaux, expanding the scope of the cruises. He had to attain a new boating license to sail the rivers in this region of France. Daphna grew up in Mexico and Texas and assisted on many canal boats before she began working with Daniel last year. She easily glides into speaking fluent French, Spanish, and English and she and Daniel are a great team; welcoming, friendly, and hospitable.
The cabin of the boat has two suites and two other guest rooms, a total of four rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, accommodating up to eight people. I had one of the suites; a natural wood cabin with soft white bed linens, brass portholes, and the coolest feature was the round shower in marigold tiles. The deluxe suite was had a white bathtub with feet, and beautiful Art Deco style wood cabinets. The main lounge has a full bar, long dining table, tufted leather couches, and an electric guitar setup, as Daniel sometimes entertains the guests after dinner.
That afternoon we took an excursion to an organic vineyard and the town of Saint-Emilion. (I will write more in depth about this excursion in another blog post soon).
The next day we slowly sailed up the Gironde River for a few hours, taking in the stunning scenery of the limestone facades of Bordeaux, contrasting the modern glass tower of the Cite du Vin, the new wine museum, and also the newest architectural wonder built in 2013, the Jacques-Chaban-Delmas Bridge, the longest vertical-lift bridge in Europe.
On my last evening, Daniel outdid himself in the kitchen by preparing his legendary chili, which by all measures was terrific, and could easily stand up proudly to any chili in the U.S. Another treat was a bottle of red wine from Daniel’s own vineyard. Lastly, the cherry on the cake of my excellent voyage on the Tango was the view of spectacular fireworks display on the river.
Here is some practical information about the Tango.
The boat is available for private charter 6 night cruises - From Sunday to Saturday- for 4-8 people. Three meals a day are included except for one lunch in a restaurant overlooking the river, which is included in the price.
Five-day cruises with half-board are also available.
A typical cruise route stops in the following ports: Bordeaux, Médoc, Blaye, Saint-Emilion, Bourg, and Branne.
Cruises run between the first of May and the end of October.
After the cruising season, starting in November, the Tango will be converted into a floating hotel, permanently docked in the heart of Bordeaux.
White asparagus with fresh made Hollandaise sauce
August in Paris- My Marais Apartment for Rent August 16 to August 29
I am renting my Marais loft from August 16 to August 29 (Dates are flexible). Contrary to popular myth that Paris is closed in August, most shops, restaurants, and attractions are open in Paris, especially in the Marais. The weather is usually beautiful, temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s Fahrenheit during the day, dropping into the mid 60s at night. In case in gets warmer, I have an air conditioner in the bedroom and a large fan in the living area.
Minimum rental period is 7 days/one week, price 1500€ for 7 days/one week, 2900€ for 14 days/2 weeks.
Conveniently located by the Saint Paul metro, in the heart of the Marais, the apartment is a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with a large elevator
Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.
If you love salted butter caramels, please watch my newest A Bite of Paris video about Henri Le Roux, the man who actually invented the salted butter caramel.
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