27th April - 3rd May

The first week of the season has started, the boat looks fantastic inside and out; some new en-suite bathrooms and a refurbished galley for the chef. Thank you to all that worked so hard on the Luciole this winter, it was good fun, but it's always pleasant to get the season underway.

It is usually slow going up the canal in the first week - the mud settles in the middle and as we are the deepest boat around, we spend the first week pushing our way through the muck. We also reached the port of Clamecy for the first time in two years - as the canal was closed for major repairs just before the town. This also means passing through the dreaded 'Basseville' lock, renowned for its difficulty, the river crosses perpendicular to the lock and with a weir on the right hand side, it is not for the faint hearted.

Our young chef Mark continues to impress as he did last season, his passion for food is evident in the dishes he produces. We are looking forward to seeing his progression over the season as he continues to push himself into such a high level of cooking, the barge is a good place for a chef to experiment and progress; down to basics, producing such a variety of dishes over the week and having the time to focus on the details of each plate.